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418106

	registered interest
	date	09/09/2015
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Cemeteries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England dioceses have published regulations on monuments on burial plots and inscriptions on gravestones; which dioceses (a) allow and (b) do not allow nicknames on gravestones; which dioceses allow monuments; which dioceses (i) allow and (ii) do not allow pictorial etchings on gravestones; and which dioceses (A) allow and (B) do not allow free-standing containers on burial plots.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hendrick
	uin	9765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2015 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally, while there is central guidance available, each Diocese and Parish applies the regulations to their local circumstances. Without more specific information about which parish is being referred to in the question further comment is not further comment is not possible.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our advice would be to contact the Diocesan Registrar for Blackburn will know how these regulations are applied locally. The Registrar can be contacted at the Diocesan Office:</p><p> </p><p>Church House, Cathedral Close, Blackburn, BB1 5AA</p><p> </p><p>You may also wish to refer to page 4 of the Diocesan guide to the churchyard regulations available at the following link. <br>This document gives the general advice for the Diocese of Blackburn.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/images/Information/Churchyard%20Regulations%202014.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/images/Information/Churchyard%20Regulations%202014.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Mrs Caroline Spelman question first answered 15/09/2015 12:43:52 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

758630

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Martin Luther
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what events and activities the Diocese of Blackburn is undertaking to mark the Quincentenary of the nailing of Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther on the door of All Saints' Church, Wittenberg, on 31 October 1517.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hendrick
	uin	9589
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/10/2017 answer text <p>Church of England dioceses are marking the 500<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation in Europe and parishes are being encourage to commemorate the anniversary in a variety of ways. For example in my own parish of Knowle, a sermon series will be held. Information on some of the main events being run across the Church can be seen here: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fabout-us%2Fwork-other-churches%2Freformation-anniversary.aspx&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccaroline.spelman.mp%40parliament.uk%7Cbbc1685112df4c3c74fb08d50efd5279%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636431403555587103&amp;sdata=ju%2FOecFACae7msYLsYPefLXCOwB3B3TELW5P9gX9vAk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/work-other-churches/reformation-anniversary.aspx</a></p><p>At Westminster Abbey on 31<sup>st</sup> October at noon there will be a service to mark the Anniversary led by the Dean of Westminster, with an Address given by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Among those attending will be representatives of Lutheran churches in the United Kingdom.</p><p>Blackburn Diocese is planning two large scale events. The first is to be hosted by the local Churches Together network at Blackburn Cathedral on Thursday 19<sup>th</sup> October at 2pm. More information is at: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackburn.anglican.org%2Fevents%2F67%2Freformation-500-service-at-cathedral&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccaroline.spelman.mp%40parliament.uk%7Cbbc1685112df4c3c74fb08d50efd5279%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636431403555587103&amp;sdata=QREnzncusQ9EVbyhTkQUmlx8sgb6sB5GvEV%2FVegqdcI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/events/67/reformation-500-service-at-cathedral</a> The Diocese is also holding a discussion evening with the Bishop of Burnley at Whalley Abbey on Monday 30<sup>th</sup> October, 7pm.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 09/10/2017 14:01:27 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

758629

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment she has made of the effect of admission costs for cathedrals and abbeys in England on the ability of UK families to visit such places.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	9310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2017 answer text <p>There is no central policy on charging for entry at Church of England churches and cathedrals. It is for the cathedral chapters and church incumbents to decide how best to meet their financial obligations, such as running costs and repairs, and in the case of the most popular, to manage their visitor numbers.</p><p> </p><p>However, only nine out of the 42 Church of England cathedrals, and very few churches, charge for entry. All churches and cathedrals which charge for entry give free access to those attending services and for private prayer, and some give free entry on Sundays and at other times. Many also run a full programme of outreach, education programmes and events for children and families which are accessible at little or no cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/09/2017 10:42:15 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1125178

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Christianity: Oppression
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress the Church of England has made on tackling the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	910766
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England welcomed the decision by the Foreign Secretary to launch an Independent Review into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s support for persecuted Christians.</p><p>On behalf of their two Churches, Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster made a joint submission to the Review. They set out a range of practical recommendations about how the Government could take meaningful action not only in protecting Christians facing persecution but also in promoting freedom of religion and belief more widely.</p><p>Their joint submission can be found here: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/latest-news/anglicans-and-catholics-make-joint-submission-foreign-office-review-persecuted</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 09/05/2019 11:40:50 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

722425

	registered interest
	date	30/03/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what support the Church of England provides for people affected by domestic violence and abuse.
	tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
	tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
	uin	909697
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>On 15th March 2017 the Church of England’s House of Bishops published “Responding Well to Domestic Abuse: Policy and Practice Guidance”, which urges church communities to address the issue of domestic abuse and raise awareness of its impact on adults and children. The document can be seen at: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media/3896806/responding-well-to-domestic-abuse-2017.pdf%20" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media/3896806/responding-well-to-domestic-abuse-2017.pdf </a></p><p>The updated practice guidance and policy encourages churches to become places of safety where domestic abuse is taken seriously, survivors are believed and respected, and alleged or known perpetrators challenged. The updated document reflects legislative and other changes since guidance was last issued in 2006.</p><p>Under the policy Church leaders and Officers working with children, young people and vulnerable adults will be expected to undergo domestic abuse training, with the issue being raised in appropriate contexts within church life including youth groups, marriage preparation and ordinand training. They will also be expected to work closely with statutory and other specialist organisations.</p><p>In the House of Lords this session bishops supported the passage of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Bill.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 15:45:09 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

722427

	registered interest
	date	30/03/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	House of Lords: Reform
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the policy of the Church of England is on reducing the membership of the House of Lords.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	909694
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>In December the House of Lords passed a motion that its size ought to be reduced. The Bishop of Birmingham, who is Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, supported that motion and has since made a submission to the Committee set up by the Lord Speaker to look at options for reducing the size. Its report is awaited.</p><p>For many years now the public responses of the Church to proposals for Lords reform have highlighted the problem of the Second Chamber being too large and have called for action to address it.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 15:36:50 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

722068

	registered interest
	date	30/03/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Debt Rescheduling
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will take steps to support initiatives which provide indebted households with financial breathing space.
	tabling member constituency	Kettering
	tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
	uin	909692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>The Church of England supports the Breathing Space campaign of The Children’s Society and StepChange. The Church has considerable experience of supporting people in financial difficulty and has for the last four years been actively promoting credit unions and financial education within its school and church networks. <br>Additionally, as part of the Just Finance Foundation, LifeSavers is a national, financial education programme for primary schools, equipping children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage money well and prepare them for the opportunities and challenges that money brings in life.</p><p>It offers schools:<br>• Free and comprehensive sets of classroom and collective worship resources,<br>• CPD training in how to develop a whole school approach to financial education<br>• advice on setting up a school savings club<br>• ideas for engaging parents designed to give children a practical experience of handling money and ensure that positive messages about money are reinforced at home.</p><p>More information can be found here: <a href="https://justfinancefoundation.org.uk/act/lifesavers/" target="_blank">https://justfinancefoundation.org.uk/act/lifesavers/</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 16:01:38 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

1063854

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Married People: Tax Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the marriage allowance.
	tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
	tabling member printed	Mr Ranil Jayawardena
	uin	909357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners have not recently held discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the Married Couple’s Tax Allowance, though the matter has been raised by bishops in the House of Lords.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 21/02/2019 11:30:42 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena

1063844

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to tackle homelessness.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	909352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The General Synod of the Church of England will discuss homelessness at its February meeting this week.</p><p>The Church of England is engaged at diocesan and parish level with initiatives such as night shelters, providing food and clothing to people who are homeless. These initiatives are best managed and operated at a local level so that they can best react to the local needs. Good examples of long running projects can be seen in the Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds Dioceses.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 21/02/2019 11:32:36 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

706090

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2017
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Broadband and WiFi
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress has been made on identifying parish churches suitable for wi-fi and broadband in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	Lincoln
	tabling member printed	Karl McCartney
	uin	909030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2017 answer text <p>Churches across the Country play an important role in supporting community infrastructure for their local communities. The Diocese of Norwich since 2011 have been the majority shareholder in WiSpire which provides discreet Fixed Wireless Access technology to attach to church towers. This system builds a network of transmitters offering schools, businesses and residents the opportunity to connect to Wi-Fi and broadband particularly in rural areas.</p><p>The Church is in early discussions to expand this provision into the Diocese of St Edmundsbury &amp; Ipswich and Diocese of Ely. Given the geography of the Diocese of Lincoln it may be a suitable candidate for consideration as the project expands as best provision using this system needs direct line of sight. Conversations are also in progress with the Government to test viability of this and other potential schemes across other parts of the country.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 02/03/2017 12:27:39 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4028 label Biography information for Karl McCartney