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1288074

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2021
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Bishops: Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what the composition of the (a) Gibbs and (b) Whitsey reviews are; and if he will place non-redacted copies of the reports in the Library.
	tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
	tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
	uin	156411
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The review by Dame Moria Gibb in 2017 into Peter Ball, the former Bishop of Gloucester, and the Whitsey review undertaken by His Hon David Pearl in 2019 into Hubert Whitsey, the former Bishop of Chester, are both available in full on the Church of England’s website.</p><p>The Gibb review, ‘An Abuse of Faith’, is available here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2017-11%2Freport-of-the-peter-ball-review-210617.pdf&amp;data=04%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7Cc16a45430c5d4f2acd9708d8d8b24b2c%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C1%7C637497607562090710%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=59HvL5Rl4crfii%2FP1%2FIhvxIG7RnJOjOV3%2BAL5bcjhwk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/report-of-the-peter-ball-review-210617.pdf</a></p><p>The Whitsey review is available here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsafeguarding%2Foverview%2Fnews-and-views%2Findependent-lessons-learnt-review-bishop-whitsey-case&amp;data=04%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7Cc16a45430c5d4f2acd9708d8d8b24b2c%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C1%7C637497607562100705%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=lBvsc93FSUSfEsm0DGgAVWkqJWypJuWSThx81ys3zW4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/overview/news-and-views/independent-lessons-learnt-review-bishop-whitsey-case</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 24/02/2021 13:19:14 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1250484

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Commissioners have made of (a) trends in the level of closure of churches and (b) the ability of worshipping communities to fund ongoing repairs to church buildings.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton West
	tabling member printed	Chris Green
	uin	113566
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The details of individual parish finances is not generally a matter for the Church Commissioners, though other parts of the National Church Institutions and dioceses have been keeping planned giving and donations under careful review. Churches that have a solid foundation of regular giving through direct debit or standing order appear to be withstanding the pandemic much better than those whose finances were more reliant on church hall income, fundraising events, visitor donations and cash in the offertory plate. During the first national lockdown whilst some parishes saw a substantial drop off in donations others have embraced new technology using digital giving, and social media and, when Church buildings are open, contactless giving.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Although there has been a significant reduction in parish payments to dioceses to fund ministry costs, this has been less than anticipated at the start of the national lockdown, in part boosted by use of reserves as well as the generosity of givers. We grateful to the Government for allocating over £30million from the Culture Recovery Fund to support major churches and cathedrals. The Church Commissioners have also made significant funds available where possible to support music, essential craft and tradespeople alongside sustainability funding and salary support for cathedrals. The continuation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is also important for the future funding of repairs to church buildings and the Archbishops’ Council have made representations to the Treasury about this.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 17/11/2020 17:34:12 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4398 label Biography information for Chris Green

1250482

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Commissioners have made of the effect of churches on community health and wellbeing through their provision of food banks, youth services, mental health services, addiction support services and other community services during the covid-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton West
	tabling member printed	Chris Green
	uin	113564
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The parish church is a key source of community support and I commend the work of clergy and volunteers across the country during this very challenging time.</p><p>Recent research published by Theos and the Church Urban Fund <a href="https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/cmsfiles/GRACE-CUF-v10-combined.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/cmsfiles/GRACE-CUF-v10-combined.pdf</a> and separately by the National Churches Trust <a href="https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/" target="_blank">https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/</a> has shown the substantial social and economic contribution parishes, and cathedrals make to their local communities.</p><p>Across the dioceses of the Church of England churches are operating 35,000 based projects which serve the needs of their communities, I am pleased to say that many of these have continued to operate during the pandemic within the guidelines set out by Government on Covid-19, providing crisis support such as foodbanks, bereavement counselling, night shelters, debt relief advice, as well as project work to combat modern slavery and support victim of domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 17/11/2020 15:04:02 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4398 label Biography information for Chris Green

1242537

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Leicestershire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps he is taking to support churches across Leicestershire to conduct Christmas services in 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Bosworth
	tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
	uin	102186
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The Church of England’s seasonal campaign ‘Comfort and Joy’ will provide online, booklet and social media resources for all parishes and worshippers to use and enjoy this Advent and Christmas. More information is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/preparing-advent-christmas-2020-comfort-and-joy" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/preparing-advent-christmas-2020-comfort-and-joy</a></p><p> </p><p>Following the Government announcement of a second lockdown, churches have been required to close again for public worship, though I am hopeful this will lift at the end of lockdown on 2nd December and that public worship can resume, with the necessary social distancing rules in place, during Advent and Christmas. The Church of England remains in dialogue with the Government about this as part of the Government’s Places of Worship Task Force. I commend the work of clergy and volunteers across the country during this very challenging time.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 17/11/2020 14:56:42 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

1666751

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2023
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Religious Freedom: EU Countries and Middle East
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what the Church's position is on freedom of religion in conflict zones in (a) the Middle East and (b) Europe.
	tabling member constituency	Bournemouth West
	tabling member printed	Sir Conor Burns
	uin	203801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>The National Church Institutions recognise that freedom of religion or belief, like other human rights, is strongly correlated with political stability, and that repression of freedom of religion or belief, whether by societal hostility or state discrimination, can serve as major drivers of conflict and violence.</p><p>Sadly, in too many parts of the world today, whether that be in Russia or Ukraine, or in Iraq and Israel, the discrimination against or targeting of religious minorities is commonly associated with rising social tensions, intercommunal strife, violence and even mass atrocities.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 26/10/2023 10:35:49 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	3922 label Biography information for Sir Conor Burns

1258840

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Commissioners: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will place in the Library a digitised map of all Church Commissioner landholdings.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	125956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2020 answer text <p>The land holdings owned by the Church Commissioners have to a large extent been registered with the Land Registry, and information on those holdings is publicly available via the Land Registry.</p><p>To compile and publish a digitised map of all land holdings in the manner requested would incur a disproportionate cost to the Church Commissioners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 10/12/2020 14:56:01 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1260520

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Commissioners: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2020 to Question 125956, whether the Commissioners in collaboration with the Land Registry has conducted a land survey of land assets held by the Church of England.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	128638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2021 answer text <p>As a responsible landowner, the Church Commissioners comply with the requirements of the Land Registration Act 2002, and the Church Commissioners are only responsible for the land which they hold, not all Church of England land.</p><p>The Church Commissioner’s land has, to a large extent, been registered with the Land Registry, all such information is publicly available via the Land Registry. The 2002 Act does not provide for the Land Registry and the Church Commissioners to collaborate to undertake land surveys, nor does it require the Commissioners to have a policy on digital maps of their landholding.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 128639 question first answered 08/01/2021 16:12:01 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1260521

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Commissioners: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2020 to Question 125956, whether the Commissioners have made an assessment of the level of compliance with the Land Registration Act 2002 of their policy on digitally mapped Church land assets.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	128639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2021 answer text <p>As a responsible landowner, the Church Commissioners comply with the requirements of the Land Registration Act 2002, and the Church Commissioners are only responsible for the land which they hold, not all Church of England land.</p><p>The Church Commissioner’s land has, to a large extent, been registered with the Land Registry, all such information is publicly available via the Land Registry. The 2002 Act does not provide for the Land Registry and the Church Commissioners to collaborate to undertake land surveys, nor does it require the Commissioners to have a policy on digital maps of their landholding.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 128638 question first answered 08/01/2021 16:12:01 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1279600

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2021
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Commissioners: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of the area of Church Commissioner-owned land tenancies, under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, that will come up for renewal in the next (a) five years and (b) 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	141939
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2021 answer text <p>Over 60% of the tenancies within the Church Commissioners’ rural portfolio are Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 (AHA) tenancies. AHA tenancies granted prior to 11 July 1984 provide for rights of succession. Forecasting the rate and date of tenancy succession with any accuracy is challenging. This is because AHA tenancies can only be succeeded upon the death or retirement of an incumbent tenant and these dates are typically not known.</p><p>Specific criteria need to be met by a prospective successor to allow succession to take place. The criteria are reviewed on a case-by-case basis in the context of the tenant and their proposed successor’s situation at the time a succession is proposed. Currently, 17% of the Church Commissioners’ AHA tenants have no rights to succession, 62% have rights to one succession and 21% two remaining successions. As such, we anticipate potentially eligible successors to 83% of the Commissioners’ existing AHA tenancies may apply to succeed the tenancy.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 27/01/2021 17:59:54 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1356890

	registered interest
	date	20/09/2021
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Assets
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent estimate he has made of the value of investment and liquid assets of the Church of England (a) centrally and (b) by diocese and cathedral, including those of the Church Commissioners less the liability for pensions for which they are responsible.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	51619
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p>At the end of 2020 the total value of the Church Commissioners’ assets, less the estimated value of future pensions obligations, was £7,573m.</p><p>The Commissioners have additional and ongoing statutory funding obligations over and above pension liabilities, including support for the work of bishops and cathedrals. The Commissioners also make grants to support the work of the Church across the country, with a focus on supporting the poorest communities.</p><p>The Commissioners plan their spending in three year cycles and estimated expenditure in 2020-22 is £930m including £383m for pensions.</p><p>Further information is available in the most recent annual report of the Church Commissioners: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-commissioners-england/how-we-are-governed/publications" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-commissioners-england/how-we-are-governed/publications</a></p><p>The year end balances for Dioceses in 2019 (the most recent information available) were £1,692m in investments (the majority restricted for particular purposes) and £184m in cash. For cathedrals this was £524m in investments and £50m in cash. The majority of investment assets are in property investments, which are less liquid than stock market investments. Typically around two-thirds of diocesan incomes come from parish share, the majority of which is funded by individuals’ donations to Parochial Church Councils. This funding stream has been impacted by the pandemic and resulted in a significant draw on diocesan reserves.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:14:45 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23248 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy