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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

1128827

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Housing: Construction
	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 proportion of residential developments constructed since 2015 (a) on land owned by the Church of England under the direction of the strategic land team and (b) by private developers comprise affordable housing.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	259013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>Planning permissions have been granted across a range of geographies, from County Durham where the affordable housing requirement is currently 15%, to Wells in Somerset where the requirement is 40%.</p><p>On land owned by the Church Commissioners where planning permission has been received and sites sold since 2015, approximately 20% of the homes will be affordable dwellings.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 05/06/2019 16:25:40 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1130914

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Affordable Housing: Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 259013, how many affordable homes have been built by the Church of England or its agents in each local authority area since 2015; and what the affordable housing requirement is in each of those local authority areas.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	262248
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>There have been 295 new affordable homes created on land owned by the Church Commissioners since 2015.</p><p>Details for each Local Authority area are shown in the following table.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Local Authority</p></td><td><p>Number of Affordable Houses Provided</p></td><td><p>Policy Requirement for Number of Affordable Houses</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Durham</p></td><td><p>34</p></td><td><p>50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Lindsey</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Cambridgeshire</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carlisle</p></td><td><p>42</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mendip</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sunderland</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Arun</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ashford</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>295</p></td><td><p>356</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/06/2019 15:52:36 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1138229

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	George Bell
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2019 to Question 227049 on George Bell, whether the £29,800 represents the full payment for all costs incurred by the church in its initial judgement on Bishop George Bell; and what proportion of that sum was used for costs for (a) lawyers and (b) damages.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	275686
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>The former First Church Estates Commissioner gave the answer to the General Synod in July 2016, this can be found on page 58 of the Reports and Proceedings of the General Synod: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/July%202016%20Report%20of%20Proceedings%20w.index_.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/July%202016%20Report%20of%20Proceedings%20w.index_.pdf</a>. <br>As the former First Church Estates Commissioner confirmed in his replies on that occasion, it is not the usual practice of the Church Commissioners to report on legal expenditure.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 18/07/2019 12:12:18 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman previous answer version 128819 answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

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

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

1194322

	registered interest
	date	11/05/2020
	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 right hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps is the Government taking to work with churches and dioceses to ensure the safe opening of churches for religious worship.
	tabling member constituency	Bosworth
	tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
	uin	45480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>The Church of England is committed to the reopening of buildings in a phased way, in accordance with the rules, restrictions and timetable established by Government. On 5<sup>th</sup> May the House of Bishops issued guidance, which can be seen here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/house-bishops-backs-phased-approach-revising-access-church-buildings" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/house-bishops-backs-phased-approach-revising-access-church-buildings</a></p><p>We are working with Government and with representatives of the heritage planning sector to assess the need for building adaptations related to public safety in our cathedral and church buildings, and in particular temporary additions or changes that might need to be made to enable social distancing and proper hygiene. We are committed to enabling our churches and cathedrals to make such changes as might be needed to allow them to reopen safely.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 18/05/2020 16:07:34 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 21587 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

1199503

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	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 Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps he is taking to ensure that places of worship can open for (a) private prayer and (b) active worship in compliance with social distancing measures as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.
	tabling member constituency	Bosworth
	tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
	uin	53638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has announced that from the 15<sup>th</sup> June Church of England places of worship may be opened for individual prayer, alongside those of other faiths.</p><p>The Church of England has been developing advice, following information from Public Health England and other bodies, to enable its churches to be opened safely, and has been communicating that to dioceses for planning purposes. Not all buildings will be able to open for individual prayer on the 15<sup>th</sup> June, and bishops will be discussing with local clergy the needs of each parish. We expect a phased reopening that takes into account local circumstances and the available resources to enable it to be done safely.</p><p>The House of Bishops will be issuing revised advice once the Government has published its own guidance, further to the statement made by Lord Greenhalgh on Saturday 6<sup>th</sup> June.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 09/06/2020 17:13:07 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

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

1356891

	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: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how much has been paid in (a) National Lottery Funds and (b) Government grants to Church of England bodies including (i) dioceses, (ii) parochial church councils, (iii) cathedrals, (iv) the Church Commissioners and (v) the Churches Conservation Trust in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	51620
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p><em>Dioceses, parochial church councils and cathedrals:</em></p><p>The Church Commissioners do not hold figures broken down by Church of England diocese, parochial church council or cathedral, for National Lottery Heritage Fund or Government grants.</p><p>Grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to Church of England churches and cathedrals over the past five years are as follows. Brackets indicate the number of grants awarded:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £ 49,292,200 (166)</p><p> </p><p>2017 £ 25,264,900 (184)</p><p> </p><p>2018 £12,458,450 (144)</p><p> </p><p>2019 £11,652,300 (57)</p><p> </p><p>2020 £3,376,200 (67)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Government (DCMS) figures for grants equal to the value of VAT for works to listed Church of England places of worship over the past five years are:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £20,689,034</p><p> </p><p>2017 £23,839,469</p><p> </p><p>2018 £24,773,038</p><p> </p><p>2019 £24,522,362</p><p> </p><p>2020 £24,665,225</p><p> </p><p>This website, maintained by DCMS, contains details of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme and recent total disbursement: <a href="http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Grants to Church of England listed places of worship under the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund in 2020-21 totalled £54,387,240, broken down as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Building type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of grants</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total amount of funding</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cathedral</p></td><td><p>107</p></td><td><p>£29,424,529</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Major Parish Church</p></td><td><p>154</p></td><td><p>£14,903,597</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Parish Church</p></td><td><p>484</p></td><td><p>£9,889,114</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em> Church Commissioners:</em></p><p> </p><p>The Church Commissioners do not receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund or Government grants.</p><p> </p><p><em>Churches Conservation Trust:</em></p><p> </p><p>The Churches Conservation Trust is an independent charity reporting to both Parliament and the General Synod. It receives income from donations from individuals, trusts and foundations, and core funding from Government (DCMS) and the General Synod of the Church of England via the Church Commissioners. Funding for the last five years is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>2020/21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lottery Grants</p></td><td><p>£1,325,882</p></td><td><p>£683,053</p></td><td><p>£537,795</p></td><td><p>£1,394,687</p></td><td><p>£2,193,611</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Government Grant Funding</p></td><td><p>£2,749,000</p></td><td><p>£2,738,001</p></td><td><p>£2,604,000</p></td><td><p>£2,608,000</p></td><td><p>£4,533,451 of which £2,788,000 grant in aid</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Church Grant Funding</p></td><td><p>£1,355,000</p></td><td><p>£1,355,000</p></td><td><p>£1,655,000</p></td><td><p>£1,430,000</p></td><td><p>£1,430,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Annual Report and Accounts of the Trust are laid before Parliament and are available at <a href="https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html" target="_blank">https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html</a></p><p> </p><p>The National Churches Trust October 2020 report ‘The House of Good’, found that the total economic and social value that church buildings generate in the UK amounted to at least £12.4 billion per year, an average of around £300,000 per church. The report can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/" target="_blank">https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:18:45 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23249 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

1356892

	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: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how much has been paid in (a) tax rebates, including of VAT on repairs and (b) Gift Aid to Church of England bodies including (i) dioceses, (ii) parochial church councils, (iii) cathedrals, (iv) the Church Commissioners and (v) the Churches Conservation Trust in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	51621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p><em>Dioceses, parochial church councils and cathedrals:</em></p><p>Government (DCMS) figures for grants equal to the value of VAT for works to listed places of worship over the past five years are below. These are grants to the value of VAT, not rebates. The Church Commissioners do not hold these figures broken down by Church of England diocese, parochial church council or cathedral:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £20,689,034.00</p><p> </p><p>2017 £23,839,469.00</p><p> </p><p>2018 £24,773,038.00</p><p> </p><p>2019 £24,522,362.00</p><p> </p><p>2020 £24,665,225.00</p><p> </p><p>This website, maintained by DCMS, contains details of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme and recent total disbursement: <a href="http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Like all bodies that have charitable status, Gift Aid on donations can be claimed by parochial church councils, dioceses and cathedrals. The funding model of the Church of England means that the vast majority of donations from worshippers, visitors and other supporters are made to parochial church councils and to cathedral chapters. The Church Commissioners do not keep a record of Gift Aid receipts by dioceses, but the amount claimed will be modest.</p><p> </p><p>Parochial Church Council Gift Aid receipts for the past five years are:</p><p>2016 £91.9m</p><p>2017 £94.5m</p><p>2018 £94.3m</p><p>2019 £96.4m</p><p>2020 £91.3m*</p><p> </p><p>*The figure for 2020 is provisional and yet to be fully reviewed.</p><p>See also Parish Finance Statistics 2019, page 12: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Parish%20Finance%20Statistics%202019.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Parish%20Finance%20Statistics%202019.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>In 2018, the most recent year for which statistics are readily available, Church of England cathedrals reported in their accounts a total of £1.3m of Gift Aid from donations.</p><p> </p><p><em>Church Commissioners:</em></p><p>The Church Commissioners have not received any Gift Aid on donations made by individuals.</p><p> </p><p><em>Churches Conservation Trust:</em></p><p>The Churches Conservation Trust is an independent charity reporting to both Parliament and the General Synod. It receives income from donations from individuals, trusts and foundations, and core funding from Government (DCMS) and the General Synod of the Church of England via the Church Commissioners.</p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td>2016/17</td><td>2017/18</td><td>2018/19</td><td>2019/20</td><td>2020/21</td></tr><tr><td>Tax Rebates / LPWGS*</td><td>£550,556</td><td>£239,520</td><td>£318,174</td><td>£289,460</td><td>£834,592</td></tr><tr><td>Gift Aid</td><td>£16,063</td><td>£22,756</td><td>£28,787</td><td>£19,824</td><td>£27,524</td></tr></tbody></table><p>*figure includes grants from the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme</p><p><br>The Annual Report and Accounts of the Trust are laid before Parliament and are available at <a href="https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html" target="_blank">https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html</a>*figure includes grants from the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:30:24 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23251 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

1601246

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2023
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
	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 make an assessment of the adequacy of local authority grant funding available to parish churches to upgrade their facilities.
	tabling member constituency	Broadland
	tabling member printed	Jerome Mayhew
	uin	903965
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2023 answer text <p>It is the view of the National Church Institutions that Local Authority and Parish Council grant funding is not being made available to parish churches on a consistent basis, due to a lack of clarity in interpretation of existing law, specifically the Local Government Acts 1894, 1972 and the Localism Act 2011.</p><p>The Church Buildings Council, following legal advice, has concluded that the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 and the Local Government Act 1972 allow for all Local Authorities, including Parish Councils, to contribute to the upkeep of church property under certain circumstances – mainly related to the public benefit achieved. A briefing note is available here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fresources%2Fchurchcare%2Fadvice-and-guidance-church-buildings%2Flocal-authority-investment&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C7eee7cd2aa2b481e260d08db1f4c6e8e%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638138185383336194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=fmxbF9gbaZMAeUeQkmISm4Ybe8iYwCaobhGdWJ34X%2Bw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Local Authority Investment | The Church of England</a></p><p>In Sir Bernard Taylor’s 2017 Review of the Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals, a recommendation was made that the law be clarified. See pp.31-32: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fthe-taylor-review-sustainability-of-english-churches-and-cathedrals&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C7eee7cd2aa2b481e260d08db1f4c6e8e%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638138185383336194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=eGadhnaV8CpIeD5OTR9B3SYoaSS8hUz5rn8Z82pX%2B3s%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">The Taylor Review: Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>The Bishop of Bristol is bringing amendments to the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill in the House of Lords to clarify the law. She has the support of heritage bodies and the National Association of Local Councils. The Bishop’s amendments would enable parish churches to be treated the same as other faith and community buildings, which can apply for small grants to improve public access, upgrade facilities such as kitchens or toilets, or enable repairs of guttering, stonework or windows.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 10/03/2023 15:44:18 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4739 label Biography information for Jerome Mayhew

1651573

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2023
	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: Greater Manchester
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many Parishes currently have interregnums in the Diocese of Manchester.
	tabling member constituency	Bury North
	tabling member printed	James Daly
	uin	193187
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>The appointment of parish priests is a matter for diocesan bishops. The information is not held centrally by the National Church Institutions.</p><p>You may wish to enquire with the Manchester Diocese: <a href="https://www.manchester.anglican.org/about-us/our-staff/" target="_blank">https://www.manchester.anglican.org/about-us/our-staff/</a></p><p>or with the Bishop of Manchester: <a href="https://www.manchester.anglican.org/about-us/bishops/bishopmanchester.php" target="_blank">https://www.manchester.anglican.org/about-us/bishops/bishopmanchester.php</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 23:01:38 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4854 label Biography information for James Daly

1439401

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2022
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Clergy: Retirement
	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 potential merits of reforming the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Regulations 2009 to bring measures relating to the mandatory retirement age for clergy into line with provisions on age discrimination within the Equality Act 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	137409
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2022 answer text <p>The current provisions are already compatible with the age provisions of the Equality Act 2010, which allows a retirement age of 65 or over where there is an objective justification. The Terms of Service Regulations were last amended in 2017 and no consideration has been given since then to amending them further.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/03/2022 17:55:01 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1585736

	registered interest
	date	09/02/2023
	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: LGBT+ People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, in the context of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process and the forthcoming General Synod, what assessment the Commissioners have made of the potential impact of the Church of England's exemptions from the Equality Act 2010 on LGBT+ people.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	143882
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2023 answer text <p>The National Church Institutions have made no such assessment. The exceptions in the Equality Act are for all religious organisations rather than for the Church of England specifically. It is unlikely that any of the exceptions will be engaged by Living in Love and Faith and therefore no assessment has been carried out.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 22/02/2023 12:06:54 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1196974

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2020
	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 Church of England has made of the potential effect on public health of reopening churches.
	tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
	tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
	uin	902801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>The House of Bishops meets regularly to review its own guidance to clergy in light of Government and public health advice.</p><p>On 5th May the House of Bishops issued new guidance, which can be seen at: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/house-bishops-backs-phased-approach-revising-access-church-buildings" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/house-bishops-backs-phased-approach-revising-access-church-buildings</a></p><p>While church buildings remain closed for public worship in line with Government advice, the Bishops agreed in principle to a phased approach to lifting restrictions, in time and in parallel with the Government's approach, with three broad stages. The first, effective immediately, allows clergy limited access to church buildings for activities such as streaming of services or private prayer, so long as the necessary hygiene and social distancing precautions are taken; the decision being made by individual clergy after discussion with their diocesan bishop. The second and third will see access for some rites and ceremonies, and for worship services with limited congregations meeting, when Government restrictions are eased to allow it.</p><p>Senior staff of the National Church Institutions have joined two of the Government’s ‘unlocking’ work streams, within the Department for Culture Media and Sport and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/05/2020 17:08:02 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

1180185

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Bats
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what (a) policy changes and (b) steps the Church of England is taking in relation to the 2019 survey of bats in churches undertaken with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund,
	tabling member constituency	Christchurch
	tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
	uin	19751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2020 answer text <p>The £3.8m funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund that was secured in 2018, enabled not just one survey, but a five-year Bats in Churches partnership project made up of the Church of England, Natural England, Historic England, the Bat Conservation Trust, and the Churches Conservation Trust.</p><p>The project is working with ecologists, church architects, heritage experts and church communities to support and develop bespoke solutions for around 120 churches struggling with unsustainable bat roosts across the country. Churches that are part of the project are continuously monitored to ensure there is no damage to the bat populations. Additionally, a nationwide volunteer-led four-year survey, the ‘Bats in Churches Study’ is to be launched this summer and will give an in-depth picture of how bats are using Church of England churches and the attitudes of churchgoers towards them.</p><p>The Bats in Churches project is now in its second year and can report the delivery of three successful mitigation works in some of the worst affected churches, in Braunston-in-Rutland, Tattershall and Swanton Morley. These three schemes have enabled congregations and the wider community to co-exist harmoniously alongside the bats and for church heritage to be respected.</p><p>Other projects nearing completion include:</p><ul><li>St Pega’s Church Peakirk, following a lead theft that has enabled bat mitigation to be incorporated into the re-roofing repair work.</li><li>St John the Baptist Church in Cold Overton is similarly incorporating bat mitigation into its repairs.</li></ul><p>Support for churches sheltering bats is available from the Bats in Churches project who are running events to build networks of volunteers, links to bat and heritage groups and specialist cleaning workshops and advice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 28/02/2020 10:56:16 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

1130960

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Archbishops' Council: Grants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have the authority to make grants to the Archbishop's Council.
	tabling member constituency	Congleton
	tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
	uin	262341
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The powers conferred by the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018 enable the Church Commissioners to make grants to the Archbishops' Council which the Council may spend in accordance with its own functions. Such funding should support proposals designed to make a significant contribution to the growth of the Church and proposals should only be funded if they are within the priorities identified by the Council and in accordance with a clearly defined policy framework. The Commissioners’ approved policy is set out in full in the document attached at annex A. In addition to the power under the 2018 Measure, the Church Commissioners have a number of other miscellaneous powers to make grants to the Council in support of work with the Council supports, such as grants given for diocesan ministry support.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/06/2019 15:02:19 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman attachment 1 file name annex A.pdf title Annex A
	tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

1299470

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2021
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Families: 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 steps the Church of England is taking to support family life during the covid-19 lockdown.
	tabling member constituency	Derbyshire Dales
	tabling member printed	Miss Sarah Dines
	uin	912871
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2021 answer text <p>The clergy have continued to support families and vulnerable people throughout the pandemic, but particular attention has been given to the bereaved in this very difficult year. Recent research by the Church of England has shown six out of ten people have lost someone they know in the last year and that those aged 18 to 30 have been particularly badly affected. In addition to its support for bereaved families in communities across the country, the Church of England has continued its work preparing couples for marriage. The Church will be supporting National Marriage Week and there are lots of resources available to the parishes.</p><p>The Church is pleased to be working with the Government to implement changes to marriage registration, the new regulations will come into force from the 4th of May allowing any parent of a bride and groom to have their names entered into the official register of marriages. This reform among several others in the new regulations will specifically enable mothers to be recognised equally to fathers on the certificate. I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Dame Caroline Spelman, Tim Loughton MP and the Lord Bishop of St Albans who along with the campaigners worked so hard to change the law.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 04/03/2021 16:00:20 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4816 label Biography information for Miss Sarah Dines