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1196249

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Services: Attendance
	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 is the average church attendance each week in (a) Rother Valley Constituency, (b) Yorkshire, and (c) England in each year of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	47487
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>The most recent survey of church attendance was published in 2018, and the table below contains figures aggregated from 2014-18 using average weekly attendance figures at all age services. These figures are collected each year during four weeks in October.</p><p>The figures in the table below include adult and child attendance at Sunday and midweek church services and fresh expressions, but not attendance at services for schools. Special local services such as memorials to commemorate flooding – can lead to fluctuations in the figures.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rother Valley*</p></td><td><p>1,450</p></td><td><p>1,260</p></td><td><p>1,170</p></td><td><p>1,130</p></td><td><p>980</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire*</p></td><td><p>82,600</p></td><td><p>82,800</p></td><td><p>77,600</p></td><td><p>75,500</p></td><td><p>75,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Church of England</p></td><td><p>975,300</p></td><td><p>959,900</p></td><td><p>921,700</p></td><td><p>893,900</p></td><td><p>870,900</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>More information can be found in the annual Statistics for Mission report: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media/18763" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media/18763</a></p><p>Parish boundaries do not coincide with constituency or county boundaries. Figures in the table are based on reasonable approximations as follows:</p><ul><li>The Rother Valley figure refers to the parishes in the Deanery of Laughton along with the parishes of Whiston and Wickersley.</li><li>The Yorkshire figure refers to the Dioceses of York, Leeds, and Sheffield.</li></ul> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/05/2020 17:10:19 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1196972

	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 the Commissioners' timetable is for enabling churches to reopen safely for funeral services after the covid-19 lockdown.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	902797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners do not have responsibility for setting a timetable for the reopening of church buildings for funeral services. Current guidance from the House of Bishops is not to conduct funeral services in church buildings because of widely expressed concerns about parishes having capacity to conduct such funerals safely, including being able to clean churches thoroughly between services to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. This is guidance, not instruction.</p><p> </p><p>We are acutely aware of the anguish of those not able to have or attend a funeral in their parish church in the current circumstances. Where it is requested a priest will be present to conduct a funeral service, either at a crematorium or at the churchyard. The House of Bishops meets regularly to review its guidance which will be updated in line with changing circumstances, and published on the Church of England website.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/05/2020 17:05:20 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1196973

	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 the Commissioners' timetable is for churches to reopen for baptisms, weddings and funerals following the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	902798
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners do not have responsibility for setting a timetable for the reopening of church buildings for funeral services. Baptisms and weddings cannot at present be celebrated inside church buildings, and the relevant Cabinet Office and MHCLG guidance can be seen here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#contents" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#contents</a></p><p>Current guidance from the House of Bishops is not to conduct funeral services in church buildings because of widely expressed concerns about parishes having capacity to conduct such funerals safely, including being able to clean churches thoroughly between services to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. This is guidance, not instruction. We are acutely aware of the anguish of those not able to celebrate significant life events such as baptisms, weddings and funerals in their parish church in the current circumstances. The House of Bishops meets regularly to review its guidance which will be updated in line with changing circumstances, and published on the Church of England website.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/05/2020 17:06:18 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

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