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1284348

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2021
	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 Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Commissioners plan to take to enforce the Statutory Fees Table fixed church fees by law, in response to reports of a number of churches inflating costs on their websites which may deter people from marrying in their local church.
	tabling member constituency	Lichfield
	tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
	uin	149723
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2021 answer text <p>The Church of England wishes to welcome all couples eligible to be married in its churches. The Church provides <a href="https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/" target="_blank">yourchurchwedding.org</a> as a resource to couples seeking information about all aspects of a church wedding, and this has proven to be a popular resource which is now used by over a million couples a year.</p><p>The General Synod and Parliament approve the fees charged by the parishes of the Church of England for these and other services via the Parochial Fees Order. Details of the current fees set for 2021 can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Parochial%20Fees%20A4_21.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Parochial%20Fees%20A4_21.pdf</a></p><p>The cost of getting married in a church remains very modest when compared to other locations. Weddings are bespoke services, and all churches have a basic charge that covers the ceremony, including the calling of banns, the banns certificate, marriage certificate, and administration cost. Should a couple wish to opt for bells, choir, organist and flowers, etc. they are arranged by the parish for an additional fee to cover people's time and additional administration costs. An incumbent priest also has the discretion to waive some of the fees for pastoral reasons.</p><p>The National Church Life Events team has worked with Archdeacons across the country to encourage all parishes to distinguish between the statutory fee and additional charges clearer. The local Archdeacon would be best placed to discuss any individual case.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/02/2021 16:49:42 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

1345803

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2021
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Housing and Public Buildings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the article by the Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London, entitled, Is this the last chance to save the Church of England, published in the Spectator on 10 July 2021, what assessment the Church has made of the implications for its policies of the (a) findings of Revd Walker and (b) potential merits of proposals to create 10,000 new lay-led churches in the next 10 years in private homes and public halls.
	tabling member constituency	Lichfield
	tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
	uin	31286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2021 answer text <p>The Reverend Dave Male, Director of Evangelism and Discipleship for the Church of England, addressed the inaccuracies in The Spectator and subsequent articles, in a statement issued on 8th July: “I am very aware that some recent commentary in media and social media purporting to set out the future direction of Church of England has caused real anxiety, hurt and pain to many. Some of this has been based on a fundamental confusion between the Church of England’s own emerging Vision and Strategy for the 2020s and beyond, which we will be discussing at the upcoming meeting of General Synod, and a separate initiative called Myriad to create 10,000 new lay-led churches - which is not a national Church of England project. It has been claimed in some places that there is a plan to dissolve the parish system, sideline or even replace trained clergy, especially paid clergy, or to get rid of our beautiful, historic church buildings. So I want to make it abundantly clear that the Church of England is committed, now as always, to the ministry of the whole people of God including to ordained ministry in our parishes.” The full statement can be read here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/clergy-and-parishes-heart-church-england-now-and-future" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/clergy-and-parishes-heart-church-england-now-and-future</a></p><p>In his presidential address and in the subsequent debate on Vision and Strategy at the July General Synod, the Archbishop of York said that the Church needed more, not fewer vocations to ordination and that the limiting factor was the lack of vocations, not the valuable work of serving clergy across the country, of all forms of ministry.</p><p>The Archbishop of York’s presidential address can be read at <a href="https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/presidential-address-general-synod-july-2021" target="_blank">https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/presidential-address-general-synod-july-2021</a> and his presentation on the Vision and Strategy is here: <a href="https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/vision-and-strategy-address-general-synod-july-2021" target="_blank">https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/vision-and-strategy-address-general-synod-july-2021</a></p><p>More information about Vision and Strategy itself can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/emerging-church-england/vision-church-england-2020s" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/emerging-church-england/vision-church-england-2020s</a></p><p>Parishes remain at the heart of the Church of England's mission and ministry to the nation and the Church is delighted that growing numbers of people are answering the call to the priesthood. This year 591 clergy have committed themselves to ordained ministry within the Church, the largest number in over thirteen years. More information about vocations can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/recommendations-stipendiary-ordained-ministry-training-highest" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/recommendations-stipendiary-ordained-ministry-training-highest</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 15/07/2021 13:51:13 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

644288

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2016
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Clergy: Peterborough
	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 the Church of England has made of the appropriateness of procedures and practice relating to the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral standing down.
	tabling member constituency	Lichfield
	tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
	uin	54985
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2016 answer text <p>On 22 July 2016 Very Revd Charles Taylor announced his resignation from the Deanery of Peterborough with effect from 2 October 2016. His farewell service took place at the Cathedral on 1 October 2016. There has been no reason to review the appropriateness of procedures and practice relating to the resignation.</p><p>In July the Bishop of Peterborough announced his decision to hold a formal Bishop’s visitation of the cathedral to investigate and report on the financial management and the overall governance of the Cathedral. At the time the Bishop noted that “The Cathedral is going through a cash flow crisis. It is taking too long to pay some bills, and paying the staff at the end of the month has been a close thing twice recently.” In response to requests from the Bishop and cathedral Chapter the Church Commissioners have provided advice, support, and financial backup to help the cathedral in this situation. Whilst some progress is being made, this week the Commissioners intend to increase the loan facility they have made available to the cathedral.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 29/11/2016 16:48:45 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant