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1656004

registered interest
date	01/09/2023
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: Derelict 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 steps the Church of England is taking to release brownfield sites within its Estate to the Church Housing Association to increase social housing.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	196061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>Following the ‘Coming Home’ report published by the Archbishops’ Housing Commission, the Bishop of Chelmsford (as Lead Bishop for Housing) has been working with colleagues from across the Church, including the Church Commissioners, to implement the recommendations from that report. This work includes plans to establish a Church Housing Association. As and when that Housing Association is in place we hope there will be scope for the Commissioners and other church land owners to be able to work in partnership with it to enable the construction of much-needed affordable homes.</p><p>At the same time, the Church Commissioners are exploring the potential to boost the supply of affordable homes on their own land through the provision of Rural Exception Sites within existing communities.</p><p>More information about the Archbishops’ Housing Commission, and its Report ‘Coming Home’, can be read here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fabout%2Farchbishops-commissions%2Fhousing-church-and-community%2Fabout-coming-home&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C743208e83b2c45ca7b3108dbb83284db%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638306301073096308%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=1SAhRzdUgiChN0%2FtN0O803jj8sJGQFLqqWsRZeWfCkw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">About Coming Home | The Church of England</a>.</p><p>Information on the Church Commissioners’ approach to delivering land for housing can be found here <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2022-05%2Fupdated-strategic-land-statement_march-2022_0.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C743208e83b2c45ca7b3108dbb83284db%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638306301073096308%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ydYb0NBNsRfVlYG1OBHg03sWDKhu8sCePS62qs0REX4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">New development – defining what matters (churchofengland.org)</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/09/2023 15:57:38 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1654855

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
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
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 Church of England takes to gather feedback from its congregation to inform future plans.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	195512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>The Church of England comprises many independent charitable organisations that operate at a national, regional and local level.</p><p>Individual congregations are represented by the members of their local parochial church council (PCC), and issues can be raised at deanery, diocesan and national synod. Diocesan motions can be brought for debate to the Church of England’s (national) General Synod.</p><p>Consultations will often take place at a diocesan or national level when there are proposed changes in policy (for example the public consultation on the review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure), or for senior episcopal appointments. <br> <br> Where changes are proposed that require legislation in the General Synod on, for example, certain liturgies or relationships with other churches, the legislation providing for the change must be debated in every Diocesan Synod before a final vote is taken in the General Synod.</p><p>The National Church Institutions (NCIs) regularly monitor their projects and request feedback. A recent example is the 2022 report produced by Sir Robert Chote (<a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding</a> ) assessing the impact of the Lowest Income Communities Fund and Strategic Development Funding. Following the Chote Report the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council formed the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. More information about it can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/09/2023 20:04:30 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1654856

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
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
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 Church takes to (a) measure the effectiveness of its engagement initiatives and (b) make adjustments based on the feedback received.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	195513
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>The Church of England comprises many independent charitable organisations that operate at a national, regional and local level.</p><p>Individual congregations are represented by the members of their local parochial church council (PCC), and issues can be raised at deanery, diocesan and national synod. Diocesan motions can be brought for debate to the Church of England’s (national) General Synod.</p><p>Consultations will often take place at a diocesan or national level when there are proposed changes in policy (for example the public consultation on the review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure), or for senior episcopal appointments.</p><p>Where changes are proposed that require legislation in the General Synod on, for example, certain liturgies or relationships with other churches, the legislation providing for the change must be debated in every Diocesan Synod before a final vote is taken in the General Synod.</p><p>The National Church Institutions (NCIs) regularly monitor their projects and request feedback. A recent example is the 2022 report produced by Sir Robert Chote (<a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding</a> ) assessing the impact of the Lowest Income Communities Fund and Strategic Development Funding. Following the Chote Report the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council formed the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. More information about it can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/09/2023 20:07:24 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1654859

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Community Relations: Religion
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 Church is taking to foster inter-faith dialogue and collaboration with other religious communities.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	195515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>Parish ministry is at the heart of Church of England ministry and mission, including in areas that are religiously diverse.</p><p>The 2005 report <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/presence_and_engagement_report-2005.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Presence and Engagement: the church’s task in a multi Faith society</em></a> gave special attention to the role of the parish church in areas where there was a high proportion of people from other religions. Following this the <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/building-relationships/interfaith-relations" target="_blank">Presence and Engagement</a> programme aims to support and resource the Church of England in its engagement serving all religious communities: ‘loving, serving and witnessing to people of all faiths in the name of Christ, and being enriched and renewed in our own faith by doing so’. This vision is put into practice by the Presence &amp; Engagement Programme, the Presence &amp; Engagement Task Group, and a network of Diocesan Inter Faith Advisers.</p><p>The Presence and Engagement programme enables clergy and lay people to act with confidence and sensitivity at times of tension across religious boundaries, including times when global politics impacts local relations. Support provided includes theological resources, for example, <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/godsunfailingwordweb.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Gods Unfailing Word,</em></a> which was published in 2019 and informs and educates Anglicans about the Christian-Jewish relationship, with the aim of better dialogue and stronger relationships between Christian and Jewish communities. These resources are also used in ongoing work with theological colleges to assist in the training of new priests.</p><p>The Archbishop of Canterbury is Patron of both the <a href="https://ccj.org.uk/sites/ccj.hocext.co.uk/files/2023-01/Holocaust%20Memorial%202023%20-V2.pdf" target="_blank">Council of Christians and Jews</a> (CCJ) and the <a href="https://www.christianmuslimforum.org/" target="_blank">Christian Muslim Forum.</a> Both organisations are actively working at national and grassroots levels to boost dialogue, understanding and collaboration between different religions.</p><p><a href="https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/archbishop-justin-and-chief-rabbi-mirvis-join-final-meeting-good-faith" target="_blank"><em>In Good Faith</em></a> is a national initiative co-sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi, which has been promoting dialogue and collaboration between Anglican priests and Orthodox rabbis since 2016.</p><p>The Church of England has a network of Inter Faith Advisers in most regions across England, who work to model, encourage and resource the development of positive relationships between different religious communities locally. Examples include building relationships through Church/Mosque Twinning partnerships, or collaborating on local foodbanks, as well as putting on educational programmes for clergy and lay people in the diocese. Two notable examples are:</p><ul><li>The <a href="https://www.stphilipscentre.co.uk/" target="_blank">St Philips Centre</a> in Leicester. A unique initiative that for over a decade has been working within the Christian community and across wider society, enabling ‘communities and individuals to encounter one another in meaningful ways, to build understanding and trust’. It is leading efforts across the region to ensure religion and belief are harnessed for the good of all.</li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://www.fncbham.org.uk/presence-and-engagement/" target="_blank">FNC in Birmingham</a> helps churches in their engagement with people of other faiths, whether through mission, evangelism, dialogue or social action, and is part of <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/work-other-faiths/about-presence-engagement" target="_blank">The Church of England’s Presence and Engagement Programme</a>. The <a href="https://www.fncbham.org.uk/birmingham-conversations/" target="_blank">Birmingham Conversations</a> are an example of an FNC initiative which creates safe space for people of all faiths and none to discuss issues of faith and public life.</li></ul><p>The Coronation of King Charles III included participation by other faith representatives for the first time, a very public affirmation of the national role of the Church of England in serving all religious communities.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/09/2023 20:00:47 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1654860

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Clergy
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 Church is taking to support and empower lay leaders to take an active role in Church ministries and activities.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	195516
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>In 2017 the ‘Setting God’s People Free’ initiative was launched, which aims to empower and equip those called to lay leadership in the Church of England.</p><p>The original report of February 2017 for the General Synod is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/setting-gods-people-free" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/setting-gods-people-free</a></p><p>A 2019 update paper for the General Synod is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/gs-2145-sgpf-update-to-gs-final-draft-3.6.19.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/gs-2145-sgpf-update-to-gs-final-draft-3.6.19.pdf</a></p><p>In 2020 the Church of England’s Faith and Order Commission published ‘Kingdom Calling’, which examined past attempts to encourage more lay leadership, looking in turn at the vocation, ministry and discipleship of all God's people, and asking what kind of theological thinking and imagining might most help us to flourish together. The report affirms and celebrates the vital lay and ordained ministry roles that support the church in God's mission, and identifies changes in practice that can better foster the vocation, ministry and discipleship of the whole people of God.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/09/2023 19:40:18 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1654861

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
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: Schools
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 Church is taking to collaborate with local schools and educational institutions to promote positive values and to engage with students and educators.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	195517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>Church of England schools are community schools educating over a million children a day. As a community school in many parts of the country, particularly our major cities, this means the majority of pupils are from non-Christian backgrounds, from other faith communities and from global majority ethnic backgrounds. All Church of England schools follow the national curriculum and also the Church of England’s <em>vision for education</em>, prioritising education of the whole child and promoting the spiritual, intellectual and emotional resources needed to live a good life. The vision for education encourages the development of the skills of wisdom, hope, community and respect; fostering a society where people can work together and have an understanding of British values, democracy, rule of law and the dignity of the human person. More details about this vision and the church schools can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools</a><br> <strong><br> </strong>Awards of nearly £13 million have been made for dioceses to help churches support more children, young people and families. The grants from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board of the Archbishops’ Council will revitalise parishes and start new congregations. The investments build on already successful projects to create new congregations and reach children and young people in areas including Bolton, Bournemouth, Guildford, Southampton and Wakefield. More information is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/church-england-announces-ps13-million-grants-reach-children-youth-and?utm_source=Daily+media+digest&amp;utm_campaign=ba03a2c802-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_27_02_01_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_296e14724b-ba03a2c802-248596957&amp;mc_cid=ba03a2c802&amp;mc_eid=00c4419747" target="_blank">Church of England announces £13 million of grants to reach children, youth and families | The Church of England</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/09/2023 19:38:26 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1651548

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	Religion: Education
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 Church is taking to support (a) education and (b) the promotion of values-based learning in schools.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	193111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>Church of England Schools provide an education to approximately one million children a day. A quarter of all primary schools, 1,540 academies, 280 Multi Academy Trusts, and 500 independent schools across England have a Church of England ethos.</p><p>The Church of England Foundation for Education Leadership supports teachers, headteachers and senior management teams alongside 22,500 governors to develop the skills they need. More information about the Foundation is available here: <a href="https://www.cefel.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.cefel.org.uk/</a></p><p>In each diocese a Diocesan Board of Education supports church schools, which represents an annual investment of over £15 million</p><p>The Church of England vision for education focuses on the development of the common good for the whole community, prioritising the development of four key areas: wisdom, hope, community and dignity. More information about the vision, including detail about how it is lived out in schools, is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/vision-education" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/vision-education</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 23:04:24 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1651549

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	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, what steps the Church is taking to (a) preserve and (b) restore (i) historic church buildings and (ii) heritage sites.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	193112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>In 2020 the Church of England assessed the volume of work needed in its churches and cathedrals for preservation, repair and maintenance. The pandemic caused a considerable delay in the ability of parish churches and cathedrals to undertake repairs, which has caused a backlog of work. The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the National Church Institutions assists parishes, dioceses and cathedrals in assessing the nature and priorities of the work required and supports them with guidance and advice.</p><p>The work of preservation, repair and maintenance is predominantly undertaken at a local level by thousands of unpaid volunteers, with financial help and support from donors and local grant-making charities.</p><p>By means of an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, the Government has recently agreed to clarify the law on churches being able to access Local Authority grants. This is very welcome and comes in response to many years of advocacy by church, heritage and Local Authority groups. The removal of ambiguity means that Local Authorities and parish councils in England will be able to issue grants to churches that will enable seed funding to repair, restore and upgrade facilities, which will enable churches to continue to serve their local communities as worship spaces, community hubs, and through social action projects.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 22:58:56 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1651551

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: Technology
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 Church is taking to use (a) digital platforms and (b) other technologies to connect with wider audiences.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	193113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>The Church of England, through the work of its central Communications team, has a presence on the majority of social media channels and is producing content for a variety of different audiences and age groups. It has developed a smart speaker app which is useable with ‘Alexa’, provides liturgical resources via the Daily Prayer App, and recorded services to enable people who may not be able to attend a church in person to still participate in worship.</p><p>In the month of May 2023, the most recent for which material is available, Church of England content received 8.6 million impressions and the audience using the materials grew by an additional 4,000 unique users. Nearly three-quarters of a million people engaged with materials developed for the Coronation and the Church of England received 40,000 enquiries from the public via its various social/digital media platforms.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 22:59:42 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1651552

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	Religious Freedom
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 Church is taking to help (a) tackle religious persecution and (b) protect religious freedom.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	193114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>Last month the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of a joint UK / UAE Government resolution highlighting threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief. The steps taken by the UK Government followed a review authored by the Bishop at the invitation of the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the implementation of which has since become Government Policy. In a vote, the Security Council adopted the proposal, which will see the UN Secretary General produce an oral report on Freedom of Religion or Belief related threats to international peace and security. The initial deadline is 14th June 2024, with the intention of such a statement becoming an annual event.</p><p>Religious persecution and freedom of religion were on the agenda at the gathering of the global Anglican Communion at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. At the Conference a range of ‘calls’, or priorities for the Church worldwide, were made to tackle these issues. The documents relating to Freedom of Religion and religious persecution can be found under the Inter-Faith, Christian Unity and Human Dignity sections, here: <a href="https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Lambeth-Calls-English-2023.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Lambeth-Calls-English-2023.pdf</a></p><p>The Church of England remains closely involved with the work of the FCDO in supporting the work of His Majesty’s Ambassadors and diplomats and the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. More information about the work of the International Panel can be found here: <a href="https://www.ippforb.com/about/" target="_blank">https://www.ippforb.com/about/</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 23:00:42 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight