Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

758629

registered interest
date	07/09/2017
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 right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment she has made of the effect of admission costs for cathedrals and abbeys in England on the ability of UK families to visit such places.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	9310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2017 answer text <p>There is no central policy on charging for entry at Church of England churches and cathedrals. It is for the cathedral chapters and church incumbents to decide how best to meet their financial obligations, such as running costs and repairs, and in the case of the most popular, to manage their visitor numbers.</p><p> </p><p>However, only nine out of the 42 Church of England cathedrals, and very few churches, charge for entry. All churches and cathedrals which charge for entry give free access to those attending services and for private prayer, and some give free entry on Sundays and at other times. Many also run a full programme of outreach, education programmes and events for children and families which are accessible at little or no cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/09/2017 10:42:15 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

754005

registered interest
date	19/07/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Nottinghamshire
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 progress has been made on the provision of toilets at St Wilfrid's Church, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire.
tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
tabling member printed	John Mann
uin	6282
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2017 answer text <p>The parish of Scrooby is currently in interregnum. Having spoken with the churchwarden I understand that the Parish Council, congregation and community have taken the decision to improve the facilities in the nearby village hall, rather than at St Wilfrid’s. The decision was in part a consequence of the difficulty of finding a practical and cost effective way to connect the church with the local sewerage network. The circumstances of this particular case also highlight the wider issue of the capacity of volunteers to take on infrastructure projects in complex historic buildings, alongside their other voluntary duties, in a church where there is a vacancy.</p><p>The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is committed to working with parishes to help them deliver new facilities, including toilets, to enable wider use of church buildings. Further support and advice on building projects is available from the Church Buildings Council of the Church of England: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchcare.co.uk%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Canna.caffell%40parliament.uk%7C53cc10203ace47fd1ed108d4d416e88d%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636366642233807387&amp;sdata=72%2F4uqw3w7Ns6bqyMg%2BLPjevf%2FUsHSuYBIssAlLw6v4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.churchcare.co.uk/</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 05/09/2017 15:34:21 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

748474

registered interest
date	05/07/2017
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 Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Commissioners have had with Church of England representatives on encouraging clergy to install bat boxes to provide alternative accommodation for these mammals.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	3275
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>Bat roosting remains a significant and costly issue for around 100 churches, where large roosts mean constant cleaning, damage to significant artefacts and delays to repair work, all of which reduce the use of the building by the congregation and community. Our experience is that bat boxes are not always the best solution, since there is no guarantee that the bats will use them.</p><p>The Church of England has recently secured Heritage Lottery funding as part of a partnership led by Natural England for a project to mitigate the impact of bats in churches. This work will include looking at ways that bats can be moved to more suitable locations when the roost has an adverse effect on the congregation. More details of the project can be found at: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.batsandchurches.org.uk%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccaroline.spelman.mp%40parliament.uk%7Cce2d399c7fb44acf61a608d4c786a2c4%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636352828440490556&amp;sdata=nB8DRan2yfmUY2JOhTRkJHRuAKwISw7xGnNjYiRZ%2Fi4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.batsandchurches.org.uk/</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 10/07/2017 11:38:20 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

748475

registered interest
date	05/07/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Camping Sites
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 discussions the Commissioners have had with Church of England representatives on expanding the availability of champing in England's churches.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	3276
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p><strong>‘</strong>Champing’, or overnight camping in a church, is a new form of holiday pioneered by the Churches Conservation Trust. It currently uses only closed churches, 12 of which across the UK are available for visitors to stay the night in, between April and September. The Church of England is however working in partnership with the Churches Conservation Trust to bring the Champing model into operation for open churches, to offer high end accommodation that enables congregations to generate income, whilst also maintaining space for worship and community use.</p><p>The Church of England has developed a model for a high quality and revisable timber structure, which can be placed in open churches to provide a lettable insulated space, which in turn can generate income needed to maintain the building, thereby releasing money for mission. Designed to support rural parishes this model is being piloted in the Diocese of Hereford thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and AllChurches Trust. More information is at: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.champing.co.uk%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccaroline.spelman.mp%40parliament.uk%7Cce2d399c7fb44acf61a608d4c786a2c4%7C1ce6dd9eb3374088be5e8dbbec04b34a%7C0%7C0%7C636352828440490556&amp;sdata=EC71jPHUwRiZbms%2BjBeKwn65m7w1hBPppp3zl%2FUTJkU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.champing.co.uk/</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 10/07/2017 11:38:57 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

722426

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Homelessness
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 steps the Church of England is taking to support local projects tackling homelessness.
tabling member constituency	Torbay
tabling member printed	Kevin Foster
uin	71313
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2017 answer text <p>At parish and diocesan level the Church is closely involved in providing support to homeless people through night shelters and other activities, and raising funds and awareness. Recently in the House of Lords bishops supported the Homelessness Reduction Bill.</p><p>In the Torbay area the Vicar on the Streets initiative undertaken by Revd Gary Deighton of St George's Church, Goodrington, and the Winter Night Shelter run by local churches have both made a real difference to the issues of homelessness. The clergy and parishioners of Goodrington and Torbay have raised nearly five thousand pounds over the period of Lent to support the Shekinah Mission, which works across Devon to provide a safe space for people to develop their skills, regain their self-worth and go on to live independent and fulfilling lives.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 24/04/2017 10:03:04 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster

715574

registered interest
date	30/03/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: 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 discussions she has had with the Diocese of Peterborough on the proposals for alterations to St Botolph's Church in Longthorpe, Peterborough; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Peterborough
tabling member printed	Mr Stewart Jackson
uin	70163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2017 answer text <p>St Botolph’s in Longthorpe is a 700 year old church. The interior is by no means original, having been altered and changed over the centuries. All parishes that wish to alter their church interiors are required to seek advice and permission from a variety of bodies before a reordering can take place. Parishes undertaking such large scale reordering schemes do not therefore do so lightly. The usual reasons are that the interior no longer serves the needs of the parish and worshiping community. This appears to have been the case at St Botolph’s where members of the congregation need wheelchair access.</p><p>The Church Buildings Council of the Church of England were asked to advise the local Diocesan Advisory Committee in Peterborough when the scheme was initially proposed in 2015 and were supportive of the change. The alterations proposed make reasonable adjustments to the building, which will facilitate the smoother operation of services, funerals and weddings. They will also enable the priest to face the congregation during services, provide wheelchair access and offer a larger children’s area.</p><p>When considering potential alterations, the Church and the Diocesan Consistory Courts must balance the needs of the congregation and parish against any architectural merit the existing furniture or layout may have. When a reordering is done well it often brings with it very positive opportunities for community and congregation to offer new facilities, events and activities, which ultimately bring the Church back to its original purpose to be a space for all in the local community.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 18/04/2017 12:17:27 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

722068

registered interest
date	30/03/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Debt Rescheduling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will take steps to support initiatives which provide indebted households with financial breathing space.
tabling member constituency	Kettering
tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
uin	909692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>The Church of England supports the Breathing Space campaign of The Children’s Society and StepChange. The Church has considerable experience of supporting people in financial difficulty and has for the last four years been actively promoting credit unions and financial education within its school and church networks. <br>Additionally, as part of the Just Finance Foundation, LifeSavers is a national, financial education programme for primary schools, equipping children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage money well and prepare them for the opportunities and challenges that money brings in life.</p><p>It offers schools:<br>• Free and comprehensive sets of classroom and collective worship resources,<br>• CPD training in how to develop a whole school approach to financial education<br>• advice on setting up a school savings club<br>• ideas for engaging parents designed to give children a practical experience of handling money and ensure that positive messages about money are reinforced at home.</p><p>More information can be found here: <a href="https://justfinancefoundation.org.uk/act/lifesavers/" target="_blank">https://justfinancefoundation.org.uk/act/lifesavers/</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 16:01:38 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

722425

registered interest
date	30/03/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes
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 support the Church of England provides for people affected by domestic violence and abuse.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
uin	909697
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>On 15th March 2017 the Church of England’s House of Bishops published “Responding Well to Domestic Abuse: Policy and Practice Guidance”, which urges church communities to address the issue of domestic abuse and raise awareness of its impact on adults and children. The document can be seen at: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media/3896806/responding-well-to-domestic-abuse-2017.pdf%20" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media/3896806/responding-well-to-domestic-abuse-2017.pdf </a></p><p>The updated practice guidance and policy encourages churches to become places of safety where domestic abuse is taken seriously, survivors are believed and respected, and alleged or known perpetrators challenged. The updated document reflects legislative and other changes since guidance was last issued in 2006.</p><p>Under the policy Church leaders and Officers working with children, young people and vulnerable adults will be expected to undergo domestic abuse training, with the issue being raised in appropriate contexts within church life including youth groups, marriage preparation and ordinand training. They will also be expected to work closely with statutory and other specialist organisations.</p><p>In the House of Lords this session bishops supported the passage of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Bill.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 15:45:09 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

722427

registered interest
date	30/03/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	House of Lords: Reform
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 the policy of the Church of England is on reducing the membership of the House of Lords.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	909694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>In December the House of Lords passed a motion that its size ought to be reduced. The Bishop of Birmingham, who is Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, supported that motion and has since made a submission to the Committee set up by the Lord Speaker to look at options for reducing the size. Its report is awaited.</p><p>For many years now the public responses of the Church to proposals for Lords reform have highlighted the problem of the Second Chamber being too large and have called for action to address it.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 20/04/2017 15:36:50 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

712373

registered interest
date	20/03/2017
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Yoga
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 guidance is issued to churches on allowing church premises to be used for yoga classes.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	68543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2017 answer text <p>The Church of England takes a flexible approach to yoga classes in church halls, with decisions left to the discretion of the local Parochial Church Council. Advice and guidance is available for parishes that are considering hiring their church hall out, which can be found here <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media/59302/NRM%20guidance.doc" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media/59302/NRM%20guidance.doc</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 23/03/2017 16:05:56 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire