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 previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1186537

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Cemeteries: Repairs and Maintenance
	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 the Church is taking to ensure the maintenance of its burial grounds.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	32199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The responsibility for maintenance of Church of England churchyards that are open for burials lies with each Parochial Church Council. However, if the churchyard has been closed for burials by order of the Privy Council or other agreement, the usual practice is for responsibility to transfer to the relevant Local Authority. Maintenance of a closed churchyard is still undertaken in line with the relevant ecclesiastical legislation, which still applies. Each diocese similarly produces its own guidance and regulations.</p><p> </p><p>Advice and guidance is always available for parishes and all local authorities from the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Archbishops’ Council. The Church Buildings Division is currently developing a digital Burial Grounds Management System with external partners. This will in the next few years digitally map all graveyards and burial records to allow a publicly available and searchable records and monuments map to increase access to our churchyards. Following a successful trial in the Diocese of Leeds this project will gradually roll out to the rest of the country.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 24/03/2020 17:15:44 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1192320

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2020
	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, when churches will be re-opened for worshippers.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	42227
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>It is essential that when church buildings reopen for public worship or private prayer by members of the public, that it is done safely. In the meantime, churches across the country are holding virtual services and offering support to the vulnerable and elderly. Where they are unable to do this locally national resources are available such as the national church service on a Sunday and the Daily Hope phone line.</p><p> </p><p>The Church is adapting and rising to the challenge of supporting their community physically and spiritually during this medical emergency. The Church is regularly reviewing the medical advice and is in regular conversation with the Government. What is needed is a wide range of detailed protocols and practices to be established to ensure that church buildings and services do not represent risks for renewed transmission of the virus.</p><p> </p><p>The Church of England is currently preparing for the reopening of church buildings, but it must be recognised that not all churches and clergy may be able to satisfy all the necessary criteria, especially in the early stages of the recovery phase. This has been the experience in other jurisdictions such as Germany where the Government has advised that churches can be reopened for public worship.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/05/2020 15:01:28 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1192321

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2020
	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, for what reasons churches and other places of worship were not listed as essential services in the covid-19 lockdown guidance.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	42228
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>Following the address to the nation made by the Prime Minister on the 23<sup>rd</sup> March, the Church of England took the difficult decision that it would ask this clergy to close their parish churches to the public due to the unprecedented high risk of transmission of the covid-19 virus. While the church buildings and halls were shut, their congregations have continued, where possible, to live out their vocation and mission to serve the needs of their local communities during the lockdown period.</p><p> </p><p>The Government listed the clergy as key workers during the medical emergency, and it has enabled them to continue to meet the needs of their communities right across the country, serving as chaplains, officiating at funerals, administering last rites, operating food banks and other essential community services.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/05/2020 15:00:29 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

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

1194222

	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 the Church of England is planning to take to allow it to reopen churches as soon as possible while limiting the risk of spreading covid-19.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	45018
	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> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 18/05/2020 16:06:28 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 21588 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1217932

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2020
	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 the Church of England has taken to provide financial support to single parish churches to avoid the redundancy, salary review and staff restructuring of employed musicians.
	tabling member constituency	Streatham
	tabling member printed	Bell Ribeiro-Addy
	uin	65019
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>In March, the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council announced over £75m of liquidity support to dioceses and cathedrals. This money included allowing dioceses in financial need to access up to three months forbearance on sums required for the national clergy payroll [or clergy stipends] for a limited period and paying monthly grants in full for 2020. In May the National Church Institutions announced a diocesan grant scheme supported by the Church Commissioners, which totalled up to £35m of sustainability funding.</p><p> </p><p>The Church Commissioners are unable to make grants directly to Parochial Church Councils and parish churches. Parishes employ staff such as musicians, assistants, and lay workers in a variety of ways. Where the Parochial Church Council directly employs an individual, the individual would have been eligible to be placed on furlough under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 29/06/2020 15:33:57 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4764 label Biography information for Bell Ribeiro-Addy

1217933

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2020
	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 the Church of England is taking to ensure that church musicians and choirs can safely resume their work as soon as possible under Government guidelines; and what assessment the Church has made of the implications for its policies of medical evidence on the transmission risk of choirs and congregations in church settings.
	tabling member constituency	Streatham
	tabling member printed	Bell Ribeiro-Addy
	uin	65020
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>The Church of England is working with the Government and Public Health England to restore choirs and singing to services as soon as it is safe to do so. There has been limited research available for Public Health England to use to make an informed assessment about the safety of singing, and the choir of Salisbury Cathedral is currently participating in a study organised by Public Health England to enable it to make these decisions in an informed manner. We await further guidance from the Government and Public Health England once these trials have been concluded.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 29/06/2020 15:31:38 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4764 label Biography information for Bell Ribeiro-Addy

1220927

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	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 the timescale is for allowing churches to resume choir singing; and what guidance will be published for churches on resuming choir singing safely during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Streatham
	tabling member printed	Bell Ribeiro-Addy
	uin	69712
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The timescale for allowing churches to resume choral singing is a matter for Public Health England and the Government. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government published updated guidance on the 9<sup>th</sup> July, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 10/07/2020 17:43:20 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 36022 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4764 label Biography information for Bell Ribeiro-Addy

1192783

	registered interest
	date	04/05/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: VE Day
	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 the Church of England is taking to fly Union Flags on its churches for the 75th Anniversary of VE Day.
	tabling member constituency	West Dorset
	tabling member printed	Chris Loder
	uin	43168
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>The House of Bishops revised their guidance on access to churches on the 5th May 2020. <br>The new guidance can be read 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>Government guidance states that ‘a minister of religion or worship leader may leave their home to travel to their place of worship’. In most cases, they will do so in order to pray or to stream a service of worship. If clergy wish to mark VE Day by ringing a church bell or flying a flag from their church buildings, that is within government guidance. This advice does not extend to bell-ringers, sextons or other church officers or volunteers.</p><p>The parish church would usually be central to local commemorations of events such as Victory in Europe Day, but for this anniversary they will be honouring the sacrifice of all those who were involved in World War Two in a new way. Archbishops, Bishops and clergy will be participating in local and national virtual services to mark VE Day. The Church of England has released national resources for worship and prayer which can be used by local communities: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/worship-resources-ve-day-2020" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/worship-resources-ve-day-2020</a></p><p>Additional resources have been released by Westminster Abbey to help churches shape their services over the anniversary weekend which can be found here: <a href="https://www.leeds.anglican.org/sites/default/files/files/veday2015resources.pdf" target="_blank">Service of Thanksgiving to mark the 70th Anniversary of VE Day</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 06/05/2020 16:20:19 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4751 label Biography information for Chris Loder

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