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1688244

registered interest
date	07/02/2024
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Christianity: Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church provides guidance on helping to determine that asylum seekers are genuine converts to Christianity.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	13587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>The document “Supporting Asylum Seekers – Guidance for Church of England Clergy”, which has been publicly available on the Church of England website for around seven years, states that clergy should assess the faith of those claiming conversion to Christianity and should rely on evidence to do so. The guidance also refers to the need for discernment – to be “wise as serpents” – in recognising mixed motives and the potential for gaming the system.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 26/02/2024 21:44:09 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697571

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
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: Tree Planting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to take steps to plant trees on diocese lands.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	19600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>Diocesan land is managed by individual dioceses at a local level and, as such, the Church Commissioners are unable to plant trees on diocesan property. However, the Church Commissioners work with diocesan teams and other church bodies to encourage the responsible use of land, reducing carbon emissions and increasing biodiversity where appropriate, including incorporating environmental improvement into food production.</p><p>The Church Commissioners’ rural estates team has assisted with the creation of a guidance note for diocesan officers on ‘managing land for climate and nature’, attended net zero meetings, and engaged with local diocesan environmental officers. Staff from the Rural Estates team have also met with the Rural Bishops Group to illustrate their work managing the rural estates and share experiences that apply to dioceses. They will continue to share details of tree-planting undertaken by the Commissioners with our diocesan partners and are keen to work together on further improving and implementing good practice.</p><p>In 2023, the Church Commissioners planted over 1.5million trees on their Forestry and Farmland holdings, 700,000 of which were in the UK.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:34:50 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697593

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
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: Slavery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to publicly acknowledge historic links with the chattel slave trade.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	19604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Archbishop of Canterbury has been unequivocal on the theology of this issue, noting on his visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana in February 2023:</p><p>“It was a reminder that the abomination of African chattel enslavement was blasphemy: those who imprisoned men and women in those dungeons saw them as less than human. It is to the Church of England’s eternal shame that it did not always follow Christ’s teaching to give life. It is a stain on the wider church that some Christians did not see their brothers and sisters as created in the image of God, but as objects to be exploited.”</p><p>The Church Commissioners has been investigating its historic links to the chattel slave trade since 2019 and published a full, transparent report of the findings in January 2023. More information about the whole project is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/who-we-1" target="_blank">Church Commissioners Links to Historic Transatlantic Slavery | The Church of England</a></p><p>The Church Commissioners seek, through the research it has done and its response, to acknowledge the truth of the past, apologise for the wrongs that this research has highlighted, and to address these wrongs through repentance, remembrance, reconciliation, and renewal. The Church Commissioners believe that by addressing its past transparently, particularly this part of our past, the Church and its teachings will be more relevant to more people. The response is an important missional activity that will support the work and ministry of the Church of England in England.</p><p>The Church Commissioners are committed to setting up an Impact Investment Fund as part of its response to invest in a better and fairer future for all, particularly for communities affected by historic enslavement. It is hoped this fund will grow over time, reinvesting returns to enable it to have a positive and lasting legacy that will exist in perpetuity and with the potential for other institutions to participate, further enabling growth in the size and impact of the fund. This Fund will be seeded with a £100 million commitment from the Church Commissioners.</p><p>Despite recent press speculation, the Church Commissioners has no plans to increase its contribution to the Fund over the planned funding period. It is hoped that growth in the impact fund will also enable grant funding for projects focused on improving opportunities for communities impacted by historic African chattel enslavement.</p><p>The Church Commissioners have also committed to undertake further research, including into the Church Commissioners' history, supporting dioceses and parishes to research and address their historic links with African chattel enslavement, and sharing best practices with other organisations researching their enslavement legacies.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:37:47 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1670313

registered interest
date	15/11/2023
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: 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, whether the Church of England is taking steps to advocate for freedom of religion and belief in other countries.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	2135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2023 answer text <p>Over the past two years the Church of England has been closely involved with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in supporting the work of His Majesty's Ambassadors and diplomats, as part of a structured programme of engagement between the Church’s global networks and the civil service, to increase awareness of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB).</p><p>The Church was represented at the Government conference in 2022 that highlighted the need for increased global action on FoRB and continues to support 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><p>Bishops of the global Anglican Communion came together for the Lambeth Conference in 2022 and spent a day discussing issues of interfaith engagement, human dignity and freedom of religion and belief. At the Conference a range of calls were made, outlining priorities for the Church worldwide. 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(opens in a new tab)</a></p><p>The United Nations Security Council has recently adopted a resolution to produce an annual report on freedom of religion and belief. It was sponsored by the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and the resolution was based on the former Bishop of Truro's review, commissioned by the UK Government. The Security Council adopted the proposal, which will see the UN Secretary General produce an oral report on FoRB-related threats to international peace and security.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 15/12/2023 14:54:00 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1689894

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Religious Buildings: Entertainments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church has issued guidance on the use of places of worship for silent discos.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	14537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>No guidance has been issued by the National Church Institutions on the use of places of worship for silent discos.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 26/02/2024 21:40:16 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697566

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Church Schools: Hendon
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution of church schools in Hendon constituency.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	19599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>Though the National Church Institutions are not responsible for the operation of individual schools, the Diocese of London has volunteered the following information, which I hope is useful.</p><p>There are two Church of England schools in the Hendon Constituency.</p><p>St Mary’s and St John’s educates more than 1,600 pupils. One quarter are on free school meals, which is higher than the Local Authority average. Pupils are making above-average progress at an 8-level attainment of 0.39 compared with the national average of -0.03.</p><p>St Paul’s School Mill Hill educates 210 pupils. One fifth of pupils are in receipt of Free School Meals, in line with the Local Authority average. Pupils attainment is above-average; 84% attained the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths last summer compared to the national average of 60%.</p><p>I commend the teachers and leadership teams in both schools for these achievements.</p><p>The Church of England educates over one million children in its 4,700 schools across England. Church Schools are committed to the flourishing of children and deliver a rounded education that remains in high demand with parents. They serve all those in the community, whatever their faith or belief.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:10:53 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1379348

registered interest
date	17/11/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Christianity: Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has had recent discussions with the Church of England on the number of asylum seekers who have converted to Christianity in the last year.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	76650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2021 answer text <p>Specific discussion on that issue has not taken place. Data are not kept on the nationality or migration status of those who seek Baptism. Baptism is a sacrament ordained by God and must always be open to anyone regardless of race, nationality or status, so long as they meet the requirements set out in Canon law.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/11/2021 17:56:35 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1506683

registered interest
date	20/09/2022
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Vandalism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has had discussions with the Church Commissioner's about preventing vandalism on the church estate.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	51611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2022 answer text <p>Acts of vandalism to church property cause distress and great inconvenience to clergy and volunteers who work hard to keep churches accessible and in good repair. For churches suffering anti-social behaviour, guidance is available here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fresources%2Fchurchcare%2Fadvice-and-guidance-church-buildings%2Fanti-social-behaviour-churchyards&amp;data=05%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7C5ef6934bfcfd4606ad4308daa22bced9%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638000606293653531%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=lMPp6xrCBBIvjg932Gj2kWFFaHR13UT%2FuTQWpWhOR%2FE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/anti-social-behaviour-churchyards</a><br> General advice given to parishes is that opening the building and increasing footfall into and around the Church can help.</p><p>Thefts of metal and architectural stone from church property are of additional concern, and although the number of incidents is low compared to the height of metal theft in 2017-18, the severity of the incidents indicates that this is now part of serious organised crime. Advice is available at <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fresources%2Fchurchcare%2Fadvice-and-guidance-church-buildings%2Fcrime-and-security-prevention&amp;data=05%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7C5ef6934bfcfd4606ad4308daa22bced9%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638000606293653531%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=NgM5cMfbFIVuvQWkpzC%2BRJKr8KoeYzDzLhCsPrhNdT4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/crime-and-security-prevention</a></p><p>The Church is grateful to the Home Office for its continued support to all places of worship threatened by hate crime through the protective security scheme.</p><p>Further advice is available from the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Department of the National Church Institutions: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fresources%2Fchurchcare&amp;data=05%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7C5ef6934bfcfd4606ad4308daa22bced9%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638000606293653531%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nTkeaxBKamchMNOCp0geChOM7W%2BHNC50CmW9Fg%2B9kFc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 30/09/2022 09:13:28 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697591

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
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: Land Use
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether a recent assessment has been made of the environmental improvements being advanced through the church's holding of agricultural land.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	19602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners undertake rolling assessments of environmental improvements being made to the farmland portfolio by tenants, which is used to update the baseline study undertaken five years ago. Data has so far been provided on over 25,000 acres of Commissioners’ land holdings and contains details of environmental changes, such as transitioning to regenerative agricultural practices. The Commissioners are pleased to announce a partnership with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), which will further develop this work.</p><p>The Church Commissioners’ rural estates team continues to engage with our new and existing agricultural tenants through regular individual farm visits, the sharing of ground-sourced data, including carbon audits, and the gathering of information from third parties. On recent assessment revealed that on a single Commissioners’ farm in Kent, over 45 species of bird were recorded during a single visit in December 2023.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:24:49 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697590

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
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: Carbon Emissions
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 achieve net zero.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	19601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners are committed to reducing the carbon intensity of their portfolio by 2025 and, as a member of the Asset Owners Alliance, reaching ‘Net Zero’ in the investment portfolio by 2050.</p><p>The General Synod has set a target for the Church of England to become Net Zero by 2030. The National Church Institutions are supporting every diocese with a grant to grow capacity and employ staff to manage the work of achieving this net zero ambition. The Church Commissioners have committed funding of £30m for 2023-25 and £190m total for a 9-year programme from 2023-31. <br> <br>Stage one will explore the best ways to decarbonise the diverse range of buildings and navigate planning and governance structures. The project will assess cathedrals and clergy housing, with demonstration churches that can act as showpieces of what is possible. There will be a special grant available from dioceses to enable churches to fund improvements to their energy efficiency.</p><p>A second workstream supports schools in accessing public sector decarbonisation funds, and another stream of grants will match local fundraising in churches for net-zero carbon projects through the Buildings for Mission scheme</p><p>This will provide a clear picture of the kinds of projects that are effective in reducing emissions, ready for a scaled-up investment in the second 3-year period</p><p>Recent success stories include York Minster and the Chapel at Kings College, Cambridge, which have joined many other major churches and cathedrals across the country in installing new solar panels and renewable technologies, reducing their running costs and making them more sustainable buildings.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:18:14 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord