10 1 Church Commissioners York Central 2024-03-04 Rachael Maskell 9 To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners have had discussions with the Department of Work and Pensions on the potential impact of the migration of claimants of Child Tax Credit to Universal Credit on the financial position of members of the clergy. Biography information for Rachael Maskell House of Commons 2024-03-26T11:28:36.057Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-03-26 Biography information for Andrew Selous <p>The Ministry Development Team of the Archbishops’ Council estimates that around 1,800 clergy families are currently in receipt of child tax credits. As has been reported, some of these may stand to lose up to £10,000 a year as a result of the planned migration to Universal Credit.</p><p>Representations have been made to the Department of Work and Pensions about the impact on clergy who have savings or property for retirement, of the ineligibility for Universal Credit for those with assets or savings over the £16,000 threshold. A key concern is that this will not only affect living standards for clergy families reliant on stipendiary income but will have an adverse effect on all people in tied accommodation seeking to make adequate provisions for their retirement.</p><p>The Ministry Development Team also estimates that around 400 of the 1,800 clergy families receiving child tax credits have more than two children and are therefore also likely to be affected by the two-child cap on Universal Credit.</p> Clergy: Universal Credit false Church Commissioners Church Commissioners 1 16862 Mr Gregory Campbell 15413 Church Commissioners Church Commissioners 2024-02-28T21:48:55.033Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-28 <p>In March 2022, an Independent Review of Lowest Income Communities Funding and Strategic Development Funding was published. This review was chaired by Sir Robert Chote, who presented the review to the General Synod in July 2022. At that group of sessions, the General Synod passed a motion requesting the commissioning of a follow-up independent review to be completed before the July 2024 group of sessions. This review will be commissioned as requested in the motion.</p><p>The original Chote review, with the response, can be found here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2022-06%2Fgs-2261-review-of-sdf-and-linc-funding.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C36708d7edb7542596f2408dc37cd5a37%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638446603167712010%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=oSMvzlCiwHBOGdcjXGPO0EAqB7A3KCNdYR6WuOfPhdE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/gs-2261-review-of-sdf-and-linc-funding.pdf</a></p><p>The motion passed by General Synod in July 2022 can be found here (Item 70 on page 14): <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2022-09%2Fbusiness-done-consolidated.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Crichard.chapman%40churchofengland.org%7C36708d7edb7542596f2408dc37cd5a37%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C638446603167717965%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=pVb5naUPVYv2x%2BOPGfsZBU6l3VpJ0VTgg%2BfEL%2BA7EVo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/business-done-consolidated.pdf</a></p> false Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell Church Commissioners Church of England: Finance 9 1 2024-02-23 East Londonderry To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to commission an independent review of funds allocated by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. Dr Matthew Offord 2024-02-19 1 Church Commissioners 2024-02-26T21:40:16.007Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>No guidance has been issued by the National Church Institutions on the use of places of worship for silent discos.</p> Hendon Religious Buildings: Entertainments 9 false Church Commissioners Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord Church Commissioners 14537 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. Church Commissioners Church Commissioners Exeter Mr Ben Bradshaw 2024-02-26T21:41:44.197Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>The National Church Institutions have an external NCIs Complaints Policy, which can be found on the Church of England website at: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/national-church-institutions" target="_blank">National Church Institutions | The Church of England</a>. A complaint is defined as any expression of dissatisfaction with the service offered by the NCIs to an individual or organisation, which could include an issue with the standard of service, a specific action taken (or not taken) or the behaviour of individuals working within or on behalf of the NCIs, in their interactions with the complainant. This could include the behaviour of NCI senior staff.</p><p>Complaints may come from any individual, volunteer or organisation directly involved with a specific matter being handled by the NCIs, including the general public, members of the clergy and staff in a church body.</p> 9 To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what processes there are for complaints against senior staff of the National Church Institutions. 2024-02-16 false 13865 1 Church Commissioners Church of England: Staff Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what proportion of funds allocated to projects by the Strategic Investment Board have been assigned to supporting (a) new and (b) established churches which (i) belong to and (ii) are associated with the Church Revitalisation Trust since 2020. Churches: Finance Exeter 13678 Mr Ben Bradshaw 2024-02-08 2024-02-26T21:45:32.767Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>Strategic Development Funding (which ran from 2014-22) was awarded to dioceses. It is for dioceses to decide which churches, activities and networks they support, in line with their strategies. We do not routinely capture data on the proportion of funding directed to particular networks. Most projects work with a number of different parishes and Fresh Expressions of Church (e.g. across a town).</p><p>Out of a total of £285m of national Church funding awarded between 2020 and 2023 by the Strategic Investment Board or by its successor, the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board, we estimate that £13m (4%) of funding has been awarded to dioceses for projects where all churches worked with the Church Revitalisation Trust (now known as The Revitalise Trust) and £34m (12%) has been allocated to programmes where at least one church out of many include a Church Revitalisation Trust element.</p><p>This funding comprises support both for new and established churches.</p> Church Commissioners 9 Church Commissioners 1 Church Commissioners false 2024-02-08 Church Commissioners Exeter Mr Ben Bradshaw 13681 Churches: Finance false 1 Church Commissioners 9 To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what oversight is available to (a) the Strategic Investment Board and (b) others to monitor the use of Strategic Development Funding once distributed at diocesan level. Church Commissioners 2024-02-26T21:46:43.26Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>a) The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board reviews the progress of programmes supported by Strategic Development Funding at every meeting.</p><p>b) The progress of all programmes supported by Strategic Development Funding is regularly monitored by national Church staff, including through attendance at Programme Boards and annual reviews. Monies for projects supported by Strategic Development Funding are released in instalments across the funding period, with payments authorised by national Church staff after rigorous checks and against evidence of spend.</p> 2024-02-08 Churches: Finance 13682 To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what (a) investigative powers and (b) sanctions are available to the Strategic Investment Board to tackle any reported misuse of Strategic Development Funding. 9 Exeter Church Commissioners Mr Ben Bradshaw Church Commissioners false Church Commissioners 2024-02-26T21:48:10.773Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>All awards of Strategic Development Funding are granted under a formal funding agreement made between the Archbishops’ Council and the recipient of the funding. The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board is able, on behalf of the Archbishops’ Council, to commission any necessary investigations into reported misuse, or misuse identified through various accountability processes, of Strategic Development Funding. Under the funding agreement, the Archbishops’ Council has the right to withhold a grant or require repayment if any part of the grant is misused. No report of misuse of funds has ever been received.</p> 1 false Church Commissioners Exeter To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to paragraphs 577 to 579 of the Review of the Independent Safeguarding Board, dated 30 November 2023, whether the commissioners have had recent discussions with the Archbishops' Council on the potential for lessons to be learned from the handling of the announcement. 13492 9 2024-02-07 Church Commissioners 1 2024-02-26T21:42:53.717Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <p>The Church Commissioners have not held such discussions with the Archbishops’ Council.</p> Mr Ben Bradshaw Church Commissioners Independent Safeguarding Board Hendon Church Commissioners 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. Christianity: Asylum Church Commissioners false 2024-02-26T21:44:09.537Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-26 <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> Dr Matthew Offord 1 9 2024-02-07 13587 Church Commissioners 9 Church Commissioners 2024-02-08T17:58:37.887Z South West Bedfordshire Andrew Selous false 2024-02-08 <p>All churches are eligible to apply for the Home Office hate crime scheme if they need support with new or upgrading equipment or facilities. <br> The <a href="https://benefacttrust.co.uk/" target="_blank">Benefact Trust</a> has funded alarms for churches. More details are available on the Church of England website about how to support parishes with resources and advice: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/security-and-crime-prevention" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/security-and-crime-prevention</a></p> Church Commissioners Biography information for Jim Shannon 2024-02-06 Church Commissioners Churches: Security To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what funds the Commissioners allocate to churches for (a) cameras, (b) alarms and (c) other security equipment. 1 Strangford Jim Shannon false 13262 327 0