The Church of England welcomes the Government\u2019s new Tourism Sector Deal, which encompasses all our churches and cathedrals and will give a significant boost to our cultural heritage. Cathedrals in England attract over 10 million visitors a year, the majority as tourists.<\/p>
The Church supports the work of the Churches Visitor and Tourism Association on several initiatives that help the public learn more about their local churches:<\/p>
The Church of England also supports the Cathedrals Marketing and Communications Network to share best practice and coordinate national campaigns. Individual cathedrals encourage visitors through hosting special exhibitions, such as Luke Jerram\u2019s Gaia<\/em>, currently at Liverpool Cathedral, and Tim Peake\u2019s space capsule, which was visited by over 170,000 people when on display at Peterborough Cathedral as part of a national tour.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/312", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Meriden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dame Caroline Spelman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-03T15:43:20.413Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Churches: Tourism"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to promote tourism to its churches and cathedrals.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "271461"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135781", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135781/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " A recent study of the economic impact of cathedrals in England in 2014 showed that they generated around £220 million annually for the national economy. The report also showed that over 7,300 jobs depend on cathedrals, either through direct employment or the local economy.<\/p> <\/p> Tourists and visitors to English cathedrals generate an additional £125m for the local economy through visitor-related spend, which takes place directly in the towns and cities where cathedrals are based.<\/p> <\/p> No formal assessment has been made of the direct or indirect contribution of churches to the local economy.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/312", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Meriden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dame Caroline Spelman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-03T15:45:25.787Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Church of England: Community Development"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to encourage parishioners to support the local economy.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "271462"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125718", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125718/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Church of England mission agencies are supporting partner churches and communities in Africa to help them address the challenges of inter-religious living. The submission by the Church of England and the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales to the Foreign Secretary\u2019s independent review into persecuted Christians sets out recommendations as to the steps that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can take to support Christian communities and other religious whose right to freedom of religion or belief is being impinged.<\/p> The submission from the Church of England can be read here: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/latest-news/anglicans-and-catholics-make-joint-submission-foreign-office-review-persecuted<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/312", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Meriden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dame Caroline Spelman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T15:04:45.58Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Christianity: Africa"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to tackle the persecution of Christians in African countries; and what steps the Church of England is taking with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to highlight the persecution of Christians in those countries.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "252642"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125722", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125722/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Church of England has had no discussions with the Department for International Development on aid to Sri Lanka, but the Diocese of Leeds which has had a companion link with Sri Lanka for nearly 40 years, is in regular contact with the Anglican church of Sri Lanka, as to how best the Church can contribute to human flourishing in Sri Lanka.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/312", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Meriden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dame Caroline Spelman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T15:05:33.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Aid: Sri Lanka"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church of England has had with the Department for International Development on ensuring aid reaches people in Sri Lanka who need it most.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "252646"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121340", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121340/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Church of England encourages its churches to consider making wider, more imaginative and more strategic use of their buildings, where this will help them to fulfil their purpose of being a Christian presence in every community. There is national guidance on selecting the right legal and funding model to develop church buildings for uses beyond worship, whether that is to tackle issues of social justice, or for a commercial partnership. Individual decisions on what is right for particular churches and communities are made by parishes.<\/p> National guidance is available here, along with a number of case studies: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/sharing-your-building<\/a><\/p>