This year the Church of England surveyed its 16,000 parish churches about their involvement in social action and local community projects. Of the 13,000 churches that responded the survey revealed that 80% were involved in providing services for the benefit of their local communities, either standalone or in partnership with others. These 33,000 projects included debt counselling, lunch clubs, language classes, food banks, children\u2019s clubs, community cafes, holiday and breakfast clubs and night shelters.<\/p>
There are many good examples of work in the Rochester Diocese, 11 of the 12 Church of England churches within the Gillingham deanery (which covers the Gillingham and Rainham constituency) are involved in providing on average at least 4 different projects to support the wider local community.<\/p>
The areas in which the churches in Gillingham deanery are engaging is as follows:<\/p>
The Government is committed to protecting our environment. As set out on the 25 Year Environment Plan<\/a>, we are drawing up a national framework of green infrastructure standards, ensuring that new developments include accessible green spaces and that any area with little or no green space can be improved for the benefit of the community. We intend to publish the standards in 2019 and incorporate them into planning guidance so that councils can use them when making planning decisions across the country - including in the south east.<\/p> Our revised planning rule book<\/a> sets out how new development should happen in right places across the country including in the south east, through:<\/p> In September 2017, the Government created the \u2018Parks Action Group\u2019 comprising of experts from across the parks, heritage and the leisure sector and invested £500,000 to support the development of initiatives to identify solutions for safeguarding our parks and green spaces, to ensure they have long and sustainable futures.<\/p> The group has been working collaboratively across key priorities \u2013 including assessing quality standards and sharing good practice. We are currently developing a programme of work aimed at transforming the way in which green spaces are developed, managed and sustained. <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-29T15:29:02.583Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Green Belt: South East"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to protect green spaces in the South East.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3987", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rehman Chishti"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gillingham and Rainham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rehman Chishti"}
], "uin" : "907900"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015278", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015278/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In 2017 the Church of England\u2019s General Synod passed a unanimous motion calling on Government to reduce the stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals to £2.00. This is an issue on which bishops, most notably the Bishop of St Albans, have spoken frequently on and campaigned for. The Church has therefore welcomed the Government\u2019s announcement of the reduction in stakes, and the decision to implement the change in April 2019, as well as the increase in Remote Gaming Duty. The Bishop of St Albans continues to spearhead the Church\u2019s activity in this area and has recently raised in the House of Lords the high quantity of gambling advertisements, increases in child gambling, the voluntary levy paid by gambling firms, and the socio-economic cost to society of problem gambling.<\/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" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-29T16:15:50.55Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gambling"}
, "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 problem gambling.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4635", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Eddie Hughes"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Walsall North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Eddie Hughes"}
], "uin" : "907931"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015014", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015014/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In any individual case the time between intercepting a consignment, HMRC\u2019s compliance decision and the return of the container will be affected by factors outside HMRC\u2019s control. This includes a period of up to 30 days where the importer has the right to present further evidence before HMRC makes its decision. Due to the range of possible outcomes of HMRC\u2019s examination activity HMRC does not routinely capture information on average times taken.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3935", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mel Stride"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Central Devon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mel Stride"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-29T17:26:05.893Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Shipping: Containers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the average length of time in hours between HMRC (a) seizing a container for examination under suspicion of the value declared of goods contained being too low and making a decision on enforcement action and (b) seizing a container for examination under suspicion of the value declared of goods contained being too low and the return of the container.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4066", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Priti Patel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Witham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Priti Patel"}
], "uin" : "195519"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015015", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015015/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As part of its end to end approach to tackling customs fraud risks, HMRC is undertaking physical pre-clearance checks targeted at high risk traders. The checks are conducted inland to avoid causing congestion at ports. HMRC regularly meets with trade associations to identify ways of minimising the impact on logistics businesses of this necessary compliance activity.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3935", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mel Stride"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Central Devon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mel Stride"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-29T17:25:30.627Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Shipping: Containers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on logistics businesses of HMRC seizing containers on suspicion of the value declared of the goods contained being too low.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4066", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Priti Patel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Witham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Priti Patel"}
], "uin" : "195520"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015016", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015016/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Disclosing information of this nature may help fraudsters avoid HMRC\u2019s compliance checks. For this reason it would not be appropriate for the Government to release the information requested.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3935", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mel Stride"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Central Devon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mel Stride"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-29T17:27:19.547Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Shipping: Containers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many containers HMRC seized under the suspicion of the value of the goods declared being too low in each of the last five years; and of those containers that were seized (a) for how many how did HMRC deem additional charges were due and what was the (i) highest, (ii) lowest and (iii) average additional charge that was due; and (b) how many cases there were for which HMRC did not deem that any additional charges were due.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4066", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Priti Patel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Witham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Priti Patel"}
], "uin" : "195521"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015018", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1015018/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " All teachers who participate in the teaching of pupils are entitled to reasonable periods of Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA). PPA time must amount to not less than 10% of the teacher\u2019s timetabled teaching time. A teacher must not be required to carry out any other duties during the teacher\u2019s PPA time.<\/p> There have been no changes in the time allocated to teachers for planning, preparation and assessment: this requirement has been in place since 2004.<\/p> The Department continues to work with unions, teachers and Ofsted to challenge and remove unnecessary workload so that teachers can focus on tasks which make the most positive impact on their pupils. For example, a workload reduction toolkit has been published which provides schools with practical tools and evidence-based solutions to enable them to streamline practice in their schools. This includes a section on reviewing curriculum planning with case studies on how schools have successfully reduced workload associated with planning.<\/p>
We expect to announce our progress on this in early 2019.<\/p>