Christianity: Palestine
Adam Jogee MP (Lab, Newcastle-under Lyme): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to help support Christians living in Palestine.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England and the Anglican Communion continue to support the ministry of the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Jerusalem alongside the Anglican Mission agencies operating in the region who largely provide healthcare and education to all living in the local communities in the West Bank and Gaza. The Archbishop of Canterbury is currently on a pilgrimage to the region, where she is learning and witnessing the work of these agencies
The Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester, Norwich and Chelmsford continue to highlight their ongoing concerns about increased settler violence in the West Bank and called for an end to the use of roadblocks and movement restrictions. They have joined His Holiness the Pope and the local heads of Churches, who have called for the protection of innocent civilians, freedom of movement and freedom to worship. There remain considerable concerns in Gaza about the access to building materials and healthcare
More broadly the treatment of the Christian communities in the towns and villages in the south of Lebanon is also being closely monitored during the ongoing conflict where these communities are becoming cut off from their land, farms and homes as infrastructure, roads and the water supply around the city of Tyre are bombed, damaged and left beyond use. Damage is also being caused to cultural heritage, UNESCO sites and some of the oldest churches in the region which have been targeted. These concerns have also been shared with the UK Government as part of regular conversations between the Church and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and other relevant Departments of State.
Churches: Disability
Adam Jogee: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to ensure that its churches are accessible for disabled people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Marsha De Cordova: The Church of England is committed to improving accessibility so that all who wish to attend churches, whether for worship or community activities, are able to do so.
Parishes may apply to the Parish Accessibility Fund for up to £50,000 or a Small Grant of up to £5,000 for project proposals to improve the accessibility features covering structural alterations such as the installation of an accessible toilet, step-free access and production of large print texts. More information on the Parish Accessibility Fund is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/barrier-free-belonging/parish-accessibility-fund
The Diocese of Lichfield’s ‘Enabling All initiative’ offers support for its 540 churches including those in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire to become more accessible.
‘Enabling All’ offers web pages, online training, open drop-ins for individual questions, a church officer who can advise and an award scheme, all of which support churches to increase their accessibility. More information is available here: https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/inclusion/enabling-all/
Cost of Living: Staffordshire
Adam Jogee: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help support families in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire with the cost of living.
Marsha De Cordova: The Church delivers community projects across the country to support individuals and families with the cost of living. Across the country churches are delivering around 31,000 community projects, including 8,000 food banks, 4,000 parent and carer groups and 3,000 community cafes.
In Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, the Newcastle Foodbank operates a network of distribution centres hosted in local churches, such as Newcastle Congregational Church, operating under the Trussell Trust. Many local churches across the Diocese also operate as Warm Spaces to help vulnerable individuals and families save on their domestic energy bills. Through its Transforming Communities Together initiative and partnerships with organisations like the Church Urban Fund, the diocese supports practical courses (such as Money Talks and debt-relief guidance) to help individuals manage their finances. More information is available here: https://lichfield.anglican.org/transforming_communities/
Church of England: Roman Catholic Church
Adam Jogee: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent engagement the Church of England has had with the Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales.
Marsha De Cordova: The relationship with the Roman Catholic Church is warm and one that has grown closer in recent decades, exemplified by the reciprocal attendance by both Archbishops at each other’s Instillation in Westminster and Canterbury, followed by the pilgrimage to Rome of the Archbishop of Canterbury which included meetings and prayer with His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, reaffirming a shared commitment to Christian unity.
Within England the Church continues to engage regularly with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales on areas of shared interest, while local clergy and parishes also work closely together with all denominations as part of Churches Together to support local ecumenical activity. Another example of the warm relations between the two communities can be found in the common witness during September 2025 where bishops and clergy of both Churches in Liverpool joined together for a service and pilgrimage walk between the two cathedrals. Dialogue between the two Churches also continues regularly through the meeting of the English and Welsh Anglican Roman Catholic dialogue group.
Church of England: Community Relations
Adam Jogee: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church of England is having with other religious groups on helping to promote community cohesion in a) Staffordshire and b) the United Kingdom.
Marsha De Cordova: The Presence & Engagement programme of the Church of England shapes how the church takes seriously all its relationships with other religious communities. It recognises that the most important level that this occurs at is locally through churches and chaplaincies. The parish church is fundamental to the ability of the Church of England to offer a unique and positive contribution to community cohesion.
This programme encourages churches to become a visible and welcoming hub in the community, engaging with others to influence local changes for the common good. Each diocese is encouraged to have an Inter Faith Adviser who works closely with parishes and chaplains seeking ways to fulfil this role in an ever-changing religious landscape
In addition, churches are encouraged to participate in the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion (CCC) National Conversation and to be host venues, especially in multi-religious areas, bringing people together from their local area to listen to a wide range of thoughts on the kind of country people want to help make
The Church of England has a lead bishop for inter faith relations, the Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Revd. Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, he along with two national officers are ensuring that discussions are taking place at national and local level with the other religious and faith communities.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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