Author: parliamentaryunit

Vote – Offender Rehabilitation Bill

On 9th July 2013, two bishops took part in a division on the Government’s Offender Rehabilitation Bill, during its Third Reading.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Labour Peer Lord Beecham moved amendment 2, which sought to introduce a pilot scheme, and a permanent scheme if successful, of veterans’ courts for ex-service personnel, following the precedent set in the United States.

The Bishops of Chester and Norwich, the Rt Revds Peter Forster and Graham James, voted ‘content’. No bishop voted ‘not content’.

There were: Contents: 186 | Not Contents: 205 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

second church estates commissioner answers written questions on church closures and entry fees for church buildings

On 4th July 2013 Sir Tony Baldry MP answered written questions on the issues of church closure and of entry fees into church buildings14.01 CCQ Baldry Continue reading “second church estates commissioner answers written questions on church closures and entry fees for church buildings”

MPs Questions to Church Commissioners

In Church Commissioners Question Time on Thursday 4th July 2013, Sir Tony Baldry MP answered questions on bats in churches, pastoral care, closed churches, financial performance, credit unions, cathedrals and street pastors

14.03.20 WH debate

Bats in Churches

Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con): What recent assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the effects of bats in churches; and if he will make a statement.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Tony Baldry): A small number of bats living in a church can be manageable, but parish churches are finding an increasing number of bats taking up residence in large roosts. There are significant costs in financial and human terms to those who worship in these churches, and to the wider community. The present situation is simply unsustainable.

Continue reading “MPs Questions to Church Commissioners”

Second Chuch Estates Commissioner answers written question on world war one anniversaries

On 2nd July 2013 Sir Tony Baldry MP answered a written question from Mr Keith Simpson on what plans the Church of England had to commemorate the First World War and the role of military chaplains.14.03.20 WH debate Continue reading “Second Chuch Estates Commissioner answers written question on world war one anniversaries”

The Second Church Estates Commissioner Leads Debate on Impact of Bats in Churches

“This is a serious problem; it is not a joke. The issue is getting more difficult, more frustrating and more challenging for more communities all the time, and we look to the Minister and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to come forward with practical proposals to ensure that churches and communities can worship and flourish unimpeded by bats.”

On the 25th June 2013 in Westminster Hall, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Sir Tony Baldry, led a debate on the issue of bats in churches and the impact of the EU habitats directive. Sir Tony described the negative impact that bat populations can have upon artefacts within churches and also the health threat that they pose to members of the congregation.

14.03.20 WH debate

Continue reading “The Second Church Estates Commissioner Leads Debate on Impact of Bats in Churches”

Vote – Offender Rehabilitation Bill

On 25th June 2013, the Bishop of Ripon & Leeds, the Rt Revd John Packer, took part in two divisions on the Government’s Offender Rehabilitation Bill, during its Report Stage.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Crossbencher Lord Ramsbotham moved amendment 1, calling for parliamentary approval ahead of any probation service reforms.

The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds voted ‘content’. No bishop voted ‘not content’.

There were: Contents: 215 | Not Contents: 186 | Result: Government Defeat

(via Parliament.uk)

Continue reading “Vote – Offender Rehabilitation Bill”

Second Church Estates Commissioner Answers written question on redundant churches

On 24th June 2013 Sir Tony Baldry MP answered a written question from Rehman Chishti on the number of redundant Church of England churches in the country

14.01 CCQ Baldry Continue reading “Second Church Estates Commissioner Answers written question on redundant churches”

Vote – Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

On 4th June 2013, nine bishops took part in a division during the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. 

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Crossbench Peer Lord Dear moved, as an amendment to the motion that the bill be now read a second time, to leave out from “that” to the end and insert “this House declines to give the bill a second reading”.

Nine bishops voted “content” with Lord Dear’s amendment. They were: the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishops of Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Coventry, Exeter, Hereford, London and Winchester. A further five bishops attended but abstained from the vote. No bishops voted “not content.”

There were: Contents: 148 | Not Contents: 390 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Bishop of Exeter’s speech in the Lords

bishop of exeter_500x375On 3rd & 4th June 2013 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its Second Reading. The Bishop of Exeter, Rt Revd Michael Langrish, spoke in the debate and his remarks are below, with extracts from speeches made by Peers where reference is made.

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, observed that, from a Christian perspective, God can be present in every true love. I absolutely agree. But marriage is about more than love. Then we are told that the issues at stake here are equal rights, justice and social inclusion. Certainly, these are things about which Governments may legislate. Indeed, if they wish to support particular kinds of relationship by according them tax and pension benefits, that must be a matter for normal political debate. However, in this Bill the Government have chosen to proceed not by addressing real, material or legal inequalities but by redefining the key concept of marriage and its meaning. Continue reading “Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Bishop of Exeter’s speech in the Lords”

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Bishop of Chester’s speech in the Lords

14.03 Bishop of ChesterOn 3rd & 4th June 2013 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its Second Reading. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke in the debate and his remarks are below, with extracts from speeches made by Peers where reference is made.

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I associate myself closely with the previous speeches from these Benches but want to develop the discussion in a slightly different direction. I should emphasise that I am speaking in my personal capacity as a bishop and not, in any formal sense, on behalf of the wider Church of England.

I want to focus on the potential impact on the relationship between the Church of England and the state. As I listened to the noble Lord, Lord Dear, with his great list of implications for Argentina, I wanted to leap up and say, “And we have the Church of England to think about as well, on top of all that lot”. It was an issue that did not receive much attention in the debate in the other place—hardly any at all. I say at the outset that the Church of England has no right simply to maintain the status quo in our relationship with the state; nor do we necessarily wish to do so. However, the argument that there has been change, as there has been, in church-state relationships is no argument for any particular change. The weakness in the powerful speech of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, was that all the changes in marriage that he listed were, in themselves, no argument for the particular change that we are discussing now. Continue reading “Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Bishop of Chester’s speech in the Lords”

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