Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 28th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they delivered their commitment to provide £11.6 billion of international climate finance between 2021–22 and 2025–26, including £3 billion to protect and restore ecosystems abroad.
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about climate finance”The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 27th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact on the natural environment of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the recent conflict.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab, FCDO): No such assessment has been made.
The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 27th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government how many asylum application caseworkers are currently employed by the Home Office; and what plans they have to hire more staff to address the appeals backlog.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about asylum applications”
The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 27th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government:
ON 27th April 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
David Simmonds MP (Con, Ruislip, Northwood, and Pinner): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she can confirm current charging arrangements for local authorities to request a Diocese faculty to consider changes to the grounds maintenance provision within closed churchyards.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church Repairs and Maintenance”
The Bishop of Chester asked a question on support for farmers during a discussion on the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive on 23rd April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, the Minister will be aware that there are 28,000 agri-environment agreements which cease either this year or next, and the applicants must wait for agreements to expire before they can start a new SFI application. We can imagine in terms of sustainability and the welfare of our farming community that those who have such environments need assurance that they will be able to apply and to continue delivering the outcomes without a break in their payment. Can the Minister give such an assurance?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks about Sustainable Farming Incentive”
The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the care and preservation of historic churchyards during a discussion on burial provision in England and Wales on 22nd April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: The Church of England has a responsibility and common-law duty to bury all members of a parish living within its boundaries in a churchyard according to the rites of the Church of England and, if it does not have a churchyard, it is dependent on municipal provision. So we have an interest in this. One of the things this says to us is the importance to all people of faith of their rites of burial. We in the Church of England want to promote that strongly. Following the Law Commission report, would the Minister be willing to speak with the Faith and Public Life department of the Church of England to look at historic churchyards under our care and how they are preserved, at what provision currently exists within our open churchyards and how that can be sustained and monitored, and at what scope there might be for opening and consecrating new churchyards?
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The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for small charities on 20th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I particularly welcome the Minister’s earlier response referring to place-based donations. Many local charities are quite small, and small charities are the most vulnerable. Can the Minister give us more of an indication as to how small charities can be supported? They are the ones which are most in touch with their local communities and most likely to go to the wall if donations are falling.
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The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on inclusion of religious groups in planning for Local Resilience Forums on 16th April 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, guidance on emergency preparedness issued under the Civil Contingencies Act to the emergency responders who make up local resilience forums includes reference in chapter 14 to use of the voluntary sector. This is often assumed to be where the service provided is wholly or largely relevant to an emergency, such as that offered by Mountain Rescue, Samaritans or the Salvation Army. However, I notice that one local authority listed as an example of best practice includes the use of religious groups, presumably because of buildings and other services that they can provide. Might the Minister consider whether this warrants a discreet but distinct reference in a revision of the guidance?
Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about community resilience planning”In the House of Commons, Marsha De Cordova MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, gave answers to the following questions from MPs on 16th April 2026:
Christians in Palestine
Kate Osamor MP (Lab, Edmonton & Winchmore Hill) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to support Christians in Palestine.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church remains steadfast in its support for Palestinians. The Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester, Chelmsford and Norwich have publicly highlighted their concerns by condemning the increased settler violence and calling for the reopening of holy places. They have joined His Holiness the Pope and the local heads of Churches, who have called for the protection of innocent civilians. They are offering sanctuary, working for peace and reconciliation, and building intercommunity trust.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Questions: Christians in Palestine, Children and Young People, Project Spire, Extremism, Child Poverty, Places of Worship Renewal Fund, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Archbishop of Canterbury, Small Churches”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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