Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Ground Rent and Leasehold, Council Tax

On 20th March 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Church of England: Ground Rent and Leasehold

Sir James Cleverly MP (Con, Braintree): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England had made representations to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on (a) restrictions on ground rents and (b) leasehold reform in the last year.

Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Ground Rent and Leasehold, Council Tax”

Pension Schemes Bill: Bishop of Hereford supports amendments on trust management

On 19th March 2026, the Bishop of Hereford spoke in support of an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill tabled by Baroness Noakes on allowing Master Trusts which deliver good investment performance to be excluded from the scale requirements of the bill, raising the example of faith-based funds:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I speak in favour of Amendment 55, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes. There is a questionable theory of change in the Bill—that bigger pension schemes are necessarily better, suggesting the minimum scale of £25 billion. While scale certainly creates advantages, Australian experience suggests that funds can be run at less than this size and still provide value and good outcomes for members. However, concentrating the market into a few megafunds introduces a new system of risk, of schemes that become too big to fail and so are effectively the state’s problem.

Continue reading “Pension Schemes Bill: Bishop of Hereford supports amendments on trust management”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of conflict in the Middle East on refugee movements

On 19th March 2026, the Bishop of Chelmsford tabled a question on refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of conflict in the Middle East on refugee movements”

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about disruption of railway lines

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on the cost to business and trade caused by flooding affecting railway lines in the East Midlands on 19th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, in light of the repeated flooding of key routes operated by East Midlands Railway in the area that I serve, particularly the Erewash flood plain near Ilkeston, as well as the Trent Valley, what assessment have the Government made of the cost effect on businesses from loss of trade and overall productivity, and the wider social costs that arise, when railways are not functioning properly due to persistent flooding?

Continue reading “Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about disruption of railway lines”

Bishop of Sheffield asks about flood prevention

The Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on the use of technological assistance for flood detection and prevention on 19th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the use of technological assistance for flood detection and prevention.

Lord Katz (Lab, Government Whip): My Lords, the Environment Agency routinely uses technology to improve flood detection and prevention, including enhanced warning systems, drones, and digital tools to support early detection and preparedness. It is expanding the use of remote sensing and real-time monitoring to assess the condition of flood defence assets, strengthening forecasting and optimising maintenance. In 2025, the agency published a new national flood risk assessment outlining current and future flood and coastal erosion risks across England.

Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about flood prevention”

Bishop of Gloucester asks about prisoners in hospice care

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 19th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many prisoners were moved into a hospice in each of the past five years.

Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about prisoners in hospice care”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about conflict in Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 19th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prevent being drawn into offensive military action against Iran.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about conflict in Iran”

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about role of faith in urban regeneration

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on the role of churches in urban renewal during a discussion on regeneration of high streets and town centres on 18th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, although the 10-year Pride in Place funding is a welcome step towards longer-term investment, and there are other funds available for town centre regeneration, some towns in Nottinghamshire, such as Mansfield and Newark, continue to face increasing vacancy rates, declining footfall and concerns about safety in the town centres. What assessment have the Government made of the role of churches and other community groups using vacant shops to set up services that create social capital locally? Will the Minister reassure the House that faith communities and charities are enabled to apply for the various funds?

Continue reading “Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about role of faith in urban regeneration”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about US military actions in Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they are taking to prioritise the safety of UK nationals, diplomats and military personnel in the Middle East, including their safe passage out of the region. Hansard
  • what steps they are taking to work with regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Turkey, to encourage the United States of America and Iran to find a diplomatic solution to war. Hansard
  • what assessment they have made of the diplomatic progress made in the negotiations between the United States of America and Iran before the start of US military action against Iran. Hansard
  • what assessment they have made of the compliance of military action by the United States of America against Iran with Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. Hansard
  • what representations they have made to the government of the United States about the limitations and risks of military action in Iran. Hansard
  • what assessment they have made of the impact of military action by the United States against Iran on the level of military assistance to Ukraine. Hansard
  • what is their  response to civilian casualties in Iran caused by the military action by the United States and Israel; and what steps they are taking to support Iranian people by providing aid and continued access to information channels. Hansard
  • what assessment they have made of the potential for an increase in refugees from Iran; and what steps they are taking to establish safe and legal routes, and humanitarian assistance, to those seeking to leave Iran. Hansard
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about US military actions in Iran”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about making housing available

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan for a proportion of their 1.5 million homes target to be met by bringing empty homes back into use.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about making housing available”