Questions – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Chester asks about sustainability of Jodrell Bank Observatory

The Bishop of Chester asked a question on the long-term stability of the Jodrell Bank Observatory in his diocese on 10th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I declare the interest that Jodrell Bank is in my diocese, and we are rightly proud of the work done there, not least in releasing young scientists. What principles are His Majesty’s Government using in reviewing these projects, particularly in the communication of those reviews, in order that long-term stability might be prioritised?

Archbishop of York asks about combatting illegal Israeli settlements

The Archbishop of York asked a question on further measures necessary to respond to the establishment of illegal settlements by Israel, following a government statement on Israel and Palestine on 9th September 2026:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, like others in this House, I came face to face with settler militia and the impact on settlements while visiting the south Hebron hills last year. Therefore, with many on these Benches, I welcome this Statement. We have called for such principled action over many years. We believe that these measures are just, necessary and, frankly, overdue, although we also want to emphasise that, in acting against specific policies of the Israeli Government, we of course remain unreservedly opposed to the evils of antisemitism, here in the UK and everywhere. I have a specific question. Does the Minister accept, given the E1 tenders—E1 has already been mentioned, but I think tenders are coming up on 19 October and are about to be opened—that further measures are needed to deter Israeli banks from guaranteeing such bids?

Bishop of Manchester asks about protection for small funeral provider

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on protection for smaller funeral providers during the discussion on the establishment of a regulatory regime for funeral directors on 9th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I want to pick up a point made from the Opposition Front Bench a few moments ago about family funeral directors. Over the last 20 years or so, we have seen many of those, in effect, bought up by large conglomerates. It is important that any regulation is created in a way that makes it commensurate for those small providers and does not create a further incentive for the large, sometimes multinational, bodies that do not have that degree of personal understanding of a particular local community.

Archbishop of York asks about plans for regulatory regime for funeral directors

The Archbishop of York tabled a question on establishing a regulatory regime for funeral directors:

The Lord Archbishop of York: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to establish a regulatory regime for funeral directors.

Baroness Merron (Lab, DHSC): My Lords, the Government laid a Written Ministerial Statement on 1 September confirming that detailed proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector are being developed. The Department of Health and Social Care is leading this work with the Ministry of Justice and other departments, working closely with bereaved families, funeral providers, faith groups, local authorities and others.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about reducing rates of offending

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on reducing rates of offending and reoffending during a discussion on criminal justice reform on 8th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for this Statement, particularly the highlight on IPP prisoners. However, the approach still feels piecemeal, driven too much by ill-informed public narrative and wrongly focusing the problem on prison capacity. Does the Minister agree that the focus needs to be on reducing offending and reoffending, with the solutions being evidence-led to benefit victims, offenders, families and communities together? Will he say what progress has been made in response to recommendation 5.1 of the Independent Sentencing Review, namely, that we should:

“Launch a public awareness campaign on sentencing”,

because in recent weeks we have seen the consequences of this huge void?

Church Commissioners Questions: Christians in Palestine, Churches: Financial Viability, Persecution of Christians Overseas, Lighthouse Summer Holiday Programme, Family Hubs and Community Cohesion, Christian Nationalism, Community Cohesion, Project Spire, Places of Worship Renewal Fund

On 3rd September 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Christians in Palestine

Kate Osamor MP (Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, Lab/Co-op) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to support Christians in Palestine.

Marsha De Cordova MP: The Church condemns the persecution that we have seen and stands in solidarity with Palestinian Christian communities across the Holy Land as they continue to face profound hardship. The Church of England remains committed to supporting our Anglican partners, advocating for human rights and calling for the upholding of international humanitarian law and a just and lasting peace for the Palestinians.

Bishop of Leicester asks about civic participation in elections

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on government efforts to enable civic participation during a discussion on electoral systems and methods of voter registration on 3rd September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, democracy is of course about a lot more than simply voter participation. What are the Government currently doing to enable civic participation at this time, particularly by minoritised groups, which will aid in safeguarding our democracy?

Bishop of Norwich asks about tackling the climate crisis

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on rebuilding consensus on the urgent need to address the climate crisis in response to the Prime Minister’s statement on the direction of government on 2nd September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: These Benches wish the Prime Minister well and assure him of our prayers. I welcome his attendance at COP 31 in Turkey in a couple of months’ time and that he recognises the impact of climate change—he referenced the glacial collapse at the Nepal-China border with tragic loss of life and this being the hottest summer on record. How can the Government work to rebuild the cross-party consensus that there was just a few years ago about the urgent need to take action for the common good for those who share this single island planet home, both now and in the future?

Bishop of Norwich asks about environmental impact of data centres

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on the effectiveness of DEFRA’s current regulatory framework to provide protection for the environment from the demands of data centres on water resources on 2nd September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, can the Minister tell us what assessment Defra has made of the current regulatory framework and whether it will provide enough protection for the environment from the cumulative demand of data centres on water resources?

Bishop of Manchester asks about cost of living impacts for benefits recipients

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on changes to the universal credit system during a discussion on welfare reform on 1st September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am glad to hear that the Minister is so passionate about this and that, overall, this is taking place. As part of that, however, the Trussell Trust tells me that the majority of people who go to food banks are already on universal credit. Are the Government going to look at what it actually costs to survive in this country so that that can be factored into what levels of universal credit people are going to be getting?

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