Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
On 4th February 2016 MPs put questions to the Church Commissioners in the House of Commons.
Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, was asked questions on the Queen’s 90th Birthday, street pastors, ethical investments and tax avoidance, women and BME clergy and credit unions. The transcript is below.
On 4th February 2016, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, responded to a written question from Karl McCartney MP, on the community use of church buildings:
Church of England: Community Relations: Written question –
On 4th February 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on flooding.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of new houses built in each of the years from 2010 to 2015 were built on floodplains, and whether they expect that proportion to change in the next five years. [HL5515]
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about new housebuilding on floodplains”
On Wednesday 3rd February 2016 Lord Wallace of Saltaire asked Her Majesty’s Government “what progress has been made by the review into funding for extremist interpretations of Islam within the United Kingdom, including from overseas sources, announced by the Prime Minister on 2 December 2015 with the declared intention that it would report by the spring of 2016.” The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, asked a follow up question:
The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, it is widely agreed that all statements that tend towards causing hatred, contempt and violence towards other faiths should not be permitted, but does the Minister nevertheless agree that it is not extremist in any way, and should in fact be encouraged, for there to be statements that are frank and categorical assertions of faith or no faith, and that there is no right not to be offended or hurt by such statements? Continue reading “Archbishop – no right not to be offended by frank assertions about faith”
On 2nd February 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on fixed odds betting terminals.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much tax revenue they have collected directly from fixed-odds betting terminals in each of the years from 2010–11 to 2014–15 inclusive. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about tax receipts from fixed odds betting terminals”
On 1st February 2016 Baroness Tonge asked Her Majesty’s Government “whether they plan to recognise Palestine as a state.” The Bishop of Norwich, Rt Revd Graham James, asked a follow up question. Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks government to recognise Palestinian Statehood”
On 28th January 2016 Baroness Donaghy asked Her Majesty’s Government “what is their estimate of the number of households currently in fuel poverty; and what action they intend to take to reduce that number over the next five years.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, one concern is prepaid meters, which are an expensive way of paying for fuel. Will the Minister update the House on what progress is being made to promote the five principles agreed between Consumer Focus and the largest energy groups some years ago—I think it was back in 2011? Furthermore, will Her Majesty’s Government ask the large energy companies to reconsider income-differentiated tariffs again? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government to engage with energy companies on prepaid meters”
On the 27th January 2016 Lord Harries of Pentregarth asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the remuneration of junior doctors”. The Rt Revd Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester, asked a follow up question.
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I, too, declare that I have a daughter who is a junior doctor. She is in her fourth year since qualification. To get to the level of remuneration that the noble Lord mentioned—some £23,000—junior doctors have to work jolly long and unsocial hours. But my specific question is: what is the comparator with other developed western countries for the remuneration of our younger doctors?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks Government about junior doctors’ remuneration”
On the 27th January 2016 Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the risk that Christians could be recorded as having committed an anti-Muslim hate crime from April 2016 by preaching the divinity of Christ or by reading aloud sections of the Bible in public, such as 1 John, Chapter 4, verses 1 to 3.” The Rt Revd John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, asked a follow-up question criticising the phrasing of Lord Pearson’s question and highlighting the contribution of religion to the enrichment of public life. The transcript in full is available below.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that Questions phrased in this manner are not conducive to building positive relations between faith communities, in particular with Muslim communities, as we are endeavouring to do in the church at a time when Muslims are feeling unfairly stigmatised? Does he further accept that Muslims, and people of all faiths, greatly enrich our society and make a significant contribution to the common good? Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester “stigmatising Muslim communities not conducive to community cohesion””
On 26th January 2016 Baroness Lister of Burtersett asked Her Majesty’s Government “what impact the Family Test has had on policy-making.” The Archbishop of York, Most Revd & Rt Hon John Sentamu, asked a follow up question:
The Archbishop of York: My Lords, I hope that the family test recognises that poor families come in different shapes and sizes and that there is no intention of pushing a particular policy, of which we saw a little in China. Margaret and I had two children of our own and then fostered two children who came to us at the ages of eight and one and a half. They are now working adults. Had this family test been around, I would have been worried, as Ruth is, because that child would have found it very difficult. Will the Minister assure us that when the family test comes, common sense will prevail, not numbers? Continue reading “Archbishop of York urges Government not to slant policy against larger families”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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