Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of St Albans questions Government on impact of Sunday trading changes on small shops

On 17th September 2015 Lord Naseby asked the Government “what new proposals they have to support independent high street retailers, particularly in the light of the increasing cost of business rates”. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, while I am grateful for the support Her Majesty’s Government are giving to independent retailers, it seems extraordinary that they are doing so at a time when they are talking about deregulating further Sunday trading hours, which many insiders in the industry believe will give huge commercial advantage both to the large supermarkets and to out-of-town shopping centres. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans questions Government on impact of Sunday trading changes on small shops”

Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about adoption of the rural-urban classification

Bishop St Albans June 2015On 17th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to three written questions, about the Government’s statistical use of the rural-urban classification, the Government’s response to the Independent Rural Proofing Implementation Review and access to the Rural Services Delivery Grant. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about adoption of the rural-urban classification”

Gravestones and monuments – written answer

On 16th September 2015 Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered a written question from Mark Hendrick MP about regulations relating to graveyards in Blackburn Diocese.

Spelman CCQs June 2015 1Mr Mark Hendrick: [9765] To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England dioceses have published regulations on monuments on burial plots and inscriptions on gravestones; which dioceses (a) allow and (b) do not allow nicknames on gravestones; which dioceses allow monuments; which dioceses (i) allow and (ii) do not allow pictorial etchings on gravestones; and which dioceses (A) allow and (B) do not allow freestanding containers on burial plots. Continue reading “Gravestones and monuments – written answer”

Bishop of Chester asks if European migration rules are working

On 16th September 2015 Lord Green of Deddington asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the scope for those currently claiming asylum in other European Union member states subsequently to move on to the United Kingdom’. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a supplementary question.


14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, does the Minister think that the current European regulations are working, and indeed workable, in the face of the sheer volume of people who are seeking to migrate?

Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks if European migration rules are working”

Bishop of St Albans raises threat of Mycoplasma Bovis and questions provisions for upland farmers

Bishop St Albans June 2015On 15th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to  five written questions: on the threat to farmers of Mycoplasma Bovis, and on the financial provisions for upland farmers.

Lord Bishop of St Albans:

(1) To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evaluated the potential risk of Mycoplasma bovis to the national dairy herd and to milk production; and if not, whether they plan to do so, and within what timescale. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises threat of Mycoplasma Bovis and questions provisions for upland farmers”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about sustainability of UK food supply

Bishop of St AlbansOn 14th September 2015, The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked the Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. He then asked a supplementary question about the provision of financial relief for farmers.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about sustainability of UK food supply”

Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government about impact of tax credit cuts

On 14th of September 2015 Lord Dubs asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in tax credits on middle- and lower-income working people’. The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, asked a supplementary question about the impact the proposed cuts would have on children.

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 1The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, bearing in mind that two-thirds of children who live in poverty are in in-work families, how will the Government monitor the impact of the proposed changes? In particular, will they review the exclusion of income-based measures from the suite of life chances indicators being brought in?

Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government about impact of tax credit cuts”

Church Commissioners’ questions – climate change and open church buildings

On 10th September 2015 Caroline Spelman, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered two oral questions in the House of Commons,on climate Change and open and sustainable churches.  

Climate Change

Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab): What steps the Church Commissioners are taking to support the Church of England’s international efforts to tackle climate change. [901256]

Spelman CCQs June 2015 1The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Mrs Caroline Spelman): The Church of England, along with the wider Anglican Communion, is actively tacking climate change in four ways: assessing its investment strategy and, where necessary, divesting in the context of our climate change policy; actively engaging with public policy; attending the forthcoming Paris conference; and encouraging its parishes to reduce their carbon footprint and their parishioners to do the same. Continue reading “Church Commissioners’ questions – climate change and open church buildings”

Church Commissioner written answers: Metal theft, closed churches, food banks

On the 10th of September 2015 Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered five written questions from members of the House of Commons, about metal theft, closed churches and food banks.

Churches: Blackburn
Caroline SpelmanThe following two were grouped together:
Mr Mark Hendrick (Preston): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England churches in the Diocese of Blackburn were subject to metal theft from rooves in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014; and which such churches were redundant. [8993]
Mr Mark Hendrick (Preston): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England churches in the Diocese of Blackburn have been subject to metal theft from roofs in each year since 2012; and which such churches were redundant churches. [8387]
  Continue reading “Church Commissioner written answers: Metal theft, closed churches, food banks”

Churches’ role in helping rural broadband provision


On the 10th September 2015 Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, asked Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss about churches providing access to rural broadband.
Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman Caroline Spelman(Meriden) (Con): The Churches are keen to offer their buildings to help address better rural broadband provision. Would the Secretary of State be willing to convene a roundtable of interested dioceses and suppliers to share the findings of the rural superfast broadband pilots? Continue reading “Churches’ role in helping rural broadband provision”