On 24th March 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:
Church of England: Young People
Jim Shannon MP (DUP, Strangford): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to encourage more young people to attend places of worship.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Young People”
The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 24th March 2024:
The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 24th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan for the release of prisoners in Nagorno–Karabakh.
Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about release of prisoners in Nagorno-Karabakh”
The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 24th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 24th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 24th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the introduction of a universal priority services register for utility services.
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about priority register for utility services”On 21st March 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
Kevin Hollinrake (Con, Thirsk and Malton): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the potential impact of the Law Commission’s consultation on burial and cremation, published on 3 October 2024, on the finances of local authorities taking over the maintenance of closed churchyards.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church Repair and Maintenance, Rural Areas, and Church Organs”
The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on Crown Court Criminal Case Backlog on 20th March 2025, raising the need to support victims of crime:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is humbling to speak in this debate in the company of those better qualified than me to make comment, but I rise to speak particularly about the impact on victims. From London, I also welcome the noble Baroness, Lady Longfield, to her place.
It continues to be a great shame that criminal justice is one of those Cinderella public services. We often talk or feel that spending money on things such as schools and healthcare is good, and of course it is. However, talking about spending money on prisons, probation and the courts is much less frequently affirmed, despite the fact that not spending in the courts has a terrible implication for victims. I wonder whether improving public understanding of the importance of a well-functioning court system for victims and defendants may be key to winning wider support and gaining resources that are so desperately needed. What consideration have the Government given to improving public understanding in this way?
Continue reading “Bishop of London emphasises need for support for victims of crime in debate on Crown Court backlog”The Bishop of London tabled a question for short debate on support for those bereaved in the COVID-19 Pandemic on 20th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government, following the COVID-19 Day of Reflection, what steps they are taking to improve support offered to people bereaved as a result of COVID-19.
My Lords, I declare my interest as the former chair of the UK Commission on Bereavement and other interests as set out in the register. Though we are small in number, I am grateful for the opportunity to hold this debate. I am aware that reflection on the impact of Covid-19 is no longer a particularly attractive subject, but I feel strongly that the impact of this world-changing event will continue to be felt in the years to come.
Continue reading “Bishop of London tables question for debate on support for the bereaved following the COVID-19 pandemic”
The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate marking the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights on 20th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this debate and for his speech. I am not going to explore the legal implications, but want to make a few theological points, if I may. I want to comment on the origins of the spring from which these ideas first came, how it developed into a stream and then a river, and how still today our understanding of rights and responsibilities is developing.
The noble Lord, Lord Lilley, is right. It goes back to those early chapters of Genesis. In fact, you could go back to the Code of Hammurabi, 1,700 years before Christ, but let us go back to the Ten Commandments, where we find the creation narratives where humankind is created in God’s image. It is about the inherent dignity that belongs to each and every person, not dependent on sex, wealth, education or any other differentiation. This is implied in the Ten Commandments and is developed further in passages such as Deuteronomy 10, where God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger in the land. It is why the prophet Isaiah urges the people of God to seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless and plead for the widow.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans speaks on theological background for human rights law”
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.