The Church of England in Parliament

Church Commissioners Questions: Affordable & Sustainable Housing, Diocesan Support: Interregnums, Educational Attainment: Church Schools, Parish Churches: Funding, Academy Schools, and Support for People in Gaza

On 23rd May 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following answers to questions from MPs in the House of Commons:

Affordable and Sustainable Housing

Selaine Saxby MP (Con, North Devon) asked: Whether the Church of England is taking steps to provide affordable and sustainable housing on its land. (902965)

Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): I can tell my hon. Friend that the Church Commissioners are bringing forward substantial new amounts of housing across England, including affordable homes, in accordance with local planning policy in the areas concerned. Where the commissioners are able to, we also seek to go further— for example, through the use of rural exception sites to provide a higher proportion of affordable housing than the local plan requires.

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Modern Slavery

On 23rd May 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to questions from an MP:

Slavery

Caroline Ansell MP (Con, Eastbourne): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners:

whether the Church of England has had discussions with the Clewer Initiative on tackling modern slavery in the last 12 months.
whether the Church of England has had discussions with the Clewer Initiative on the impact of its funding on its work; and whether the Church is taking steps to support the Clewer Initiative.

Bishop of St Albans asks about issues affecting shipping in the English channel

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prevent oil spills by the Russian shadow fleet in the English Channel.

Bishop of St Albans asks about persecution against Baha’is in Iran

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Human Rights Watch report “The Boot on my Neck”: Iranian Authorities’ Crime of Persecution Against Baha’is in Iran, published on 1 April.

Bishop of Lichfield asks about recruitment of minority faiths in the armed forces

The Bishop of Lichfield received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that more people from minority faith groups are recruited and retained by the UK armed forces.

Bishop of St Albans asks about proliferation of intimate-image based abuse among teenagers

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to tackle image-based sexual abuse among teenagers.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): The Government is committed to intervening as early as possible to prevent vulnerable children and young people from experiencing all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes education and awareness raising initiatives and equipping frontline professionals and safeguarding partners with the tools and training to identify child sexual abuse and provide support to children and young people.

Bishop of St Albans asks about prevalence of female genital mutilation and forced marriage in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 29 April (HL3804), (1) when the feasibility report on prevalence estimates for female genital mutilation and forced marriage will be published, and (2) when they will publish their response to those findings.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about Palestinian Christian detained in Israel

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

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

what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the release of Layan Nasir, a young Palestinian Christian woman, from administrative detention following her arrest on 6 April.
what assessment they have made of the human rights implications of the government of Israel’s practice of administrative detention.

Bishop of St Albans asks about sale of slingshots following incidences of vandalism

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to tighten restrictions on the sale of slingshots following reports of them being used to cause damage to vehicles and wildlife.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): The Government is clear that slingshots should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about conditions in the UK immigration and asylum system

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the appropriate length of time before an asylum claim can be deemed inadmissible, given that current Home Office caseworker guidance states that “the inadmissibility process must not create a lengthy ‘limbo’ position, where a pending decision or delays in removal after a decision mean that a claimant cannot advance their asylum claim either in the UK or in a safe third country”.

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