In Church Commissioners Question TIme on Thursday 29th January 2015, the Rt Hon. Sir Tony Baldry MP answered questions on the Archbishop of York’s Book ‘On Rock Or Sand’, Medical Ethics of Mitochondrial Transfer, the Anglican Communion, Financial Education, Women Bishops and Bats in Churches
On Wednesday 28th January 2015 the Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee of the House of Commons met to consider three Church Measures relating to simplification of the faculty process, management of church pensions and management of parish property. The committee approved all the Measures which now proceed to the floor of the House of Commons to receive final approval and be sent for Royal Assent
On 27th January 2015, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, answered a written question on the subject of the Employment Tribunals Service:
Ian Murray (Edinburgh South, Labour): To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Commissioners have spent on the Employment Tribunal action by the Reverend Mark Sharpe against the Bishop of Worcester and the Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry): Owing to ongoing legal proceedings, the Church Commissioners are unable to comment on this case at present.
(via Parliament.uk)
3.37 pm
Allocation of Time
The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake):
I beg to move,
That the following provisions shall apply to the proceedings on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill–
Timetable
1.- (1) Proceedings on Second Reading, in Committee, on consideration and on Third Reading shall be completed at this day’s sitting…..
The motion applies to the proceedings on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill. The motion timetables all stages of the Bill, guaranteeing six hours debate, with up to four hours on Second Reading and a further two hours for Committee and remaining stages.
This is a short, single-issue Bill that the Government have introduced in response to the recent decision by the Church of England to allow women to be consecrated as bishops. The provisions will fast-track female diocesan bishops in the House of Lords, as current legislation will otherwise mean it would be many years before female bishops could take seats on the Lords Spiritual Benches.
More will be said about the detail of the provisions and the necessity for this legislation when we come to debating the Bill itself. This is an important Bill, strongly supported by both the Government and the Church, and it has broad support across the House. It is a tightly focused Bill with only one substantive clause, and it is for that reason that the motion allocates six hours for debate. I commend the motion to the House. Continue reading “MPs Pass the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – debate transcript”
On 8th January 2015 the Leader of the House of Commons told MPs that the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill would have all stages debated in the Commons on the 19th January. The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, welcomed the news.
The First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr William Hague) [extract]:..The provisional business for the week commencing 19 January will include:
Monday 19 January—Consideration of an allocation of time motion, followed by all stages of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill…
Continue reading “MPs to debate Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill on 19th January”
On Wednesday 17 December 2014, the Second Church Estates Commissioners, the Rt Hon. Sir Tony Baldry MP, answered written questions from Robin Walker MP about grants available for church repairs, and from Chi Onwurah MP about the savings being made from the new Parliamentary Q&A system.
Continue reading “Second Church Estates Commissioner answers questions on Grants available for Churches and about the savings made from the new Parliamentary Q&A System”
During the regular slot for questions to the Church Commissioners in the House of Commons on 11th December 2014, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, was asked about maintenance of cathedrals, church repairs, bat damage in churches and general election hustings. A full transcript is below.
Church Commissioners
The right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—
English Cathedrals (Maintenance)
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): [Question:] What representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for maintenance of the fabric of English cathedrals that are older than 500 years. Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions – Bats, Buildings, Elections”
