Tag: Church Commissioners

Caroline Spelman praises work of Churches Conservation Trust

On the 29 February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Mrs Caroline Spelman, briefly contributed to a debate on the Funding Order for the Churches Conservation Trust.

Caroline SpelmanMrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden) (Con): Early in his remarks my right hon. Friend the Minister mentioned the fact that a few of the churches are isolated, with no natural community around them. Does he agree that the Churches Conservation Trust provides a wider benefit to the local rural community by creating jobs that bring people in to repair and maintain these precious buildings?

Mr Evennett: I thank my right hon. Friend for her question. Before I answer it, I congratulate her on her superb work as a Church Commissioner. She is always hard at work on such matters. I totally agree with her: we want to bring new life into our rural communities, and if we can use churches to do that, we should. I mentioned earlier the innovative champing initiative. In a rural area that might be just what is needed. I welcome my right hon. Friend’s comments. We would warmly welcome and encourage any developments that bring tourism, jobs and opportunities to rural areas.

Church Commissioners: Bishop George Bell

Caroline SpelmanOn the 29th February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered three written questions from Rt Hon Frank Field MP regarding the deceased former Bishop of Chichester, George Bell.

Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the settlement the Church Commissioners made to the complainant against George Bell was made directly in relation to allegations against Bell, or on the basis that a complaint made under a subsequent Bishop, was not handled in a way which would be expected today. Continue reading “Church Commissioners: Bishop George Bell”

Church Commissioners – HM Queen 90th Birthday Celebrations

On 23rd February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from Henry Smith MP on celebrations to mark the 90th birthday of HM The Queen.

Caroline Spelman

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Henry Smith (Crawley): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church of England has to mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: The Church of England will mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty with a large number of events and activities at national and local levels, including a national service of celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral. Alongside these events, the Bible Society and HOPE have released a companion book titled “The Servant Queen”, with a foreword written by Her Majesty that discusses how her faith has influenced her service of this nation over the last 90 years.

(via Parliament.uk)

 

Church Commissioners – levels of pay

On 23rd February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from David Hanson MP about pay for male and female employees of the National Church Institutions.

Caroline SpelmanMr David Hanson (Delyn): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the average hourly earnings for their (a) female and (b) male (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees was in each of the last five years.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: The following information relates to employees of the Church of England’s National Church Institutions (NCIs). Senior salaries, gender and race information are published each year in the annual reports of Archbishops’ Council, Pensions Board and Church Commissioners. Continue reading “Church Commissioners – levels of pay”

Written answer: Debt and poverty campaign groups, Blackburn diocese

Church CommissionersOn 5th February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, responded to a written question from Mark Hendrick MP:

Mr Mark Hendrick(Preston): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, on how many occasions buildings or parts of buildings have been made available by the Diocese of Blackburn and churches within its boundaries to (a) Christians Against Poverty and (b) other organisations providing debt counselling and employment services or campaigning against poverty. Continue reading “Written answer: Debt and poverty campaign groups, Blackburn diocese”

Church Commissioner questions – Queen, street pastors, investments, women & BME clergy, credit unions

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.

Spelman CCQs June 2015 4 Continue reading “Church Commissioner questions – Queen, street pastors, investments, women & BME clergy, credit unions”

Written Answer: Church buildings and community use

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 CommissionersChurch of England: Community Relations: Written question – 

Karl McCartney (Lincoln) To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to ensure that its buildings are open for wider community use.

Church Commissioners Written Answer – Peterborough property development

Caroline SpelmanOn the 19th January 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP answered a written question relating to the Church Commissioners’ property developments in Peterborough.

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent progress has been made on (a) residential development and (b) infrastructure planning on Church Commissioner land allocated as an urban extension by Peterborough City Council at (i) Paston Reserve and (ii) Norwood; and if she will make a statement. [21889]

Mrs Caroline Spelman: There are no further developments to report since the answer given by the Church Commissioners to question 16388 on the 20 November 2015.

(via Parliament.UK)

Church Commissioner answer: contingency in event of a vote to leave EU

On 15th January 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question from Tim Loughton MP on contingency plans in the event of a vote to leave the EU:

Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what contingency arrangements the Church Commissioners have made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

Caroline SpelmanMrs Caroline Spelman: The Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board manage their investment portfolios using high quality well diversified and long term strategies. The Church Commissioners and Pensions Board believe that they are well positioned for any market re-pricing or uncertainty that may prevail prior to or after the referendum.

(Via Parliament.UK)

Church Commissioner answer: Church Roof repair fund

On the 15th January 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question on uptake of the church roof repair fund in Devon and Cornwall.

 Mr Geoffrey Cox (Torridge and West Devon): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what grants the Church Commissioners have given to churches in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall from the Roof Repair Fund in each of the last five years.
Caroline SpelmanMrs Caroline Spelman: The Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund grants are distributed by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, on behalf of the Government. There has been one round of grants to date, announced in March 2015,

(a) 22 churches in Devon were offered grants totalling £1,199,700

(b) 7 churches in Cornwall were offered grants totalling £492,700.

A second round to distribute a further £25 million allocated by the Treasury is currently open, with applications closing on Friday, 26 February.

(via Parliament.uk)