On 17th December 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
Clergy: LGBTQ+ People
Cat Smith MP (Lab, Lancaster and Wyre): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support (a) LGBTQ+ clergy and (b) people considering entering ministry.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: LGBTQ+ Clergy”On 2nd December 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Clergy: Abuse
Cat Smith MP (Lab, Lancaster and Wye): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to rebuild trust with survivors of abuse within the Church of England.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Clergy (Abuse), Church Schools (Admissions), Church of England (Assets)”On 1st December 2025, the House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee sat to consider two Church Measures, the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure and the Abuse Redress Measure:
The Chair (David Mundell MP): I call the Second Church Estates Commissioner to move the first motion and to speak to both Measures. At the end of the debate, I will put the question on the first motion, and then ask the Commissioner to move the second motion formally.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure (HC 1454).
Continue reading “House of Commons considers Armed Forces Chaplains and Abuse Redress Measure”On 1st December 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
Church of England: CCTV
Laurence Turner MP (Lab, Birmingham Northfield): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church makes funding available for the installation of CCTV cameras at pastoral buildings that are not churches.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church of England (CCTV)”On 27th November 2025, the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir Alan Campbell MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:
National Church Governance Measure
Danny Kruger MP (Reform, East Wiltshire) asked: 2. What guidance the Church Commissioners have received from the Charity Commission on changes proposed under the draft National Church Governance Measure.
Sir Alan Campbell MP (Lab, Tynemouth): I am sorry that the Second Church Estates Commissioner, my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova), is unwell; we wish her a swift recovery. She will be listening, and if my answers fall short, I am sure that she will follow up on them with Members.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Questions: National Church Governance Measure, Identity Sexuality Relationships and Marriage, Support for Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Vicars (Rural Parishes), Solar Power (Churches)”
During a debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on 11th November 2025, the Bishop of London spoke in opposition to two amendments aimed at potentially restricting claims of asylum for reasons of freedom of religion and modern slavery, pointing out the lack of evidence of any abuse of the baptism process by asylum seekers and the need to protect the safety of those under threat from religious discrimination:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I resist Amendment 79D. This amendment and Amendment 79E in the next group are both motivated by reports that asylum seekers are choosing to convert to Christianity upon arrival in the UK in order to support their claim for asylum on the grounds of religious persecution. Amendment 79E is of deep concern. I will address this in the next group.
Continue reading “Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of London supports amendments on freedom of religion and modern slavery”
The Bishop of London asked a question on the importance of religious education following a government statement on the curriculum and assessment review on 10th November 2025:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we are living in an increasingly complex world, and the study of religious education is critical in helping young people to navigate it. The need for understanding and dialogue across different faith groups and worldviews is increasingly obvious. The Church of England has welcomed the scrapping of the EBacc, because it has positive implications for religious education. At present, schools with a religious character provide the most comprehensive RE in the country. Will the Government commit to ensuring that these new proposals do not undermine this or the historic role that churches have in providing education in England?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about role and importance of churches in providing religious education”On 16th October 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioners, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Christianity: Palestine
Richard Baker MP (Lab, Glenrothes and Mid Fife): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what support the Church of England is providing to Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Christianity in Palestine, Child Protection, Poverty”In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:
Persecuted Christians
Brian Mathew MP (LD, Melksham and Devizes) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England supports efforts to defend international religious freedoms for Christians or whichever religious group faces persecution. The Church has created parliamentary caucuses involving religious leaders in east and west Africa, and in south-east Asia to support legislation to protect religious freedoms.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Questions: Persecuted Christians, Supporting Freedom of Religion and Belief Abroad, Small Churches in Rural Constituencies, Community Relations, Archbishop of Canterbury”The Bishop of Sheffield raised a question regarding evidence presented by the Bishop of Chelmsford at the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2024, during a discussion on religious conversion as a basis for asylum claims on 13th October 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of the ASSIST charity in Sheffield, which seeks to support refugees and asylum seekers. Is the Minister aware that the evidence provided by the former Anglican cleric just referenced was refuted by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford in extensive oral evidence on the subject at a Home Affairs Select Committee meeting in the other place last year?
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about evidence given to Home Affairs Select Committee on immigration and the church”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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