Tag: coronavirus

Church Commissioners written answer: worship numbers during pandemic

On 8th March the Second Church Estates Commissioner responded to a written question from Jim Shannon MP on worship during the covid-19 pandemic:

 Jim Shannon: [162605] To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of whether the online broadcasting of services during the covid-19 outbreak has increased the number of people participating in worship.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about roadmap to reintroduction of singing in UK churches

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the lifting of pandemic restrictions on singing in churches on 4th March 2021, following a government update on COVID-19:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I add my congratulations to the NHS and the Minister for the rollout of the vaccine, but with continued concern about the mortality rates. Churches, clergy and chaplains have been very involved in pastoral care and in support of the dying and the bereaved, even when buildings have been closed. There is now big concern with Holy Week and Easter coming up. Can the Minister offer a roadmap for when singing by choirs and congregations will once again be allowed, with sufficient time to prepare?

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Family Life

On 4th March 2021, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Andrew Selous MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Sarah Dynes MP (Con, Derbyshire Dales): To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to support family life during the covid-19 lockdown.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about vaccination uptake in minority communities

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on engagement with Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities to raise awareness of vaccination for COVID-19 on 2nd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: What are Her Majesty’s Government doing to engage with the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, who are often left out of these discussions, to raise awareness of the positive vaccination process that is available?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about social cost of benefit cuts

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the long term social costs of cutting benefits on 2nd March 2021, during a discussion on support for those receiving universal credit during the COVID-19 Pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I congratulate the Government on what they have done in this respect in supporting so many vulnerable people during the pandemic. However, does the Minister agree that the danger of the cut that taking away the £20 a week would be is that the Government would get a short-term saving, but would pay far more in the longer term because of some of the social costs? Given the number of people we see using food banks in my diocese and around the country—including working people—and the number of children in poverty and likely to go deeper into it, the remedial costs of supporting them into the longer-term future will far outweigh anything paid now.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about initiatives to donate to vaccine funds

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on efforts to encourage initiatives for donation to the COVAX vaccination fund on 22nd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, approaches are developing that enable individuals to give into the COVAX fund in gratitude for having received their vaccination against Covid-19. How are Her Majesty’s Government encouraging the development of such initiatives? Will they support such approaches through match funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office?

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Bishop of Durham asks about access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment for migrants

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 22nd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government what funding has been provided to local authorities (1) to support (a) asylum seekers, (b) refugees, and (c) migrants, to register with a GP, and (2) to ensure that those people are factored into COVID-19 vaccination plans.

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Bishop of London asks about use of military barracks as asylum accommodation

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 22nd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to the outbreak of COVID-19 at Napier Barracks, what plans they have to end the use of such barracks as asylum accommodation; and if they have no such plans, what steps they intend to take to ensure (1) that social distancing measures are adhered to, and (2) that the dignity and freedom of residents is upheld.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about role of faith networks in vaccine rollout

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the efficacy of faith networks to communicate vaccine availability on 11th February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I too add my congratulations to Her Majesty’s Government on an extraordinarily rollout of the vaccines. I pay tribute to all those involved, not least one group not often mentioned —the practice managers, who often work through the night. Can the Minister comment on the community champions scheme? Faith leaders across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, where I live, have been waiting to use our huge, extensive network of people on the ground to communicate with hard-to-reach groups, such as ethnic minorities and so on. Only now are we being brought into that opportunity. Will the Government commit to working with us, since we are keen to use all our resources to help get those messages out to those hard-to-reach groups?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about use of surplus COVID-19 vaccines

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 9th February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government how many COVID-19 vaccination doses they have ordered in total; whether they intend to order more doses than the number required to vaccinate the population of the UK; and if so, what plans they have to ensure that any surplus doses are used effectively.

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