rural affairs – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Church Commissioners Questions: Rural Parishes, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Cathedrals, Church of Scotland, Diocese of Jerusalem, Church Organs, Archbishop of Canterbury

On 27th February 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following answers to MPs in the House of Commons:

Rural Parishes

Charlie Dewhirst MP (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con) asked: What assessment the Church of England has made of the contribution of rural parishes. (902885)

Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab): The Church of England has more than 10,000 churches in our towns and villages in rural areas. In addition to their regular processes of prayer and worship, parish churches play an important role in the life of our rural communities.

Bishop of Newcastle leads debate on impact of rural bank closures

The Bishop of Newcastle led a debate on the impact of bank closures on rural communities on 13th February 2025, raising issues of financial exclusion:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of bank closures in the past decade and the impact on people in rural communities.

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who are taking part in this short debate and look forward to listening to each of the contributions that they will bring. While this debate has its focus on diverse rural communities, I know that the issue before us is not solely rural.

Last month, Lloyds Banking Group announced that it will be close 136 bank branches across the country. The Tyne valley in Northumberland will see another three branches close their doors—two in Hexham and one in Prudhoe—meaning that customers in Hexham will need to travel over 15 miles to Consett to visit their nearest Lloyds branch.

Lloyds’ announcement comes after a decade of decline in the number of high street banks. Figures from Which? show that 6,266 bank branches have closed across the UK over the past 10 years, representing 63% of branches open at the start of 2015. If bank branches continue closing at such a rate, we face living in a society where those unable to bank digitally are financially excluded.

Bishop of St Albans asks about needs of rural communities in devolution process

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on local government devolution and the needs of rural communities on 16th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, it looks as if the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 will disadvantage rural areas, with the removal of the rural services delivery grant making the situation even worse. What steps are being taken to ensure that the needs of rural communities are being considered in the devolution process and that the strategic policy approaches developed by the combined authorities meet the specific needs of service delivery in our rural communities?

Bishop of St Albans leads debate on growing the rural economy

The Bishop of St Albans led a debate on the importance of growing the rural economy on 19th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am grateful to all those who have signed up to speak in this debate on growing the rural economy, not least because of the breadth of experience and knowledge that is represented in your Lordships’ House which we will be drawing on today. In doing so, I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition and as a vice-president of the Local Government Association.

Many people dream of moving into the countryside because of the quality of life that it can offer. I think of the strength of rural communities, the high levels of social capital and the way that people support one another—no wonder it is attractive. We in the Church of England are glad to play our part in that: we are at the heart of many of our rural communities across the country, wanting to contribute to their flourishing and thriving.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about changes to agricultural property relief

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many conversations the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had with farming sector representatives about changes to agricultural property relief prior to the change being announced.

Bishop of St Albans asks about tackling rural crime

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on initiatives to tackle rural crime on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I congratulate His Majesty’s Government on the laudable aim of increasing the number of police and others in front-line services. As I travel around Beds and Herts, I hear that there are plans for cuts in policing. This is at a time when in rural areas there is a fear of rural crime, which I do not think will be addressed by what will predominantly be allocation in urban areas. It is very real; there is a lot of fear and huge costs, particularly to our farming community. What can His Majesty’s Government do to build on the success of initiatives such as Operation Ragwort, which worked across counties? It made a significant improvement without huge additional cost.

Bishop of Lincoln asks about National Rural Crime Unit

On 6th November 2024, the Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the National Rural Crime Unit since its inception.

Bishop of St Albans asks about cash access for those in rural areas

On 4th November 2024, the Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of cash access of those living in the most rural areas.

Bishop of St Albans asks about the rural economy

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 28th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the rural economy compared to that of other countries in Europe.

Bishop of St Albans urges government to ensure that farmers are included in discussions on the climate change agenda

On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of St Albans took part in a debate on the impact of the climate agenda on jobs, growth and prosperity, urging the government to consult farmers in the pursuit of the climate change agenda and pledge a renewed and improved agricultural budget of at least £4 billion per year:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, for securing this important debate. I am looking forward very much to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady May, who I know will bring great insight and experience to your Lordships’ House. I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition.

We need to take climate change extremely seriously. I commend the previous Government, and indeed some of the plans of the present Administration, for the steps they have taken and are taking. I support the plea by the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, for open and transparent costs of net zero so that we can make informed choices; that seems fundamental to all that we do in every part of our work. Other noble Lords will be able to speak in a more informed way than I can about the positive impact that net zero can have on the economy, not least in terms of jobs in new and emerging sectors such as renewable energy. It will also offset the negative economic impacts that climate change brings with it, such as droughts, pollution and ill health.

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