Commons
Debate
11 September 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My hon. Friend is making a good case for this Bill, but she will know that when the Bill was introduced in 2024, no equality impact assessment was carried out. Recently, the Government have published the assessment, and it highlights the disproportionate impact that the Bill will have on black and e…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Family Hubs and Community Cohesion
Family hubs are a crucial one-stop shop for families to access vital support in one place, and the Church of England supports this with other denominations through the ChurchWorks Commission, which has produced helpful guidance and resources for churches and local authorities. That includes a toolki…
May I say how delighted I was to see the hon. Member’s name on the Order Paper? He did not have to bob this time. I join him in congratulating churches on the valuable role their play in supporting young people, and I thank him for raising the excellent work of churches in Newtownards. Following my …
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Lighthouse Summer Holiday Programme
Across the country, churches provide holiday clubs, activities and safe spaces for children and families, often in partnership with organisations such as Lighthouse. These groups help young people to develop skills and the confidence to become responsible, active participants in their local communit…
I have to say that sounds like a wonderful visit—despite the hon. Member being gunged—and I join him in thanking Lighthouse in Princes Risborough, and in Great Missenden and Haddenham, for its incredible work in his constituency, and huge thanks go to Eleyna Kibble and the team of volunteers. We kno…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Persecution of Christians Overseas
The Church remains deeply concerned about the ongoing worldwide persecution on the grounds of faith and belief, including recent cases in Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine, India and many others, and all these countries have featured high on the most recent Open Doors world watch list. Alongside the UN …
As my hon. Friend mentions, in parts of Nigeria Christian communities continue to face considerable persecution, particularly from Fulani militia and Boko Haram. This has been happening for many decades. Senior members of the Church have frequently visited and written to the Nigerian Government ahea…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Churches: Financial Viability
No parish is required to make payments to the national Church institutions. The parish share, or common fund, is a financial contribution that a parish makes to the diocese to help fund clergy stipends, pensions and housing, including mutual support for ministries in less affluent areas.
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out the importance of churches in providing community support and care, which are essential in many local areas. On the specific case in his parish, I would be happy to put him in touch with the diocese of Lichfield so that he can discuss his concerns more…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Christians in Palestine
The Church condemns the persecution that we have seen and stands in solidarity with Palestinian Christian communities across the Holy Land as they continue to face profound hardship. The Church of England remains committed to supporting our Anglican partners, advocating for human rights and calling …
May I first thank my hon. Friend for her continued and steadfast support for the Palestinians? Since the start of this year, the UN has reported that 76 Palestinians have been killed by settler violence, and that number includes 18 children. As she has rightly mentioned, the village of Taybeh contin…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Places of Worship Renewal Fund
Church officials are in regular contact with Historic England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport regarding the places of worship renewal fund and are closely monitoring parish experiences of using the scheme. Following feedback, Historic England has also published a funding dir…
My hon. Friend is right to point to the importance of historic buildings—such as St Ives’, the miners’ cathedral—to local communities, and the pressure that they all face. Historic England is managing applications and has indicated that it is measuring need and using an at-risk register as well as a…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Project Spire
Yes, the Church Commissioners intend to proceed with Project Spire, as we continue to regard the historic links to African chattel enslavement with profound regret.
I want to take this opportunity to make it clear that Project Spire is being funded out of the commissioners’ own income. None of the money given in parish collections goes towards funding the project. It is also worth pointing out that, over the next three years, the commissioners are distributing …
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
3 contributions
Community Cohesion
The Church has a long history of working across faiths to ensure community cohesion. Most dioceses have an interfaith adviser who advises—[Interruption.]
I will start from the top. The Church has a long history of working across faiths to ensure community cohesion. Most dioceses have an interfaith adviser who advises clergy and congregations about their interfaith engagement, promoting community cohesion. That work is supported through the national p…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
3 September 2026
2 contributions
Christian Nationalism
The unacceptable use of Christianity to exclude or intimidate others is deeply offensive and frankly deeply concerning. The Church has established a working group to support parishes with theological, practical and pastoral resources, along with best practice advice. Recent work includes guidance on…
My hon. Friend is spot on. He raises a really important issue, and I completely share his concerns about the misuse of Christian ideology. Church representatives are discussing and sharing their experiences of Christian nationalism with partners and churches across the nations of the United Kingdom,…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
16 July 2026
Topical Questions
In February this year, the Albert bridge in my constituency was closed. This, coupled with changes to Battersea Bridge Road and the surrounding roads implemented by Transport for London, is causing significant delays, disruption and congestion. Despite my painstaking attempts to engage with TfL over…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
8 July 2026
2 contributions
Community Cohesion
3. What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on community cohesion in Northern Ireland.
The scenes we witnessed in Belfast last month were truly horrific. The knife attack was an abhorrent act, and I pay tribute to the courage of those who intervened to help, but what followed in the days afterwards was equally disturbing. Innocent people were targeted because of the colour of their sk…
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
30 June 2026
Knife Crime: Custodial Sentences
Ten days ago, 17-year-old Jamal Coombes was killed in my constituency as a result of knife crime. Every young person deserves to live safely and fulfil their potential. His life was taken too soon. What actions are this Government taking right now to have a more co-ordinated approach with schools, p…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2026
National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation
I pay tribute to Baroness Amos for the report she has published, which lays bare the scale of racism and discrimination in maternity and neonatal care. This is not a surprise to anyone; it is an issue that I and many other hon. Members in this place have been raising for years. I welcome the recomme…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
29 June 2026
Unemployed Young People
I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for his answers and the work he is leading on for young people. I recently visited a Jobcentre Plus office to meet the team and see some of the fantastic work they are doing to get our young people into work, but what struck me was that I had to vi…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
23 June 2026
2 contributions
Clergy Conduct Measure (HC 221)
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the Clergy Conduct Measure (HC 221).
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairwomanship, Ms Lewell. I know that for many colleagues across the House the prospect of being on a Delegated Legislation Committee considering Church of England legislatio…
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his very thorough welcoming of this Measure, and for wanting to ensure that we support it. As I said in my opening remarks, this is a progressive step forward. It brings much transparency to the process and more fairness to all, whether that is a complainant or s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
18 June 2026
3 contributions
Support for Christians in Palestine
The Church remains steadfast in its support for Palestinians. The relentless attacks on the Christian population in Palestine and the wider region by the Israeli Government are abhorrent. We have also seen Christian communities in Lebanon cut off, with Palestinian refugees being the main target ther…
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. It is clear that the Israeli Government are breaching international law, and this must be called out. The attacks on Palestinian Christians, and indeed any Palestinians, are totally wrong, and we need them to stop. The Bishops of Southwark, Gl…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
18 June 2026
3 contributions
Places of Worship Renewal Fund
The places of worship renewal fund was announced at the start of this year and formally launched in May. Historic England is managing the operation of the new fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The first application window closed on 14 June and the second round is expecte…
The National Church Institutions are very conscious that the new places of worship fund is not available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. My hon. Friend is correct to say that there has been a conscious decision by the Government to move away from the old VAT rebate scheme to a grants-based s…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
18 June 2026
3 contributions
Cost of Living: Support for Families
The Church delivers community projects across the country to support individuals and families with the cost of living. These programmes offer practical support, companionship and advice to those facing hardship, demonstrating the Church’s ongoing commitment to serving and standing with all our commu…
I join my hon. Friend in noting the incredible work in his constituency and the work of Rev. Jokey at both St Paul’s and St Mary’s churches. I believe that St Paul’s runs the Bounty café, in association with the Harlow food bank.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
18 June 2026
2 contributions
Churches: Disabled Access
The Church of England is committed to improving accessibility, so that all who wish to attend churches, whether for worship or community activities, are able to do so. Parishes may apply to the parish accessibility fund for up to £50,000 or a small grant of up to £5,000 for project proposals to impr…
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and note all his work in this area; he is a true champion for disabled people, especially since coming to this place. The opening of the Changing Places toilet in St Paul’s is incredibly welcome and, as he points out, it will open up access to that historic sp…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 April 2026
Women’s Health Strategy
I welcome the Government’s renewed women’s health strategy and their efforts to tackle the ethnic disparities that still exist in the healthcare system. Placing women’s voices at the heart of the strategy is absolutely the right approach, but does my hon. Friend the Minister recognise that there are…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
16 April 2026
2 contributions
Small Churches
The Church of England supports small, often rural, churches through targeted grants, practical tools and locally focused support. That includes the minor repairs and improvements fund, net zero grants, free digital tools such as the MyFundAccounting software, and the parish giving scheme. The Buildi…
The diocese of Portsmouth has £2 million to support parishes in low-income areas, and a further £4 million for clergy, lay leadership and church development. Parishes such as St Nicholas, Hilsea, can access the funding and support from the diocese and the national Church institutions team, and I und…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
16 April 2026
3 contributions
Archbishop of Canterbury
The installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury was a truly historic moment; she is the first woman archbishop. I thank you, Mr Speaker, for representing the House at that important and momentous occasion, alongside the Prime Minister.
The Archbishop of Canterbury sees herself as a shepherd of the flock, with five broad priorities: bringing confidence in the gospel; pastoral work; showing Christian hope; offering hospitality; and being a faith and prophetic voice. Given her previous experience as a nurse, she cares deeply about pa…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
16 April 2026
3 contributions
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
We are still awaiting details of the replacement scheme, following the confirmation of the end of the listed places of worship grant scheme in January. As I mentioned in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley), I recently met the Minister for Herita…
I hope that both St Paulinus church and Christ church will be eligible for the new places of worship renewal fund. While we await publication of further guidance, I again advise my hon. Friend that churches can also contact their local diocesan office for further advice and support. I would also be …
+1 more contribution in this session