Church Services: Covid-19
(Chesham and Amersham)
(Con)
When the Church Commissioners plan to reopen churches for services
as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased. [903754]
(Kensington) (Con)
When the Church Commissioners plan to reopen churches for
services as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
[903761]
(New Forest West) (Con)
What representations the Church Commissioners have made to the
Government on enabling public worship to resume in churches.
[903764]
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and
Selkirk) (Con)
What the timeframe is for the resumption of church services as
the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased. [903778]
(Lichfield) (Con)
When the Church Commissioners plan to reopen cathedrals and
churches for worship; and if he will make a statement. [903779]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The last three months have been the first time in more than 800
years that England has gone without public worship and the
sacraments, so there is real joy that we can meet again, socially
distanced, from 4 July. I can give an assurance that the personal
safety of clergy who are shielding should be prioritised and they
can continue to do their duties remotely.
[V]
The self-sacrifice of so many people during the extreme lockdown
period will have saved many lives, but one of the great
sacrifices for many people will have been the inability to attend
church physically and to have had to cancel weddings, baptisms
and other deeply significant ceremonies. I understand my hon.
Friend had to cancel his own daughter’s wedding last Saturday,
and I wish her and her fiancé all the best. Will he now confirm
that their wedding, as well as many others, can now go ahead in
safety in church with 30 guests, and when does he expect the
number of guests to be increased to reflect the capacity of the
church being used and the new 1 metre-plus rule?
I thank my right hon. Friend for her kind good wishes, which are
greatly appreciated. As she said, weddings can now take place
from 4 July, but only with a maximum of 30 people. This is a huge
relief to many couples throughout the country. For church
services, there is no maximum number within a place of worship as
long as the premises comply with covid-secure guidelines.
Given the country’s need for more housing, including more social
housing, are the Church Commissioners able to take into account
social and community outcomes in their land development
decisions, and not just maximising financial profit?
I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and I can tell her that
the Church of England pensions board already supports the social
housing market through investments in social housing bonds. The
commissioners also make provision for social and affordable
housing on housing developments as per local planning
requirements, while being required, like all charities, to obtain
best value reasonably obtainable in the market when disposing of
assets. But I am keen to explore whether the Church Commissioners
are able to play any further role in solving the nation’s housing
crisis. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s housing commission, which
the Bishop of Kensington co-chairs, is looking separately at
wider housing policy, and I am engaging closely with that work.
I used to enjoy a hymn sandwich before this interdict, but I have
broken the habit. How is my hon. Friend going to lure us back if
we are not allowed to sing? May I suggest, as a minimum, shorter
services, even shorter sermons, some comfortable words from the
Book of Common Prayer and an end to prating prelates?
Mr Speaker
Well, , sing to that one.
That is a challenge indeed, Mr Speaker, but what I would say to
my right hon. Friend is that I hope he has taken part in some of
the uplifting online worship and services that have been
available to him during the lockdown, and I would add that the
warmth of the welcome, the opportunity for fellowship and the
chance to grow in faith through prayer, worship and the
revelation of God’s word will prove an irresistible temptation to
my right hon. Friend to return.
I very much welcome that services can resume in places of worship
in England and that private prayer is allowed in other nations of
the United Kingdom, but what discussions have there been with
Churches to ensure that people are encouraged to go back to
church and are reassured that it is safe to do so?
The Church is delighted to be able to throw open its doors again,
so that we can gather again for public worship and weddings in
the way that we have not been able to do over the past three
months. We will make sure that people are safe. I know that
clergy and church wardens are taking their responsibilities very
seriously to make sure that people are safe when they come, and
we are really looking forward to seeing them back again in all
our churches.
Mr Speaker
We are now heading to the shadows of the spires of Lichfield
cathedral with one .
[V]
Thank you, Mr Speaker: from where I am sitting now Lichfield
cathedral is just about 100 yards behind me.
Lichfield has a great choral tradition; we have a choral school
and the services are very good. It is open for two hours a day at
the moment for private prayer, but when does my hon. Friend
anticipate that we will be able to go to evensong and enjoy the
wonderful choir that sings there?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Cathedrals such as Lichfield
are at the centre of the amazing choral tradition that we have in
this country. Sadly, I have to tell him that singing and chanting
are not allowed even at a distance, due to the additional risk of
infection, and woodwind and brass instruments should not be used,
but that still leaves many other instruments. His constituents
can return for public worship from 4 July and I know that
Lichfield Cathedral will be making them very welcome when they
return.
Church Services: Live Streaming
(Buckingham) (Con)
What assessment the commissioners have made of the effect of live
streaming church services on the number of people taking part in
church services. [903759]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
I am pleased to be able to tell my hon. Friend that more people
have been taking part in church services during lockdown than
ever before. The national weekly service of the Church has been
viewed more than 5.2 million times, with 21.5 million related
social media posts, and a third of the people watching Archbishop
Justin Welby’s Easter day service were under the age of 34.
Parishes in the Winslow benefice in my constituency are seeing
400 to 500 people take part in virtual services each Sunday and
about 100 each day in midday-ish prayer. Given the extraordinary
number of people who have either connected with the Church for
the first time or reconnected with it virtually, what plans do
the Church Commissioners have to set aside funds to continue this
excellent work?
I am delighted to learn about the increase in church attendance
in my hon. Friend and neighbour’s constituency. It is not
unusual. The Church made a significant investment in a new
digital communications team in 2016 and we will continue to make
sure that we provide a good digital offering. The experience of
my hon. Friend in Winslow has been widely shared by churches
across the country. Some 1,600 people are currently attending an
online alpha course at one of our churches, and 3.3 million
people have now watched the UK blessing worship video on YouTube,
put together by Gas Street Church in Birmingham.
Smaller and Rural Churches: Covid-19
(Canterbury) (Lab)
What assessment the commissioners have made of the ability of (a)
smaller and (b) rural churches to re-open safely as the covid-19
lockdown restrictions are eased. [903760]
Church House staff and the House of Bishops are doing everything
they can to assist parish churches to open safely. The guidance
published by the Church is applicable for small and rural
churches as well as for larger and urban churches.
It is obviously fantastic to see Canterbury Cathedral open for
private prayer, but rural and smaller village communities often
use their churches as a lifeline, particularly those who have
been shielding. I want to reassure them that it is going to be
safe for them to return to church soon.
I can give the hon. Lady that reassurance. I know from my own
village church how seriously the vicar and the church wardens are
taking their responsibilities to make sure that the return will
be safe, with hand sanitiser, removing the kneelers, keeping
prayer books covered up and so on, as well as making sure that
people sit at an appropriate distance. I am sure that the rural
churches will be back in action shortly in the hon. Lady’s
constituency.
Support for Family Life: Covid-19
(Beaconsfield) (Con)
What steps the Church of England has taken to support family life
during the covid-19 lockdown. [903763]
In the diocese of Oxford, which covers Beaconsfield, churches
have opened food banks and community larders and supported
vulnerable people who are socially isolating as well as asylum
seekers and key workers. In addition, nationally, the new
marriage and pre-marriage courses have been available online
throughout lockdown so that any local church can forward them to
couples wanting to invest in their relationship.
What better way to celebrate couples than getting married, but,
sadly, in beautiful Beaconsfield countless couples have had to
cancel their church wedding. I welcome the news of 30 people
being able to gather at a wedding, but what has the Church of
England done to work with Government and to lobby them to
increase the numbers for gatherings and weddings? Could we
increase those numbers for this summer?
I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and she is right to say
that a maximum of 30 people will be allowed at weddings from 4
July. That 30 includes the minister and the couple, and there
should be social distancing of 1 metre-plus between individuals,
households and support bubbles. The figure of 30 is what the
Government have advised for now, and they obviously continue to
listen to the science, but the couples I have spoken to are just
so pleased to be able to get married. Perhaps a bigger
party—perhaps a celebration of the renewal of vows—could take
place next year.
Covid-19: Financial Effect on Churches
(Wythenshawe and Sale East)
(Lab)
What assessment the commissioners have made of the financial
effect of the covid-19 outbreak on churches. [903766]
Lockdown has meant that income from hall lettings, events and
parochial fees has stopped completely in many cases. Donations of
gift aid have also been adversely affected, so the Church is
hugely grateful to those who are able to support it through the
planned giving scheme. That regular, committed giving has become
more important than ever to the mission and ministry of the
Church.
The Catholic diocese of Shrewsbury, which covers my constituency,
has told me that income is down by a third since lockdown—a loss
heading towards £700,000. In the long term, this will have an
impact on building maintenance. Have the Government considered an
enhanced gift aid scheme to help our faith communities to
mitigate the damage?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and he is absolutely
right to draw attention to this. I will certainly raise the issue
with the Government on his behalf and that of the diocese that
has brought it to his attention. I am grateful to him.
Transition Pathway Initiative
(Brent North) (Lab)
What assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the
effectiveness of the transition pathway initiative managed by the
Church of England pension fund trustees. [903771]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The Church is proud of its role in developing the transition
pathway initiative, which enables asset owners to identify which
companies are implementing strategies in line with the Paris
climate agreement. It is supported by investors, with over $20
trillion of assets under management, so it is now possible to
distinguish between the high-carbon companies that are
transitioning and those that are not.
I am very grateful for that answer, and congratulate the Church’s
pension trustees on their innovation and vision. The TPI has
worked with major global companies to reduce their emissions and
has established a framework for pension funds to move towards net
zero emissions. Can the hon. Gentleman tell me whether our own
parliamentary pension fund is able to sign up to the initiative,
and what more the Church could do to encourage other pension
funds to join that $20 trillion of assets?
Each set of pension trustees has its own responsibilities, but I
note that the Pensions Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham
(), has said it is important
that all pension fund trustees understand the risks and
opportunities posed to their investments by climate change. I am
always delighted when others follow where the Church leads.
