Christmas Celebrations
and Services
(Harrow East) (Con)
1. What steps the Church of England plans to take (a) nationally
and (b) in Harrow East constituency to celebrate Christmas.
(Torbay) (Con)
4. What steps the Church of England plans to take to encourage
families and children to attend events and services at their
local parish church at Christmas.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The Church of England’s Christmas resources usually reach around
10 million people, and we hope for the same reach for this year’s
“Follow the Star” theme, details of which can be found on the A
Church Near You website. Crib, Christingle and carol services
will take place in most of our 16,000 parishes and 4,500 primary
schools to spread the good news of Jesus’s birth.
I was at one of our churches last night, and I was thanked for
giving it work to help answer the question. From the census, we
know Christianity is now a minority religion. What further action
can the Church take to encourage more people to come back over
Christmas, on such a joyous occasion?
I thank my hon. Friend for the support he gives to all the faith
communities in his constituency. The answer to his question is in
the work taking place in his local parishes. I know he will join
me in commending, for example, the work of Rev. Jody Stowell at
St Michael and All Angels in Harrow Weald, which is offering a
warm welcome space and a special service for those who lost loved
ones during the pandemic, and of Rev. Matthew Stone at St John
the Evangelist in Great Stanmore, which is offering a united
advent service with seven churches across the denominations and a
Christmas afternoon tea with children from five local schools.
That sort of work shows our churches are right at the heart of
our communities.
Events such as the recent Christmas fair at St Luke’s, Torquay
and the forthcoming Christmas tree festival at Paignton parish
church can provide lots of low-cost fun and support for families
facing festive budget pressures. Can my hon. Friend assure me
that the Church of England is giving appropriate effort to
highlighting this side of parish life, which often leads to
families becoming regular churchgoers?
Again, I commend my hon. Friend for the interest he shows in his
local churches. He is absolutely right that these types of church
event often attract families and children who then become regular
attenders. I thank and commend Father Peter March at St Luke’s,
Torquay and Rev. Neil Knox at Paignton parish church for
everything they do. It is important that they both know their
work is noticed and appreciated.
(Strangford) (DUP)
For the record to be factually correct, we should recognise that
Christianity is the largest religious group in the United
Kingdom, although it may not be the majority. Does the hon.
Gentleman agree that it is important that children are taught the
value of the Christmas message and the lesson of thanksgiving at
the family events to which he refers?
Yes, I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman. This is an
important part of our cultural heritage, and the Church will
continue to do that work.
Church Investments:
Environmental, Social and Governance Leadership
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
2. Whether the Church of England is taking steps to show
environmental, social and governance leadership in its
investments.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The transition pathway initiative, of which the national
investing bodies of the Church of England are co-founders, has
supporters representing a combined $50 trillion under management,
all committed to making the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Church Commissioners also co-chair the investors policy
dialogue with Indonesia on reversing deforestation.
My hon. Friend will, of course, be aware that a report on the
UK’s upcoming green taxonomy was published this morning by the
all-party parliamentary group on environmental, social and
governance, of which he is a valuable vice-chair. I thank him for
his support and his endeavours. One of the report’s key
recommendations is that the Government should consult widely with
stakeholders. What discussions have the Church Commissioners had
with the Government, including the Treasury, about the UK’s green
taxonomy and its implications for the Church’s ESG policy and
investments?
I thank my hon. Friend for his brilliant work of chairing the
all-party parliamentary group on environmental, social and
governance, which are so important. I am pleased that Olga
Hancock, of the Church Commissioners, chairs the policy committee
of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, which
is a member of the Government’s green technical advisory group,
so I can reassure my hon. Friend that the Church is right at the
heart of this important work.
Historic Cathedrals:
Maintenance Costs
(Lichfield) (Con)
6. Whether he has held recent discussions with the chair of the
Association of English Cathedrals on the maintenance costs of
historic cathedrals.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
My hon. Friend continues to be an exemplary advocate for
Lichfield cathedral, and I gently encourage other colleagues with
cathedrals and major churches in their constituencies to stick up
for them in the way that he does. I have spoken at the annual
general meeting of the Association of English Cathedrals and I
have also asked the Government to respond to the independent
review of the sustainability of church buildings, published by
Bernard Taylor. This matters for many reasons, not least the £55
billion of social value—calculated using Treasury Green Book
guidance—generated by cathedrals and churches in the UK,
according to the “House of Good” report by the National Churches
Trust.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, particularly for his kind words
about me, which were very decent of him. He will know that the
chair of the Association of English Cathedrals was the Dean of
Lichfield cathedral, Adrian Dorber. Sadly for the community in
Lichfield, he is going to retire in March, after 17 and a half
years’ service. Not only does he have theological skills, but he
has raised millions of pounds, and his organisational and
management skills are wonderful—many deans have those, but Adrian
particularly does. Does my hon. Friend think that the Church of
England could make more use of people when they retire and that
they should not just disappear along with all their skills?
I, too, thank Adrian Dorber very much for everything he has done
as a highly effective Dean of Lichfield, not just for Lichfield
cathedral, but for the city and the wider Church. His
chairmanship of the AEC has been outstanding. If he wants to
continue to serve the Church after his retirement in March, I am
sure that his wisdom will continue to be very much appreciated.
