Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Mark Menzies

Thursday 28th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

8. What steps the Church of England is taking to mark the 25th anniversary of women’s ordination to the priesthood.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Dame Caroline Spelman)]

There are a number of significant anniversaries this year. It is the 25th anniversary of women’s ordination as priests, the 50th anniversary of women being made readers and the fifth anniversary of women being consecrated as bishops. The Archbishop of Canterbury has held a special service at Lambeth Palace to celebrate the anniversary, and events have also been taking place in diocese.

[Mark Menzies]

Throughout 2018, celebrations were rightly held in honour of the centenary of the women’s vote. What plans does the commission have to carry on in that vein for the 25th anniversary of women’s ordination to the priesthood?

[Dame Caroline Spelman]

Our plans are to pursue our determination to encourage more women into the priesthood. For the record, I share with the House the fact that the number of female clergy is now at a record high: women now make up nearly a third of the 20,000 active clergy. More importantly, there are those in the pipeline: more than half those entering training for the priesthood in 2018 were women.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Mark Menzies

Thursday 9th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

20. What steps her Department plans to take to encourage local sourcing of food by supermarkets.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

In response to growing consumer demand for local food, retailers have adopted buying policies aimed at increasing the availability of regional and local food on their shelves. I welcome that, and recognise the need to provide consumers with information on the provenance of the food that they buy. Clearer origin labelling is therefore a key commitment in the Government’s programme.

[Mark Menzies]

I thank the Minister for her answer, but if small food producers are to be able to grow and supply the big supermarkets they must be able to develop their business, and one factor that holds them back is regulation and bureaucracy. What steps is the Department taking to strip out regulation in order to make it easier for such producers to grow?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Spelman and Mark Menzies

Thursday 24th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Spelman]

Obviously, broadband is very important to my hon. Friend’s constituency, which contains many farmers. It is simply assumed that those farmers will have access to broadband in order to complete form-filling online.

As I said earlier, this is a community opportunity. There are some excellent examples of the big society at work in Northumberland and Rutland, where communities have come together to ensure that good broadband access is available to all.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

2. What plans her Department has to reduce the level of regulation on farmers; and if she will make a statement.