Julian Knight

In 2017 the ‘Setting God’s People Free’ initiative was launched, which aims to empower and equip those called to lay leadership in the Church of England.

The original report of February 2017 for the General Synod is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/setting-gods-people-free

A 2019 update paper for the General Synod is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/gs-2145-sgpf-update-to-gs-final-draft-3.6.19.pdf

In 2020 the Church of England’s Faith and Order Commission published ‘Kingdom Calling’, which examined past attempts to encourage more lay leadership, looking in turn at the vocation, ministry and discipleship of all God's people, and asking what kind of theological thinking and imagining might most help us to flourish together. The report affirms and celebrates the vital lay and ordained ministry roles that support the church in God's mission, and identifies changes in practice that can better foster the vocation, ministry and discipleship of the whole people of God.

Church of England schools are community schools educating over a million children a day. As a community school in many parts of the country, particularly our major cities, this means the majority of pupils are from non-Christian backgrounds, from other faith communities and from global majority ethnic backgrounds. All Church of England schools follow the national curriculum and also the Church of England’s vision for education, prioritising education of the whole child and promoting the spiritual, intellectual and emotional resources needed to live a good life. The vision for education encourages the development of the skills of wisdom, hope, community and respect; fostering a society where people can work together and have an understanding of British values, democracy, rule of law and the dignity of the human person. More details about this vision and the church schools can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools

Awards of nearly £13 million have been made for dioceses to help churches support more children, young people and families. The grants from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board of the Archbishops’ Council will revitalise parishes and start new congregations. The investments build on already successful projects to create new congregations and reach children and young people in areas including Bolton, Bournemouth, Guildford, Southampton and Wakefield. More information is available here: Church of England announces £13 million of grants to reach children, youth and families | The Church of England

The Church of England comprises many independent charitable organisations that operate at a national, regional and local level.

Individual congregations are represented by the members of their local parochial church council (PCC), and issues can be raised at deanery, diocesan and national synod. Diocesan motions can be brought for debate to the Church of England’s (national) General Synod.

Consultations will often take place at a diocesan or national level when there are proposed changes in policy (for example the public consultation on the review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure), or for senior episcopal appointments.

Where changes are proposed that require legislation in the General Synod on, for example, certain liturgies or relationships with other churches, the legislation providing for the change must be debated in every Diocesan Synod before a final vote is taken in the General Synod.

The National Church Institutions (NCIs) regularly monitor their projects and request feedback. A recent example is the 2022 report produced by Sir Robert Chote (https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding ) assessing the impact of the Lowest Income Communities Fund and Strategic Development Funding. Following the Chote Report the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council formed the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. More information about it can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and

The Church of England comprises many independent charitable organisations that operate at a national, regional and local level.

Individual congregations are represented by the members of their local parochial church council (PCC), and issues can be raised at deanery, diocesan and national synod. Diocesan motions can be brought for debate to the Church of England’s (national) General Synod.

Consultations will often take place at a diocesan or national level when there are proposed changes in policy (for example the public consultation on the review of the Mission and Pastoral Measure), or for senior episcopal appointments.

Where changes are proposed that require legislation in the General Synod on, for example, certain liturgies or relationships with other churches, the legislation providing for the change must be debated in every Diocesan Synod before a final vote is taken in the General Synod.

The National Church Institutions (NCIs) regularly monitor their projects and request feedback. A recent example is the 2022 report produced by Sir Robert Chote (https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/review-lowest-income-communities-and-strategic-development-funding ) assessing the impact of the Lowest Income Communities Fund and Strategic Development Funding. Following the Chote Report the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council formed the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. More information about it can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and

Parish ministry is at the heart of Church of England ministry and mission, including in areas that are religiously diverse.

The 2005 report Presence and Engagement: the church’s task in a multi Faith society gave special attention to the role of the parish church in areas where there was a high proportion of people from other religions. Following this the Presence and Engagement programme aims to support and resource the Church of England in its engagement serving all religious communities: ‘loving, serving and witnessing to people of all faiths in the name of Christ, and being enriched and renewed in our own faith by doing so’. This vision is put into practice by the Presence & Engagement Programme, the Presence & Engagement Task Group, and a network of Diocesan Inter Faith Advisers.

The Presence and Engagement programme enables clergy and lay people to act with confidence and sensitivity at times of tension across religious boundaries, including times when global politics impacts local relations. Support provided includes theological resources, for example, Gods Unfailing Word, which was published in 2019 and informs and educates Anglicans about the Christian-Jewish relationship, with the aim of better dialogue and stronger relationships between Christian and Jewish communities. These resources are also used in ongoing work with theological colleges to assist in the training of new priests.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is Patron of both the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) and the Christian Muslim Forum. Both organisations are actively working at national and grassroots levels to boost dialogue, understanding and collaboration between different religions.

In Good Faith is a national initiative co-sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi, which has been promoting dialogue and collaboration between Anglican priests and Orthodox rabbis since 2016.

The Church of England has a network of Inter Faith Advisers in most regions across England, who work to model, encourage and resource the development of positive relationships between different religious communities locally. Examples include building relationships through Church/Mosque Twinning partnerships, or collaborating on local foodbanks, as well as putting on educational programmes for clergy and lay people in the diocese. Two notable examples are:

• The St Philips Centre in Leicester. A unique initiative that for over a decade has been working within the Christian community and across wider society, enabling ‘communities and individuals to encounter one another in meaningful ways, to build understanding and trust’. It is leading efforts across the region to ensure religion and belief are harnessed for the good of all.

• FNC in Birmingham helps churches in their engagement with people of other faiths, whether through mission, evangelism, dialogue or social action, and is part of The Church of England’s Presence and Engagement Programme. The Birmingham Conversations are an example of an FNC initiative which creates safe space for people of all faiths and none to discuss issues of faith and public life.

The Coronation of King Charles III included participation by other faith representatives for the first time, a very public affirmation of the national role of the Church of England in serving all religious communities.

Church of England Schools provide an education to approximately one million children a day. A quarter of all primary schools, 1,540 academies, 280 Multi Academy Trusts, and 500 independent schools across England have a Church of England ethos.

The Church of England Foundation for Education Leadership supports teachers, headteachers and senior management teams alongside 22,500 governors to develop the skills they need. More information about the Foundation is available here: https://www.cefel.org.uk/

In each diocese a Diocesan Board of Education supports church schools, which represents an annual investment of over £15 million

The Church of England vision for education focuses on the development of the common good for the whole community, prioritising the development of four key areas: wisdom, hope, community and dignity. More information about the vision, including detail about how it is lived out in schools, is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/vision-education

Last month the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of a joint UK / UAE Government resolution highlighting threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief. The steps taken by the UK Government followed a review authored by the Bishop at the invitation of the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the implementation of which has since become Government Policy. In a vote, the Security Council adopted the proposal, which will see the UN Secretary General produce an oral report on Freedom of Religion or Belief related threats to international peace and security. The initial deadline is 14th June 2024, with the intention of such a statement becoming an annual event.

Religious persecution and freedom of religion were on the agenda at the gathering of the global Anglican Communion at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. At the Conference a range of ‘calls’, or priorities for the Church worldwide, were made to tackle these issues. The documents relating to Freedom of Religion and religious persecution can be found under the Inter-Faith, Christian Unity and Human Dignity sections, here: https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Lambeth-Calls-English-2023.pdf

The Church of England remains closely involved with the work of the FCDO in supporting the work of His Majesty’s Ambassadors and diplomats and the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. More information about the work of the International Panel can be found here: https://www.ippforb.com/about/

The Church of England, through the work of its central Communications team, has a presence on the majority of social media channels and is producing content for a variety of different audiences and age groups. It has developed a smart speaker app which is useable with ‘Alexa’, provides liturgical resources via the Daily Prayer App, and recorded services to enable people who may not be able to attend a church in person to still participate in worship.

In the month of May 2023, the most recent for which material is available, Church of England content received 8.6 million impressions and the audience using the materials grew by an additional 4,000 unique users. Nearly three-quarters of a million people engaged with materials developed for the Coronation and the Church of England received 40,000 enquiries from the public via its various social/digital media platforms.

In 2020 the Church of England assessed the volume of work needed in its churches and cathedrals for preservation, repair and maintenance. The pandemic caused a considerable delay in the ability of parish churches and cathedrals to undertake repairs, which has caused a backlog of work. The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the National Church Institutions assists parishes, dioceses and cathedrals in assessing the nature and priorities of the work required and supports them with guidance and advice.

The work of preservation, repair and maintenance is predominantly undertaken at a local level by thousands of unpaid volunteers, with financial help and support from donors and local grant-making charities.

By means of an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, the Government has recently agreed to clarify the law on churches being able to access Local Authority grants. This is very welcome and comes in response to many years of advocacy by church, heritage and Local Authority groups. The removal of ambiguity means that Local Authorities and parish councils in England will be able to issue grants to churches that will enable seed funding to repair, restore and upgrade facilities, which will enable churches to continue to serve their local communities as worship spaces, community hubs, and through social action projects.

The Archbishops’ Council and Church Commissioners are accountable to the General Synod where their annual reports and spending plans are debated and reviewed. Additionally the Church Commissioners lay their annual report before Parliament for consideration, copies of which are available in the Library and on the Church of England Website. https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/church-commissioners-for-england-annual-report-2022.pdf As Second Church Estates Commissioner, I answer to the House of Commons for matters that include the operational and financial activities of the National Church Institutions.

The General Synod will be holding a debate on 'Revitalising the Parish' at its meeting in York in July 2023. GS2314, the paper produced for the debate can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2314-revitalising-the-parish.pdf

The paper mentions the recent Independent Review, which identified that more than half of Strategic Development Funding support has gone to working with existing churches - £94.9m over 2014-2021- and that examples of where that funding has gone include into rural sustainability.

An example is in Salisbury diocese, where there has been investment in providing opportunities for ministry experience scheme participants, ordinands, and clergy to experience rural ministry. It also highlights ministry statistics that show there has been no change in the absolute number of stipendiary clergy in rural areas between 2016 (37% of stipendiary clergy) and 2020 (38%).

The National Church Institutions have distributed £390 million to support strategic mission and ministry in parishes over 2023-25, increasing to £1.3 billion by 2031. The Church Commissioners have made a further £5.8 million available to ensure that all curates in training can find a first incumbency post. Discerning vocations are being invested in, and dioceses are well on the way to doubling the number of people presenting for training compared to a decade ago. In 2020 a record number was presented for ordination compared to the same figures a decade earlier.

The Bishop of Exeter, as the Church of England's lead bishop for rural affairs, has produced extensive resources and published a book about the pressure facing rural parishes, 'How village churches thrive: a practical guide' and the Diocese of Exeter has developed specific resources to support parishes, which are available on the website 'Growing the Rural Church': https://www.growingtheruralchurch.org/

A key component of the Vision and Strategy programme of work is for the Church of England to become a "younger and more diverse" church. More information can be seen here:
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-strategy/our-priorities/younger-and-more-diverse

The 2023 report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households, 'Love Matters', reinforced the need to empower children and young people and involve them in decisions about their future. It can be read here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/archbishops-commissions/families-and-households/love-matters-final-report-commission

The Church of England’s Growing in Faith Foundation is also providing leadership opportunities for young people across the country. More details can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/growing-faith-foundation

The Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) supports the Church Commissioners, the Church of England Pensions Board and the CBF Church of England Funds (which are managed by CCLA). It provides timely and practical advice to the three National Investing Bodies (NIBs) to enable them to invest in a way that is distinctly Christian and Anglican.

In particular, the advice of the EIAG relates to:

• Assets, sectors or markets in which it would not be appropriate for the NIBs to invest
• Stewardship of the NIBs' investments (including voting and engagement)
• Relationships with managers and other investors
• Policy issues.

The most recent annual review by the Ethical Investment Advisory Group can be viewed here: eiag_annual_review_2021-22.pdf (churchofengland.org)

At the July 2023 meeting of the General Synod a Private Members Motion will be debated that proposes that five young members be co-opted to the General Synod and one to the Board of the Archbishops' Council. GS 2298A, a paper prepared for that debate can be read here: gs-2298a-youth-synod-1.pdf (churchofengland.org)

GS2298B, a paper circulated to the General Synod by the Secretary-General sets out plans for future engagement with young people and diocesan youth councils and can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2298b-sec-gen-youth-representation.pdf

The Bishop of Chelmsford, who is the Lead Bishop for Housing, has warmly welcomed the ’Homewards’ initiative of the Prince of Wales. The Church works extensively at a local level to tackle homelessness, often in partnership with charities and volunteers.

The report of the Archbishops' Housing Commission, ‘Coming Home’, made many recommendations to church and Government and highlighted the work undertaken by the church to provide and develop truly affordable housing in local communities. It can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/archbishops-commissions/housing-church-and-community/about-coming-home

77% of churches responding to a 2019 survey reported involvement in one or more forms of social action, with 35,000 social action projects being either directly run, hosted, or supported in other ways. A 2020 report from the National Churches Trust found that church buildings create £12.4 billion economic and social value every year, of which £10 billion is ‘non-market (social and wellbeing) value’.

Churches in city centres often open in the evening to be night shelters, particularly in the winter, and several Anglican cathedrals run dedicated projects. More information about one of these, the Archer project in Sheffield, can be found here: https://www.archerproject.org.uk/ Based in Sheffield Cathedral it provides a kitchen, medical room and educational and activity space. The project is also a multi-agency hub with GP, nursing and dentistry surgeries, outreach from rough sleeper teams, drug and alcohol outreach teams, hosting for mental health appointments, probation services, accommodation services and 1:1 team working with people with complex needs. In 2021 the project engaged with over 1,000 individuals a year, around 70-80 per day.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport offered funding to the Devolved Administrations, the Mayoral Combined Authorities in England and to ten local authorities in England covering the largest urban populations as a contribution to the cost of hosting public screenings of the Coronation and Coronation Concert. The total amount offered for Coronation screenings was £840,000 which will ensure that we capitalise on the unique opportunity the Coronation offers to bring people and communities together in celebration and showcase the best of the UK to the world.

We are committed to harnessing the skills, innovation and talents of female entrepreneurs.

That’s why this Government launched a Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce in July 2022, led by Anne Boden of Starling Bank and with a membership which includes some of this country’s most successful female entrepreneurs.

The Taskforce is working to support women entrepreneurs, tackle investment barriers, and challenge outdated gender stereotypes. It also has a strong regional focus and members are looking at ways to diminish regional disparities using robust, regional data and drawing in local support.

Volunteering is vital for society and Government recognises this. It benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities. Government aims to remove barriers to getting people involved.

We are supporting efforts to tackle loneliness and in the current financial year (2022/23), DCMS has invested almost £800,000, including for our national loneliness campaign, building the loneliness evidence base, and supporting the Tackling Loneliness Hub.

We have invested £7.4 million to support people to overcome barriers to volunteering since 2021. DCMS’ Volunteering Futures Fund opened up volunteering opportunities for thousands of young people, people with disabilities, those experiencing loneliness and other barriers. DCMS is also supporting the Vision for Volunteering, a ten-year initiative that aims to make volunteering more equitable, diverse and inclusive. In March 2023, DCMS launched the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund of up to £30 million, with £19 million of funding from Government, to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. The fund will run until 2025.

The Government set out its position on these three questions in the White Paper on Football Governance on 23 February 2023. The independent’s regulator’s core focus will be to improve the financial resilience of clubs and the long-term sustainability of the football pyramid.

The Regulator will require every club to meet a minimum standard of fan engagement. It will also ensure fans are given veto rights over certain club heritage assets, including team names and badges, and will be consulted on any stadium sale.

Football clubs will only be able to participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.

The Government set out its position on these three questions in the White Paper on Football Governance on 23 February 2023. The independent’s regulator’s core focus will be to improve the financial resilience of clubs and the long-term sustainability of the football pyramid.

The Regulator will require every club to meet a minimum standard of fan engagement. It will also ensure fans are given veto rights over certain club heritage assets, including team names and badges, and will be consulted on any stadium sale.

Football clubs will only be able to participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.

The Government set out its position on these three questions in the White Paper on Football Governance on 23 February 2023. The independent’s regulator’s core focus will be to improve the financial resilience of clubs and the long-term sustainability of the football pyramid.

The Regulator will require every club to meet a minimum standard of fan engagement. It will also ensure fans are given veto rights over certain club heritage assets, including team names and badges, and will be consulted on any stadium sale.

Football clubs will only be able to participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.

On 25 February the Government announced that around 3,000 tickets will be made available for displaced Ukrainians living in the UK to attend the Eurovision Song Contest live shows. Those who are based in the UK via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme will be able to apply for tickets. Tickets will be offered for all nine live shows and the Government will set out more detail on how people can apply in the coming weeks. This is another example of the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine.

We are committed not only to preserving national treasures but to making sure that the public have the greatest possible access to them. In support of that aim, we have announced our plans to introduce a new class of treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, which will be the subject of debate in both Houses.

The current definition of treasure is limited mainly to finds made of precious metals: the proposed new class will extend that definition to base metal finds of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance. This will mean that finds such as the Crosby Garrett Helmet will be offered to accredited museums to acquire, rather than being lost to private ownership. We are also introducing a revised Code of Practice which will make the treasure process clearer and easier to negotiate.

In addition, we have a number of statutory schemes like the UK’s export licensing system for cultural objects which includes measures which seek to prevent national treasures from being permanently exported abroad by providing an opportunity for acquisition by a UK buyer committed to ensuring public access. Alongside that we also have the Cultural Gift and Acceptance in Lieu schemes – tax rebate schemes which seek to encourage people to donate national treasures to public institutions.

The care, protection, access and display of cultural property is the responsibility of museums. Programmes like the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund help enable this, providing funding for museums to open up their galleries and collections more for public access as well as DCMS’s £82 million Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is helping scores of regional museums to undertake essential maintenance and safeguard access to their buildings and collections.

The government has committed to delivering the facilities that every community needs and is investing over £300m across the UK between 2022 and 2025 as a step towards that ambition - a £230m uplift, on top of an existing £18m annual commitment in England.

In 2021/22, £43m has already improved grass and artificial pitches, changing rooms and floodlights at over 170 facilities - to make a real difference to communities in all four home nations. This includes the creation or resurfacing of over 80 artificial grass pitches, over 20 grass pitch improvements, 40 changing room/pavilions and over 30 smaller capital projects such as floodlights and equipment. Recipients of funding in 2022/23 will be announced soon. Our delivery partners - the Football Association in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or the Football Foundation in England - deliver this funding on behalf of the Government, and engage directly with prospective projects.

We’ve made great progress in increasing the number of girls studying STEM subjects but we need to do more to get women into STEM roles to meet the demands of today’s workforce. To support that we have launched a new STEM returners pilot that will encourage those who have taken a break to care for others back into work – giving them the opportunity to refresh and grow their skills in sectors where their talents are most needed. Announced on International Day of Women and Girls in Science by the Minister for Women and Equalities, the STEM ReCharge pilot will provide personalised employability support to technology and engineering returners in the Midlands and the North of England. It will also provide support and training for STEM employers on supportive returner hiring and inclusive recruitment practices. By supporting STEM returners, there is a significant opportunity to increase the number of women in STEM jobs, address skills shortages and boost our economy.

The established practice of the Commission is to meet in private. This is to enable free and open discussion between commissioners, and to enable officials to provide impartial and frank advice.

The House of Commons officials and external members who sit on the Commission do not have voting rights. However, their views are sought in respect of any Commission decision. This is in line with the recommendations of the Report of the House of Commons Governance Committee, House of Commons Governance, Session 2014–15, HC 692, paragraph 141, which was endorsed by the House on 22 January 2015.

Schedule 1 (Paragraph 6(2)) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 empowers the House of Commons Commission to determine its own procedure. The Commission has an established practice of making decisions by correspondence outside of its formal meetings. Such decisions usually relate to matters that are considered either uncontroversial or time-critical.

Schedule 1 (Paragraph 6(2)) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 empowers the House of Commons Commission to determine its own procedure. Its established practice is to operate by consensus, and formal votes on items requiring decision are rare. Where votes do take place, they are recorded in the Commission’s record of deliberations.

Schedule 1 (Paragraph 6(2)) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 empowers the House of Commons Commission to determine its own procedure. The current quorum of the Commission is four parliamentarian members. Any decision by the Commission requires the approval of at least four of the six parliamentarian members.

The urgent request for approval for the revised guidance on covid-19 was sent to all members of the Commission on 1 November, following advice from the UK Health Security Agency earlier that day. The revised guidance was agreed by a majority of the parliamentarian members of the Commission before it was issued.

The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.

Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.

The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:

• Mental Health Guidance, including Mental Health: A Guide for Managers
• Wellness Action Plans
• In partnership with Mind – a number of additional resources recognising the impact of Coronavirus on individuals
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Occupational Health, Wellbeing & Medical Services

Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.

No staff have been made redundant. Staff have been redeployed to alternative roles as required.

No redundancies have been made, or are expected, consequential to (a) the closure of catering and hospitality venues and (b) restrictions placed on the number of visitors to the parliamentary estate.

In 2020/21 the closure of the estate to visitors, along with the much-reduced number of people working onsite, significantly affected income. In 2020/21 income from tours reduced by £2.4 million. Many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving. The impact on catering and retail was a net increase in costs of £4.6 million (catering) and £0.85 million (retail). With no education visits spending on the transport subsidy for schools was reduced by £0.6m.

(a) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2019–20.

(b) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2020–21. See below for explanation of the figure.

*The House of Commons had budgeted to receive £2.4 million in income from tours in 2020–21 but, in the event, there was no income because tours were cancelled. It is important to note that this is income foregone, which is not the same as a net loss. (We noted on page 27 of the accounts that the loss in income is a gross figure; many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving.)

In 2021 commercial tours, along with public access to retail and catering outlets, restarted over the summer. Income and expenditure in these areas continue to be closely monitored, as with all House of Commons 2021/22 budgets.

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government must set the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032) in law by 30 June 2016 taking into consideration the advice from the Committee on Climate Change. This advice is due by the end of 2015.

As also set out in the Climate Change Act, we are required to publish our plans and policies for meeting our carbon budgets as soon as practicable after setting a new budget. Our working assumption is that this will be towards the end of 2016 following the setting of the fifth carbon budget.

A response to Question 195131 was provided to the Member on 16 October.

This response was delayed due to a technical error - a matter which has been clarified with the Table Office.

On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service.

The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance.

The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.