Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many churches have been closed by the Church of England in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Between 2010 and 2019, 209 consecrated churches were formally closed, which amounted to just over 1%. Since the 1990s the rate of closure has remained steady at 20-25 per year out of a total of around 16,000 church buildings. It is important to note that new churches are also being built and that some congregations meet in other kinds of buildings.
More information can be found in the annual reports of the Church Commissioners, which are available in the House of Commons Library, or online here, in the sections for ‘Mission, Pastoral and Church Property’ or ‘Pastoral Administration’: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-commissioners-england/how-we-are-governed/publications
Churches are first and foremost places of worship. The 2017 Taylor Review into sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals ( https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/669667/Taylor_Review_Final.pdf ) found that the Government could also enable the church to serve local communities better by reviewing planning law around listed buildings, to enable Local Authorities to think more imaginatively about diversification and wider use. For over a decade the Church of England’s own ‘open and sustainable churches’ programme, has encouraged churches to consider partnering with a wide variety of community resources (e.g. post offices, village shops, children’s play areas, credit unions, foodbanks, co-working spaces) in sharing space: Sharing your building and finding partners | The Church of England
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether he plans to require his Department to provide a payroll deduction service to allow staff to save more easily with a credit union; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. member to the response to his question to the Cabinet Office (121122).
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of his Office; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Grayling
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for West Worcestershire (Ms Baldwin) on 2 November 2015, to Question UIN 13524
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question
To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps he is taking to promote the use of credit unions in the work of the House of Commons Commission; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tom Brake
Since March 2013 staff and Members of both Houses have been able to access financial support and advice on managing their personal finances from London Mutual Credit Union (LMCU). In addition they also offer financial products such as savings and loans which can be deducted directly from employees’ salaries via payroll, and for Members via IPSA. In November 2013, the facility with LMCU was formally launched at a reception held by Mr Speaker.
LMCU is promoted on the Parliamentary intranet, in the House of Commons Staff Handbook and at new staff inductions. LMCU also have a presence at the annual Wellbeing Day.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in enabling credit unions to offer services to members of Her Majesty's Forces and their families.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in the House of Commons by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Anna Soubry) on 8 December 2014 to Question number 216988 to the hon. Member for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas).
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2014-12-03/216988/
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when servicemen and servicewomen will be able to access credit union facilities through payroll deduction.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given in the House of Commons on 6 October 2014 to Question 208271. We fully endorse existing, strong credit unions expanding their membership to include the Armed Forces community.
As the noble Lord will be aware, when he met my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Anna Soubry) on 15 October, she confirmed that the facilitation of payroll deduction for Credit Unions is technically possible and that our payroll provider is engaged with officials to scope and cost such deductions. Further work is underway to determine the criteria for access to this facility, and to develop an education campaign for our personnel so they may make informed choices.
Any payroll changes need to be delivered in one of the three releases per year of the intranet-based personnel administration system we use. It is now too late to deliver in November 2014. March 2015 is dedicated to the new pension scheme, therefore the most likely delivery date will be July 2015.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they are making in establishing a Military Credit Union.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
My noble Friend may be aware of the debate in the House of Commons on 8 April 2014 (Official Report, olumn 26WH-44WH) during which my hon. Friend Phillip Dunne announced that the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Anna Soubry) would meet Gareth Thomas MP, the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd, and others to discuss this issue.
Arrangements for such a meeting have now been agreed and the Minister is due to meet with interested parties later this month. I will report back to the House in due course.