Andrew Rosindell

In the period 2020-2025 there have been 11 dispossession cases under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011. There are 7,340 stipendiary clergy, meaning dispossession cases represent a very small (less than 1%) proportion of overall clergy numbers.

By diocese these break down as follows:
• Portsmouth – 6 cases
• St Albans – 2 cases (plus one in process)
• Southwark – 1 case
• York – 1 case
• Leeds – 1 case

This government is clear that no one should be disadvantaged in the workplace because of their religion or belief. The Equality Act 2010 provides protection from discrimination to anyone with a religious or philosophical belief, as well as to those who lack a religion or belief. This includes all forms of Anglo-Catholicism.

The definition of religion, or religious or philosophical belief is in line with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights which stipulates that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The main criterion for what constitutes a ‘religion’ for the purposes of Article 9 is that it must have a clear structure and belief system.

A range of guidance and codes of practice is available to employers and employees to help ensure that the law is followed. Employees who think that they have experienced religious discrimination may seek legal redress at an employment tribunal, if early Acas conciliation proves unsuccessful.

The National Church Institutions only hold limited central data on the number of ordinations of deacons and priests. Diocesan bishops, together with some area bishops and Diocesan Directors of Ordinands, are responsible for assessing the vocations of candidates for the priesthood and deciding locally which are ready for deaconing and priesting. What information is available centrally is regularly published as part of ministry statistics on the Church of England website (under ‘About’, then ‘Data Services’)

The initial formation period for candidates is part of a discernment process, and not every candidate who begins training will complete it within a fixed timeframe or be considered ready for ordination as a deacon or priest at the end. Because vocations and ordinations are personal, comparing data year-on-year is usually less helpful than examining longer-term trends.

The trend seen in the centrally available data shows that since 1997, the number of deacons ordained has roughly doubled, and since 2007, it has stayed relatively steady. Efforts are already underway to address the recent decrease in the number of candidates for deacon.

Level of Ordination by year (Deacons)

1997: 262

2001: 295

2002: 313

2003: 333

2007: 552

2008: 574

2009: 564

2010: 563

2011: 504

2012: 494

2013: 484

2014: 500

2015: 498

2016: 484

2017: 488

2018: 503

2019: 580

2020: 580

2021: 610

2022: 540

Level of Ordination by year (Deacons and Priests)

2023: 513 Deacons, 519 Priests

2024: 462 Deacons, 508 Priests

Since 2018 the Church of England has provided specialist training and resources for parishes on how to use digital channels to grow their worshipping communities, through a programme called Digital Labs. With weekly blogs, regular webinars, and on-demand videos, this content has been seen more than 90,000 times a year. Bespoke in-person training and Digital Labs Clinics, where churches receive one-to-one advice and support, are also available.

Building capacity and expertise through the work of Digital Labs has helped parishes across the country to share their services online. In 2024, our church-finder site www.AChurchNearYou.com listed 2,444 online services for the public to watch.

The National Church Institutions also provide a weekly national online church service. This service airs every Sunday at 9 a.m. on the Church of England’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website. It is an essential resource for housebound individuals, those with caring responsibilities, and shift workers. It continues to be viewed over 150,000 times a week. The Church also offers services and prayer resources available through the Daily Prayer app, smart speakers and the free Daily Hope telephone line.

The Church Commissioners have not received any reports regarding the Additional Curates Society. As a separate charity, the Additional Curates Society does not come under the remit or management of the Church Commissioners or the National Church Institutions.

The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. The Common Understanding is clear that where the UK Government decides to align with EU rules as part of an agreement this will give due regard to the UK’s constitutional and Parliamentary procedures. The UK will be involved, as a sovereign nation outside of the European Union, at an early stage and contribute to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts.

The Common Understanding does not provide for oversight of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) within Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Instead it provides that the CJEU will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU, and only where there is dynamic alignment of laws under any future SPS agreement, ETS linking agreement or an electricity agreement. The CJEU does not rule on the substantive outcome of the dispute - that is a matter for the independent arbitration panel.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The Government remains committed to publishing an update to the Construction Playbook. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025.

We are committed to strengthening security across all aspects of the Government digital estate.

The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030.

The recent report from the National Audit Office into Government Cyber Resilience showed that the response needs to be accelerated given the changing threat picture. Its recommendations include development of a whole of government approach, addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthening accountability for cyber risk, and better managing the risks posed by legacy IT. We welcome this report and are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations.

The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through planned bi-annual commissions, providing updates on vacant roles in our workforce. In 2023, 251 cyber roles were reported vacant.

The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on current vacancy levels.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd February is attached.

The UK government is committed to working closely with the devolved governments to support climate adaptation across the UK and build resilience to risks such as those from extreme weather. Adaptation is a devolved matter, and the Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme sets out the steps being taken to build resilience to climate risks in Northern Ireland. The policies and actions in the third National Adaptation Programme include those taken by the UK Government for the UK as a whole on reserved matters.

The UK government also has an important role to play in coordinating the response to the impacts of extreme weather on the UK as was most recently seen during and after Storm Éowyn. Where UK Ministers and officials were in close contact throughout the response with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive to facilitate the deployment of support as needed.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025.

The Construction Playbook brings together best practice from across the public and private sectors. This includes highlighting the importance of a wide range of programmes and initiatives that the sector is taking forward. As part of any future iteration of the playbook, the Cabinet Office will review and assess the potential merits of highlighting or aligning any other initiatives that can drive value for the taxpayer.

Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025.

The Construction Playbook brings together best practice from across the public and private sectors. This includes highlighting the importance of a wide range of programmes and initiatives that the sector is taking forward. As part of any future iteration of the playbook, the Cabinet Office will review and assess the potential merits of highlighting or aligning any other initiatives that can drive value for the taxpayer.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18 December is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18 December is attached.

The government is committed to working closely with Critical National Infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness.

Extreme weather events pose a serious risk to UK resilience, reflected in their inclusion in the National Risk Register. They are included in the Third National Adaptation Programme, which sets out government action to respond to impacts arising from climate change. These products consider risks over a 2-5 year timeframe and enable relevant bodies to undertake proportionate planning.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th November is attached.

The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is in the personal gift of The Sovereign. The UK Government is not considering the restoration of The Order of St Patrick.

Nominations for existing honours are open to all citizens within the four nations of the United Kingdom.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 14th October is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 14th October is attached.

The Government has set out an ambitious programme of House of Lords reform. As an immediate first step, the Government has introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The Government believes that it is right to take the time to consider how best to implement the other manifesto commitments over the course of this Parliament.

In line with established precedent, the Government does not formally commemorate the anniversaries of the births of former Prime Ministers.

Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the comprehensive Spending Review.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 04/09/2024 is attached.

As a first step in reform of the House of Lords, the Government has introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

The Government is committed to other reforms to the House of Lords, including the introduction of a mandatory retirement age, a new participation requirement, and changes to the appointments process, as well as strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed. There is also a long-term commitment to replace the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations. Given the nature and potential scale of these reforms, the Government will conduct engagement and consult on proposals for an alternative second chamber, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them.

The UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement with CARIFORUM, which is the most comprehensive trade agreement that the UK has signed with developing countries, supports growth across the region and in the UK. Between 2023 and 2024, UK-CARIFORUM bilateral trade in goods and services increased by 20.5% in current prices. The UK and CARIFORUM regularly discuss how to strengthen bilateral trade further through the structures outlined in our agreement.

The UK will continue to position itself as the trading partner of choice in the Caribbean, building on our historic, economic and cultural ties.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities, providing accessible jobs and supporting economic growth across the UK.

The Government is creating a fairer business rate system and reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

We are working with the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges facing the sector. We are also working with Pub Is The Hub to help rural pubs adapt to the changing needs of their communities.

Details of any meetings and engagements with the UK crypto and digital asset industry can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the importance of mutual recognition of professional qualifications (RPQ) to support services trade and domestic labour market outcomes.

International agreements provide mechanisms for officials to regularly engage with their Commonwealth counterparts on RPQ. Officials engage frequently with counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and the CARIFORUM states through Professional Services Working Groups, joint and specialised committee structures.

Independent UK regulators set standards, assess professional qualifications and are responsible for agreeing Mutual Recognition Agreements on RPQ. DBT is committed to promoting RPQ opportunities and supporting regulators in their discussions with Commonwealth counterparts.

UK exports in services to Commonwealth countries rose in current prices from £36.4 billion in 2019 to £58.1 billion in the 12 months to September 2024 and represents 61.5% of UK exports to Commonwealth countries in the latest period.

The UK increases services exports and removes barriers to services trade through many of our trade agreements covering 35 Commonwealth countries. For example, the UK’s accession to CPTPP provided UK and Malaysian firms and professionals with certainty when looking to deliver services in their respective territories.

In December, I wrote to Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat, to ask what steps they have in place to ensure that all drivers and riders are legally entitled to work in the UK, including substitutes, and what sanctions they have in place should this not be the case.

In March, the government announced its intention to amend the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, to extend the scope of employers required to carry out Right to Work checks to those who engage limb (b) workers or individual sub-contractors, including those carrying out food deliveries in the gig economy and their substitutes.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Bill represents a significant corner stone of the Government’s Plan for Change. One of the objectives being to rebuild confidence in the immigration system.