Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many churches were deconsecrated in each year since 1994.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The Church of England law around church buildings is complex, but there are two main types; a consecrated church building where the bishop has performed a rite of consecration, setting the church building (and font and altar) aside for public worship, and a place of worship that has been licensed for that purpose by the bishop (not consecrated).
The Church of England does not have a rite of "deconsecration" as such – it is more usual to refer to the 'closure' of a church that is consecrated. The process of closure is a legal one, set out in the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 and its predecessor legislation. The bishop's consecration of a church building for worship cannot be removed. However, the legal effects of consecration can be withdrawn in order to allow the disposal of the building and a new use to be found for the building.
Since 1994 there have been around 650 closure schemes for consecrated church buildings brought forward under the Mission and Pastoral Measure. In some of those cases, the closed church building will have been sold to other Christian denominations for worship use, and in some cases some occasional worship continues, even if the closed church building is being used for community activities, for example.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's drug strategy on the number of people who are in (a) drug and (b) alcohol treatment.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
By January 2024 there were an additional 9,907 adults in treatment for drugs and 9,908 adults in treatment of alcohol problems, when compared to the start of the drugs strategy in March 2022. Additionally, over the same period, there were an extra 2,650 children and young people receiving specialist support for drug and alcohol problems.
The number of prison leavers referred to community-based drug and alcohol services engaging in treatment within three weeks of release has risen to a high of 52% in January 2024, up from 36% in March 2022. Additionally, in 2023/24 we engaged over 10,000 people who sleep rough, or who are at risk of sleeping rough, in support for rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment teams, with over 9,000 people supported by these specialist teams while in treatment.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for citizenship were refused in each year since 1994.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Historical data relating to those who applied to naturalise/registration can be found here:
These summary tables report those who were naturalised, registered, or refused on tab Cit_02 since 1987.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultations have been carried out each week as part of Pharmacy First since its launch.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
98 percent of pharmacies have signed up to Deliver Pharmacy First and claimed more than 125,000 clinical pathways consultations for February, the first full month following launch. From May, the NHS Business Services Authority will publish monthly data on the number of consultations claimed.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what average weekly attendance was in each year since 1994.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The National Church Institutions first started collecting attendance data centrally in the autumn of 2000; as a result, it is not possible to publish data for the period 1994-1999. A methodological change also took place between 2000 and 2003 which means statistics for those years are not directly comparable with the data now collected. The data displayed below shows the longest period of comparable figures available, from 2003-2022.
| Adult average weekly attendance | Child average weekly attendance | All age average weekly attendance | Adult average Sunday attendance | Child average Sunday attendance | All age average Sunday attendance | Adult average school service attendance | Child average school service attendance | All age average school service attendance |
2003 | 905,000 | 218,000 | 1,126,000 | 802,000 | 154,000 | 959,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2004 | 896,000 | 220,000 | 1,119,000 | 789,000 | 151,000 | 942,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2005 | 898,000 | 218,000 | 1,119,000 | 791,000 | 147,000 | 941,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2006 | 894,000 | 217,000 | 1,115,000 | 786,000 | 145,000 | 935,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2007 | 888,000 | 205,000 | 1,097,000 | 779,000 | 137,000 | 919,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2008 | 877,000 | 215,000 | 1,094,000 | 768,000 | 139,000 | 910,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2009 | 867,000 | 211,000 | 1,082,000 | 758,000 | 134,000 | 895,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2010 | 851,000 | 208,000 | 1,062,000 | 741,000 | 130,000 | 874,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2011 | 840,000 | 207,000 | 1,050,000 | 728,000 | 127,000 | 858,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2012 | 843,000 | 202,000 | 1,049,000 | 733,000 | 128,000 | 864,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2013 | 836,000 | 157,000 | 994,000 | 721,000 | 124,000 | 845,000 | 23,000 | 103,000 | 126,000 |
2014 | 831,000 | 144,000 | 975,000 | 711,000 | 119,000 | 830,000 | 35,000 | 113,000 | 148,000 |
2015 | 819,000 | 140,000 | 959,000 | 698,000 | 115,000 | 813,000 | 40,000 | 131,000 | 171,000 |
2016 | 791,000 | 132,000 | 922,000 | 671,000 | 108,000 | 780,000 | 42,000 | 139,000 | 182,000 |
2017 | 767,000 | 127,000 | 895,000 | 653,000 | 104,000 | 757,000 | 46,000 | 152,000 | 198,000 |
2018 | 752,000 | 120,000 | 872,000 | 635,000 | 96,000 | 730,000 | 40,000 | 137,000 | 177,000 |
2019 | 734,000 | 120,000 | 854,000 | 613,000 | 94,000 | 707,000 | 41,000 | 141,000 | 182,000 |
2020 | 317,000 | 28,000 | 345,000 | 273,000 | 24,000 | 298,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2021 | 531,000 | 75,000 | 605,000 | 447,000 | 62,000 | 509,000 | 18,000 | 71,000 | 89,000 |
2022 | 567,000 | 87,000 | 654,000 | 477,000 | 70,000 | 547,000 | 36,000 | 128,000 | 164,000 |
Attendance figures are collected from churches for the first 4 Sundays of October and in the following Monday-Saturday midweek periods - this exercise is referred to as the "October count”. Figures include attendance at baptisms, as these usually take place in service, but not attendance at weddings and funerals. Attendance at services for schools is NOT included in the average weekly and average Sunday attendance figures but is reported separately.
In 2013, the question was changed to specifically ask about attendance at school services. Prior to 2013, it was apparent that some churches included such attendance in their reported figures while others did not. The change in question during this year resulted in a large change in the average weekly attendance from 2012 to 2013 and a more consistent practice across the church as a whole.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many confirmations there were in each year since 1994.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The table below shows the number of confirmations conducted in the Church of England each year since 1994.
As the Established Church, every member of the public, whatever their belief, living within a parish in England has the right to access baptism, marriage and burial services of the Church of England as long as performing that service is lawful under Canon Law.
The detailed data on the number of baptism and confirmation services is published in the annual data ‘Statistics for Mission’.
Post 2009 figures can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/statisticsformission2022_tables.xlsx
Pre-2009 figures can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/data-services/resources-publications-and-data#na
Year | Number of confirmations |
1994 | 48,024 |
1995 | 43,667 |
1996 | 42,768 |
1997 | 40,881 |
1998 | 39,926 |
1999 | 37,469 |
2000 | 36,387 |
2001 | 33,367 |
2002 | 33,425 |
2003 | 31,797 |
2004 | 30,425 |
2005 | 29,833 |
2006 | 29,380 |
2007 | 27,926 |
2008 | 26,972 |
2009 | 25,028 |
2010 | 22,349 |
2011 | 22,242 |
2012 | 22,540 |
2013 | 19,883 |
2014 | 18,028 |
2015 | 16,723 |
2016 | 15,917 |
2017 | 15,253 |
2018 | 14,475 |
2019 | 13,355 |
2020 | 2,165 |
2021 | 6,388 |
2022 | 10,855 |
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what staff networks there are in her Department.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following staff-led support networks currently operate in the Department:
- EnABLE, a disability and long-term conditions network;
- Autism Network;
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Network;
- Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network;
- Race Equality Matters Network;
- Prism, an LGBT+ network;
- Women’s Network;
- Parents’ Network;
- Age Diversity Network;
- Carers’ Network;
- Care Leavers’ Network;
- Social Mobility Network;
- Men’s Health Network;
- Christian Network;
- Jewish Network;
- Muslim Network;
- Hinduism and Sikhism Group;
- Humanists Network;
- Diversity and Inclusion Analytical Network;
- Domestic Abuse Support Group;
- Working Through Cancer Network; and
- Mental Health First Aid.
The following networks support and promote professional development and operational delivery:
- International Network;
- Flexible Working Network;
- Green Network;
- Social Workers Network;
- Health Science and Engineering Network;
- IT User Engagement Group;
- Clinicians’ Network;
- Nutritionist Network;
- Perspectives Network;
- History Network;
- Culture and Engagement Champions Network;
- Active Travel Network;
- International Network;
- First Aid Network;
- Administrative Officer and Executive Officer Network;
- Personal Assistant Network;
- Senior Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer Network;
- G6 and G7 Network; and
- Direct Appointment Scheme Network.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to Questions 3012, 3013, 3020, 3022, 3028, 3030, 3032, 3033, 3034, 3035, 3036, 3037, 3038, 3040, 3041 and 3043, which were tabled on 21 November 2023.
Answered by Gareth Bacon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and the Department remains committed to providing the highest level of service.
I sincerely apologise for the delay in responding to these PQs. The information requested in these PQs is detailed and complex, and we have been working hard to identify what information we can provide to accurately answer the questions raised. We hope to be able to provide an answer shortly
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what staff networks there are in his Department.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There are 15 active networks listed below:
Flexible working and job share,
Carers,
Parenting,
CORE (Race),
ABLE (disability),
Social Mobility,
Menopause,
Faith & Belief,
Christian Network,
Civil Service Jewish Network,
LGBT+,
EU Nationals
EngAge (intergenerational/age)
Gender Equality Group.
Neurodiversity Network
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to initiate high street rental auctions; and what steps he has taken to support local authorities to use these powers.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The framework of the High Street Rental Auction policy is set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, which is now law, however many aspects need to be defined by secondary legislation before local authorities can begin to use the power. The Government is working to introduce the associated statutory instruments.
We recognise the resource constraints faced by local authorities and have considered how the burden on local authorities can be reduced. We are providing up to £2 million of financial support to make sure that areas which need this the most are not priced out by prohibitive refurbishment costs to bring the properties up to standard. We will also publish guidance for local authorities and relevant stakeholders to support them in implementing High Street Rental Auctions.