GENERAL SYNOD
JULY GROUP OF SESSIONS 2006
QUESTIONS
of which notice has been given under Standing Orders 105-109 to be taken on Friday 7 July 2006.
INDEX
QUESTIONS 1-3 CATHEDRALS AND CHURCH BUILDINGS DIVISION
Trench arch drainage Q1
‘Inspired!’: reaction to English Heritage campaign Q2
‘Inspired!’: support for campaign Q3
QUESTIONS 4-5 COUNCIL FOR THE CARE OF CHURCHES
Idle or under-used CCC members: evidence Q4
Advantages of replacing the Advisory Board Q5
QUESTIONS 6-7 COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Porvoo Cathedral: sadness at arson attack Q6
Ordination disciplines regarding same-sex relationships Q7
QUESTION 8 FINANCE COMMITTEE
Internet banking: advice to PCCs Q8
QUESTIONS 9-17 MINISTRY DIVISION
Screening candidates for racist attitudes Q9
Pioneer ordained ministers: numbers and training Q10
Methodist and URC decisions regarding ordination training Q11
Clergy training: spreading the investment Q12
Colleges and courses: relative value of initial training Q13
Degree courses part-taught in university theology departments Q14
Degree courses validated by university theology departments Q15
RTP heads: expertise, background and skills Q16
System for allocating curacies: flexibility Q17
QUESTION 18 DRACSC
Issue and revocation of licences Q18
QUESTIONS 19-30 MISSION AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL
BNP councillors: guidance to bishops or clergy Q19
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act: representations Q20
Amnesty for failed asylum seekers Q21
Sunday trading: effects of further deregulation Q22
Response to separation wall Q23
Replacement of Trident: representations Q24
China: fundamental human rights Q25
Abortion reform: allocation of parliamentary time Q26
Reduction of abortions for reasons of social convenience Q27
Mission and evangelism among younger men Q28
Service times Q29
Advice to existing and prospective church-planters Q30
QUESTION 31 BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Synod agenda: urgent matters of public concern Q31
QUESTIONS 32-33 CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Octavia Hill Estates: mission and reputation of the Church Q32
Octavia Hill Estates: advice Q33
QUESTION 34 PENSIONS BOARD
Ordinands and clergy: retirement housing Q34
QUESTIONS 35-37 ETHICAL INVESTMENT ADVISORY GROUP
Caterpillar Inc. Q35
Resolution about disinvestment in Caterpillar Inc. Q36
General Synod: role in relation to ethical investments Q37
QUESTIONS 38-42 ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL
Arts: central point of contact, support and advocacy Q38
Cathedrals: community/electoral rolls and planned giving Q39
Archdeacons: provision for training Q40
Training courses: flat fee increases Q41
Gender-neutral language Q42
QUESTIONS 43-57 HOUSE OF BISHOPS
The ‘Listening process’ and diocesan links Q43
Senior women at the Bishops’ Meeting Q44
Leaders of WATCH and Affirming Catholicism: rationale for invitation Q45
Identity of the Mad Bishop Q46
Re-consideration of communion: procedure and criteria Q47
Controverted matters of faith and order: Synod debate Q48
Work on understanding ‘communion’ Q49
Supporters of women priests: alternative oversight and compensation Q50
Women bishops: consultation with the Anglican Communion Q51
Ministerial Development Review for bishops: advantages Q52
Civil marriage ceremonies: reference to sexual intercourse Q53
Reassurance to republican Anglicans Q54
Bullying and harassment Q55
Issues which go to the heart of a person’s faith and humanity Q56
Issues in Human Sexuality: application to selection of Readers Q57
QUESTIONS 58-60 SECRETARY GENERAL
Staff of the Archbishops’ Council: morale Q58
Environmental review of Church House Q59
General Synod and Archbishops’ Council: ‘carbon-neutral’ meetings Q60
QUESTION 61 CLERK TO THE SYNOD
Synods and assemblies: ecumenical clashes Q61
QUESTIONS 62-65 BOARD OF EDUCATION
Education and Inspections Bill: scope for Christian influence Q62
Dioceses increasing numbers of schools and establishing colleges Q63
Slave trade: education and affirmation Q64
‘Common Era’ nomenclature: advice to head teachers Q65
CATHEDRALS AND CHURCH
BUILDINGS DIVISION
The Bishop of Sodor & Man to reply as a member of the Divisional Group.
Mr Roy Thompson (York) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q1 What feedback has the Division had on the use of ‘trench arch drainage’ which is highly suitable for rural churches with low solids production but which can be rejected by a Building Control Officer in ignorance of the environmental benefits?
Mr Roy Thompson (York) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q2 What is the reaction of the Division to the English Heritage campaign ‘Inspired!’ which targets only an increase in Government support equal to the amount which churches would have received for repairs to listed buildings if the original amount (£10m) had been increased in line with inflation?
Mr Aiden Hargreaves-Smith (London) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q3 In the light of the welcome given to the English Heritage ‘Inspired!’ campaign by the Bishop of London, can members of the Synod be advised how best they might support it?
COUNCIL FOR THE CARE OF CHURCHES
The Bishop of Sodor and Man to reply
Mr Tom Sutcliffe (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Council for the Care of Churches:
Q4 What evidence exists that members of the Council for the Care of Churches are an idle or under-used resource for scrutiny, from the point of view of the proposal to load eight CCC members with work currently being undertaken by eleven unpaid members of the Advisory Board for Redundant Churches?
Mr Tom Sutcliffe (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Council for the Care of Churches:
Q5 Has the Council identified any specific ways in which replacing the independent Advisory Board for Redundant Churches with the proposed less transparent and more complex CCC-operated internal process will enhance the reinvestment of redundant or underused church financial and physical resources, or lead to their more rapid exploitation?
COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Bishop of Peterborough to reply
The Revd Canon Michael Ainsworth (Manchester) to ask the Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity:
Q6 In view of the affection and significance that Porvoo Cathedral holds for the member churches of the Porvoo Communion, please will the Council inform the Synod of the steps that have been taken to express our sadness at the recent arson attack by a group of local youths, and to assure the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland of our support and prayers as they set about its restoration (hopefully in time for its anniversary celebrations in three years’ time)?
The Revd Canon Christopher Sugden (Oxford) to ask the Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity:
Q7 What studies is the Council, or FOAG on its behalf, undertaking of the ecclesiological implications of the different ordination disciplines operated by the Old Catholic Churches and the Church of England in regard to same-sex relationships?
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Mr Michael Chamberlain to reply
Mrs Ruth Whitworth (Ripon & Leeds) to ask the Chairman of the Finance Committee:
Q8 In view of the increasing use of Internet Banking, which usually requires only one person to effect financial transactions, what guidance or procedures can the Committee offer to safeguard PCCs and church treasurers, bearing in mind that best practice indicates two signatories should authorize payments, and that the Charity Commission advises that no individual should be able singly to control significant resources?
MINISTRY DIVISION
The Bishop of Norwich to reply
Miss Vasantha Gnanadoss (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q9 What is the timetable for the implementation of the recommendations of the Working Group on Screening Candidates for Racist Attitudes, now that they have been agreed by the Bishops’ Committee for Ministry?
Mr Clive Scowen (London) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q10 How many persons have to date been selected for training as pioneer ordained ministers, and what distinctive provision (both as to mode and content) has been made for their training?
Mr Simon Butler (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q11 What outcome can the Ministry Division report from the Methodist and United Reformed Churches concerning any recent decisions regarding ordination training as they affect the Church of England and its associated theological colleges and courses?
The Revd Robert Cotton (Guildford) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q12 Given that, of the total amount of money that is invested in the training of clergy, a very significant proportion is still concentrated in pre-ordination years, what conversations is the Ministry Division having to consider spreading that investment more evenly throughout the working life of the clergy?
The Bishop of Derby to reply as Vice-Chairman of the Theological Education and Training Committee
The Revd Robert Cotton (Guildford) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q13 What audit process is used by the Ministry Division to establish the relative value of initial training at colleges compared to courses, and thus to justify the higher comparative cost of one over the other?
The Revd Canon Professor Anthony Thiselton (Southwell & Nottingham) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q14 How many degree programmes in recognized training institutions are part-taught within University Departments of Theology or Theology and Religious Studies?
The Revd Canon Professor Anthony Thiselton (Southwell & Nottingham) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q15 What proportion of degree programmes in recognized institutions are validated directly by University Departments of Theology and/or Religious Studies, and what proportion are validated only by universities which do not have (or do not involve) such Departments?
Mrs Gillian Morrison (Peterborough) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q16 What sort of expertise, background and skill set will be looked for in persons to head the Regional Training Partnerships?
The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds to reply as Chairman of the Deployment, Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee
The Revd Rod Thomas (Exeter) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q17 In the light of the Revd Richard Coekin’s successful appeal against the revocation of his licence, will the Ministry Division now consider whether the Sheffield quota system for allocating curacies is sufficiently flexible to meet the challenges of church growth and in particular the needs of new and sometimes unconventional congregations?
DEPLOYMENT, REMUNERATION AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE COMMITTEE
The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds to reply
Mrs Gillian Ambrose (Ely) to ask the Chairman of the Deployment, Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee:
Q18 As the Church of England awaits legislation to institute Common Tenure, what steps will be taken by the Ministry Division working with diocesan Senior Staff Teams, to ensure that the spirit of the Clergy Terms of Service Review undergirds all dealings with unbeneficed clergy, particularly with regard to the issue and revocation of licences?
MISSION AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
COUNCIL
The Bishop of Southwark to reply as Vice-Chairman for Public Affairs
Miss Vasantha Gnanadoss (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q19 In the light of the Private Member’s Motion from the Revd Simon Bessant that was passed nem. con. by General Synod in February 2004, what guidance is being given to bishops or clergy in whose areas BNP councillors have been elected?
The Revd Ruth Worsley (Southwell & Nottingham) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q20 What representations have been made to the Government regarding the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 in the light of concerns expressed by interest groups in the following areas:
the lack of legal aid available to applicants;
the reduction in the number of registered asylum solicitors; and
the rejection of testimony offered by clergy on behalf of congregation members at appeal tribunals, by judges who have no training in religious faiths?
The Revd Ruth Worsley (Southwell & Nottingham) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q21 Will the Mission and Public Affairs Council be requesting an amnesty for all those whose applications for asylum have failed on appeal yet who have not been deported, who have lived in the UK for longer than 2 years or have had a child born here?
Mr Andrew Presland (Peterborough) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q22 What representations has the Council made to the Department for Trade and Industry regarding the extent to which proposals for the further deregulation of Sunday trading should take account of the likely social effects of such a change, and of the evidence of public opinion, including the recent NOP poll which found that 72% of those interviewed would prefer to have a regular shared day off with their family and friends, rather than more time to shop on a Sunday?
Dr John Dinnen (Hereford) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q23 What steps has the Mission and Public Affairs Council taken in response to the building of the separation wall on occupied Palestinian lands in defiance of international law, cutting off the people of Bethlehem from their lands and Jerusalem and hindering their access to hospitals, workplaces and colleges?
The Revd Peter Spiers (Liverpool) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q24 What representations have been made to the Government about the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s recent announcement that he will allocate perhaps £25 billion to replace Trident over the next few years?
Mr Paul Eddy (Winchester) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q25 With China emerging as an economic superpower, and the developed world increasing its trade and political relations with it, would the Mission and Public Affairs Council urgently use its good offices to highlight the Chinese Government’s failure to address fundamental human rights issues, both in terms of freedom of religion, and the way in which workers are paid and treated?
Dr Philip Giddings to reply
Mr Frank Knaggs (Newcastle) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q26 Bearing in mind the Synod’s decision on Mr Barry Barnes’ Private Member’s Motion in November 2002 (passed by 222 votes to 22), what further representations, perhaps in conjunction with our ecumenical partners, have been or will be made to Her Majesty’s Government urging the Government to allocate parliamentary time to revisit the terms of the Abortion Act 1967?
Mr Frank Knaggs (Newcastle) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q27 In view of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor’s personal representations to the Government, will the Mission and Public Affairs Council take up the possible reform of the Abortion Act 1967 with CTE and CTBI so that, together with our ecumenical partners, Her Majesty’s Government is pressed to investigate how the Act can be amended so as to reduce the possibility that it can be used to secure abortions for reasons of social convenience?
Mr Peter LeRoy (Bath & Wells) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q28 As the evidence seems to suggest that the overall profile of Church of England congregations may now consist of more than two-thirds women and less than one-third men, and increasingly of women over 50 and decreasingly of men under 40, what work is the Council undertaking to identify the factors responsible, to encourage realistic strategy and to promote effective mission and evangelism among younger men?
Mrs Mary Judkins (Wakefield) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q29 Given the increasingly secular tone of British society since the introduction of the Sunday Trading Law in 1994, in contrast with recent surveys showing that many of the population believe in God, what is the Council doing to actively bolster ‘fresh expressions of being Church’ by single-mindedly promoting a more positive move away from the 9am/10.30am and 6.30pm Sunday worship style that could harmonize with and enrich the lives of those who state their belief in God, especially those of the ‘new parent’ generation?
Mr Simon Butler (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q30 In the light of the Bishop of Winchester’s report concerning the matter of the licence of the Revd Richard Coekin of the Co-Mission Initiative, and also of the public letter signed by thirty-six evangelical clergy from the Diocese of Southwark, what advice can the Mission and Public Affairs Council offer existing and prospective church-planters?
BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Prebendary Kay Garlick to reply
Mr Clive Scowen (London) to ask the Chairman of the Business Committee:
Q31 Has the Business Committee considered how the General Synod’s agenda might be planned so as to enable the Synod, where appropriate, to respond to urgent matters of public concern (particularly those emanating from the Government’s legislative programme) and if not, will it now do so?
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Mr Andreas Whittam Smith to reply as First Church Estates Commissioner
Mr Adrian Greenwood (Southwark) to ask the Church Commissioners:
Q32 Are the Commissioners aware of the view that the sale of the Octavia Hill Estates to a private landlord and the way the sale was dealt with have each caused serious damage to the mission and reputation of the Church of England in the parishes where the premises are located and in the Diocese of Southwark?
Mr Adrian Greenwood (Southwark) to ask the Church Commissioners:
Q33 Given the unique history and sensitive nature of the Octavia Hill Estates, why did the Assets Committee not seek advice and guidance from the Charity Commission and the Ethical Investment Advisory Group before starting the process of disposal?
PENSIONS BOARD
Mr Allan Bridgewater to reply
The Revd Simon Bessant (Blackburn) to ask the Chairman of the Pensions Board:
Q34 Has the Pensions Board:
figures for house price inflation over the last forty years in England;
projections, based on past trends, of what the average cost of a house will be in forty years from now;
realistic policies to help ordinands and stipendiary clergy, who do not own property, plan for housing in their retirement?
ETHICAL INVESTMENT ADVISORY GROUP
The Bishop of Worcester to reply on behalf of the Chairman
Dr John Dinnen (Hereford) to ask the Chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group:
Q35 The Ethical Investment Advisory Group has not advised the Church Commissioners to disinvest in Caterpillar Inc despite the request by this Synod in February to do so. In the light of the statement by the EIAG on 7 March about future sales of Caterpillar equipment, is Caterpillar continuing to supply, or license the supply of, spare parts for the D9 bulldozers that are used by the Israeli military to demolish Palestinian homes and property?
Prebendary Colin Randall (Bath & Wells) to ask the Chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group:
Q36 Why did the Group not act in accordance with the resolution passed by the General Synod in February about disinvestment in Caterpillar Inc.?
Prebendary Colin Randall (Bath & Wells) to ask the Chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group:
Q37 Has the Group considered the role of the General Synod in relation to ethical investments and, if it has, what role does it consider the Synod to have?
ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL
Dr Giddings to reply as Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council
The Revd Alastair Cutting (Chichester) to ask the Presidents of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q38 With the Church’s rich heritage in the Arts, and so many individual church members gifted by God, there is a real need for a clear central point of contact, and support and advocacy, for the Arts within the Church of England. Considering the beckoning mission opportunities the Arts create, has thought been given to the ways in which central awareness and support might be developed by the National Church Institutions, and to the body which might most appropriately undertake the role of doing so?
Mr Michael Chamberlain to reply as Chairman of the Finance Committee
Mr Michael Streeter (Chichester) to ask the Presidents of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q39 The increase in the number attending services in cathedrals is warmly welcomed. Are there any figures available to indicate whether there has been any increase in the cathedral community/electoral rolls or planned giving which would support the new pastoral opportunities?
The Bishop of Norwich to reply as Chairman of the Ministry Division
The Ven Annette Cooper (Chelmsford) to ask the Presidents of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q40 What provision has the Archbishops’ Council made in recent years for the training of archdeacons?
The Rt Revd Ian Brackley (Suffragan Bishops) to ask the Presidents of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q41 Why is the Council adopting a flat fee increase system that effectively reduces the fee subsidy per student on those training courses which are seeing their student numbers increase?
The Archbishop of York to reply
Mrs Margaret Condick (St Edmundsbury & Ipswich) to ask the Presidents of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q42 In February 2004 this Synod requested that all future legislation of the Synod referring to offices should be drafted (where legal and drafting considerations permit) so that gender neutral language is employed. What is now being done to encourage the use of gender neutral language within our dioceses, deaneries and parochial church councils and their related committees?
HOUSE OF BISHOPS
The Archbishop of York to reply as Vice-Chairman of the House
The Revd Paul Collier (Southwark) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q43 Has the House of Bishops considered how diocesan links may be used to facilitate the “listening process” referred to in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference across the Anglican Communion?
Mr John Pope (Chichester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q44 How many of the group of senior women clergy and lay people invited to the recent annual Bishops’ Meeting were known to have theological reservations about the ordination of women to the episcopate?
Mr John Pope (Chichester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q45 What was the rationale behind the invitation to the leaders of the WATCH and Affirming Catholicism groupings within the General Synod to attend the annual Bishops’ Meeting and not to the leaders of other groupings within the Synod?
The Bishop of Willesden to reply on behalf of the Chairman
Miss Prudence Dailey (Oxford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q46 Is the House aware of the pub in Paddington Railway Station named The Mad Bishop and Bear, and can it shed any light on the identity of the mad bishop?
The Archbishop of Canterbury to reply
The Revd John Cook (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q47 Has the House considered the procedure and criteria by which the Church of England may reconsider the level and nature of relationships of ‘communion’ with other provinces of the Anglican Communion and, if it has, can the Synod be provided with an account of those procedures and criteria?
Mr Gerald O’Brien (Rochester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q48 In view of the present uncertainty over the future stance of various provinces in the Anglican Communion on matters of faith and order, which will no doubt feature on the agenda of the next meeting of the House of Bishops, will the House consider proposing that this Synod have the opportunity to debate the future stance of the Church of England on the matters of faith and order on which the various provinces do not appear to be of one mind?
The Bishop of Chichester to reply as Chairman of the Faith and Order Advisory Group
The Revd John Cook (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q49 In the light of issues arising in our relationship with the Episcopal Church (USA), what work is the Faith and Order Advisory Group undertaking with regard to understanding ‘communion’?
The Bishop of Guildford to reply as Chairman of the House of Bishops’ Women Bishops Group
The Revd Hugh Lee (Oxford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q50 Has the House considered whether, following the appointment of a diocesan bishop who is opposed to the ordination of women, alternative episcopal oversight should be offered to those who cannot accept the ministry of that bishop, or compensation should be paid to those clergy who in conscience resign?
The Revd Canon Simon Killwick (Manchester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q51 What consultation has the House of Bishops promoted between the Church of England and the Anglican Communion concerning the proposed admission of women to the episcopate in England?
The Bishop of Newcastle to reply as Chairman of the House of Bishops’ CME Committee
The Revd Peter Spiers (Liverpool) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q52 What does the House of Bishops see as the advantages to be gained from the proposed Ministerial Development Review scheme for bishops?
The Bishop of Winchester to reply on behalf of the Chairman
The Revd Dr John Hartley (Bradford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q53 I recently attended a civil marriage ceremony and observed that there was no mention or allusion whatever to sexual intercourse or to marriage as the context for it. Would the House of Bishops confirm that a belief that sexual intercourse is one of the things that marriage is about is an essential aspect of the understanding of marriage in the UK, whether the marriage ceremony be civil or religious; and will it therefore propose that legislation be amended so that civil marriage ceremonies include reference to sex?
The Revd Dr John Hartley (Bradford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q54 Following the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s official 80th birthday, in which he suggested that allegiance to the monarch might be that which gives cohesion to our society, has the House considered what reassurance it might offer to loyal members of the Church of England that the holding of republican views is not by itself a mark of subversion and treachery?
The Bishop of Norwich to reply as Chairman of the Ministry Division
Mrs Gillian Ambrose (Ely) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q55 Given that the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales has provided a Bullying and Harassment Policy (http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/bullying/Bullying_Harassment_ Policy.doc), has the House of Bishops any plans to provide a similar policy for the Church of England, and if not, what measures does it have in mind to protect clergy and other church workers, as well as members of the Church, from unwanted and undeserved harassment and from being bullied?
Mr John Ward (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q56 Does the House of Bishops now have a general policy which addresses the difficulty of seeking to discern God’s will for his Church in relation to issues which go to the heart of a person’s faith and humanity without prayerful and engaged listening which involves that person?
Ms Susan Cooper (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q57 Has the House considered how Issues in Human Sexuality, a discussion document – but which has been quoted as indicating the Church of England’s view on matters of human sexuality and which suggests that different types of lifestyle may be acceptable amongst the laity from that expected of clergy – is being applied in the selection of persons for training or licensing as Readers, which is a lay ministry?
SECRETARY GENERAL
Mr Robin Stevens (Chelmsford) to ask the Secretary General:
Q58 Staff of the Archbishops’ Council tell me that they feel under-valued, insecure and generally unhappy. Is the Secretary General aware of any evidence to suggest such sentiments are widespread and, if he is, what is he doing to raise morale?
The Revd Paul Collier (Southwark) to ask the Secretary General:
Q59 Noting from GS Misc 825B that there has been an environmental review of Lambeth Palace, has there been a similar review of Church House?
The Revd Hugh Lee (Oxford) to ask the Secretary General:
Q60 As part of our Shrinking the Footprint campaign, has consideration been given to making meetings of the General Synod and the Archbishops’ Council and its committees ‘carbon neutral’ by offsetting the carbon emissions from travelling to these meetings etc using a carbon offset mechanism such as EQUICLIMATE, which is available from EQUIGAS, the not-for-profit Christian company that is now well-established with over ten thousand customers helping the fuel poor?
CLERK TO THE SYNOD
Mr Philip French (Rochester) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q61 Noting that the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church is meeting at the University of Exeter whilst the General Synod is at the University of York, would the Clerk to the Synod please indicate what steps (if any) are taken to avoid such fixture clashes with our sister churches?
BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Bishop of Dover to reply as Vice-Chairman of the Board
Mr Peter LeRoy (Bath & Wells) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q62 What new scope will arise for Christian influence, outreach and mission in all schools as a consequence of the Education and Inspections Bill currently going through Parliament, and how soon will a debate be scheduled so that this Synod can help the Church consider the implications, clarify its strategy and maximize the opportunities?
Mr Gerald O’Brien (Rochester) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q63 How many dioceses have increased the number of
church primary schools; and
church secondary schools
in the last three years, and how many have been, or plan to be, involved in the establishment of city technology colleges?
The Revd Simon Bessant (Blackburn) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q64 In February 2006 the General Synod passed a resolution concerning the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. This resolution also contained an apology for the Church’s involvement in the slave trade to those who are the heirs of those who were enslaved. In the light of this resolution, has the Board plans:
to support schools in educating their pupils concerning the slave trade and the sensitive racial issues surrounding it, and to help them celebrate the bicentenary of its abolition; and
to develop resources to affirm the culture of black pupils, given the widely recognized issue of black educational underachievement in our country?
Mr Andrew Presland (Peterborough) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q65 What advice, if any, has the Board of Education issued to the heads of church schools regarding the use of history books which refer to years using the secular “Common Era” (CE) nomenclature, rather than the Christ-centred, widely used and well-established “Anno Domini” (AD) terminology?