GENERAL SYNOD
NOVEMBER GROUP OF SESSIONS 2005
QUESTIONS
of which notice has been given under Standing Orders 105-109 to be taken on Wednesday 16 November 2005. The questions for written reply are marked with an asterisk.
LITURGICAL COMMISSION
The Bishop of Wakefield to reply as Chairman of the Liturgical Commission
The Revd John Cook (London) to ask the Chairman of the Liturgical Commission:
Q1. Is the decision to take advantage of the option of anointing conferred by the Ordination Services a question for the bishop alone, or can a candidate refuse?
Mr Paul Boyd-Lee (Salisbury) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q2. If there were a greater national crisis than in recent years, are there plans in hand for the Established Church to lead the Christians in this country in a united time of prayer, and if so what briefly might these be?
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
For written reply
The Revd Mark Ireland (Lichfield) to ask the Church Commissioners:
*Q3. Following the approval of the report of the Resourcing Mission group at the July Synod, what progress has been made by the Church Commissioners in providing new resources for new mission initiatives and fresh expressions of church?
PENSIONS BOARD
Mr Allan Bridgewater to reply as Chairman of the Pensions Board
Dr Graham Campbell (Chester) to ask the Chairman of the Pensions Board:
Q4. In the twelve month period between 1 October 2004 and 30 September 2005, how many clergy have retired early on ill-health grounds having completed less than 2 years service in the stipendiary ministry of the Church of England?
Dr Graham Campbell (Chester) to ask the Chairman of the Pensions Board:
Q5. What is the approximate additional cost to the Pensions Board of having to fund the augmented pension of a clergy person who retires on ill-health grounds at age 50, age 55 and age 60?
The Revd Stephen Coles (London) to ask the Chairman of the Pensions Board:
Q6. Is it the case that if a member of the clergy marries during the period of his or her stipendiary service, their widow or widower is entitled to the same pension as that of a member of the clergy who was already married when ordained?
ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL
The Bishop of Chelmsford to reply as a member of the Archbishops’ Council
The Revd Peter Spiers (Liverpool) to ask the Chairman of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q7. Given that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary believes that the 43 police forces in England and Wales are ‘no longer fit for the purpose’ and that merging some of them (to about 30) would produce better performance and cost savings, when will the Archbishops’ Council, as a matter of urgency, instruct the Dioceses Commission, under section 2 of the Dioceses Measure 1978, to conduct a similar review for the 44 dioceses of the Church of England?
Mrs Alison Ruoff (London) to ask the Chairman of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q8. The note in Crockford’s Clerical Directory, published by Church House Publishing, on ‘How to address the clergy’ states that in offering the advice it gives, “we do not intend to imply that other practices are necessarily to be discouraged (for example the use of Father as in ‘Father Smith’). A good deal depends on circumstances and, where a personal preference is known, it is usually good practice to follow it.” Has consideration been given to the possibility of revising this advice in the light of the preference of some women priests to be addressed as ‘Mother’?
Mrs Mary Judkins (Wakefield) to ask the Chairman of the Archbishops’ Council:
Q9. The Archbishop of Canterbury is to be commended for regretting the imposition of ‘triumphalistic’ hymns on countries outside Europe in past years, during his recent visits to other countries, but this has led to comments in the press that he is apologising for his Christian faith and in particular its heritage in Britain. Has consideration been given to how this negative impression may best be countered, so that we can be proud of our festivals without fear?
HOUSE OF BISHOPS
The Archbishop of Canterbury to reply as Chairman of the House of Bishops
Mr Peter Smith (St Edmundsbury & Ipswich) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q10. Given the contrast between the Archbishop of Canterbury’s address to the Third Anglican Global South to South Encounter and paragraph C23 of the concluding statement as reported by ACNS, will the House consider how the ‘bonds of affection’ between all provinces can be strengthened to avoid public statements further polarizing views on complex theological and ethical issues?
Mr Gerald O’Brien (Rochester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q11. In the light of recent developments in the Diocese of Recife and the initiative of the Primate of the Southern Cone, has the House of Bishops considered the possible implications for the future governance of the Church of England?
The Bishop of Norwich to reply as Chairman of the House’s Sub-Group on Civil Partnerships
The Revd Andrew Watson (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q12. In view of its potential for serious theological/ethical confusion, does the House of Bishops intend to forbid the clergy of the Church of England from conducting rites of blessing for civil partnerships?
The Revd John Hartley (Bradford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q13. Why is it stated in the recent ‘pastoral statement’ from the House of Bishops on Civil Partnerships (paragraph 25) that Canon B 22.4 makes it clear that infant baptism cannot be refused, when in fact the Canon provides that baptism can be refused if the provisions relating to godparents have not been observed?
Mrs Sarah Finch (London) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q14. In the light of the House of Bishops’ Pastoral Statement on the Civil Partnership Act, and in view of the fact that many parishioners will want to be reassured that their minister, if in a Civil Partnership, is not engaged in an active same-sex union, has the House considered how a bishop might best relay to those parishioners the reassurance he has obtained?
The Bishop of Winchester to reply as past Chairman of the House's Working Party on Marriage in Church after Divorce
The Revd John Hartley (Bradford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q15. In the light of a recent high-profile wedding, what guidance would the House of Bishops give as to when it would be appropriate for the clergy to decline to offer any public service, either marriage or prayer and dedication following a civil marriage, to a divorcee intending to remarry?
The Bishop of Guildford to reply as Chairman of the House's Women Bishops Group
The Revd Robert Cotton (Guildford) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q16. What consultation has happened between the House of Bishops, the Archbishops’ Council and the Business Committee to ensure that the assessment of various options for removing the legal obstacles to the ordination of women to the episcopate will be laid before Synod in February 2006?
Mrs Mary Nagel (Chichester) to ask the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q17. Given that the resolution passed by the General Synod at its July Group of Sessions on the Ordination of Women to the Episcopate called on the House of Bishops, in completing the report to be brought to the Synod, to “give specific attention to the issues of canonical obedience and the universal validity of orders throughout the Church of England as it would affect clergy and laity who cannot accept the ordination of women to the episcopate on theological grounds”, what consultation has there been by the House of such clergy and laity in the course of preparing its report?
SECRETARY GENERAL
The Revd Dr Richard Burridge (Universities) to ask the Secretary General:
Q18. Could the Secretary General please tell the Synod about the plans for the move of staff out of Church House for the refurbishment, and its implications for both the staff themselves and for the work of this Synod and its committees?
Mr Colin Slater (Southwell and Nottingham) to ask the Secretary General:
Q19. What training is planned for those appointed to serve on the Provincial Panels, required to be established under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003, when will such training take place, and can an assurance be given that it is planned to be held in the Northern Province as well as the Southern?
The Ven Mark Bryant (Coventry) to ask the Secretary General:
Q20. Times Online of September 14 quotes the Church of England as dismissing as ‘silly’ a paper from Dr Brick from Paisley University’s School of Social Sciences regarding the iconic status of David Beckham. Does the Secretary General consider this comment to show the Church of England as willing to engage with contemporary culture?
Mr Paul Boyd-Lee (Salisbury) to ask the Secretary General:
Q21. Is the Secretary General aware of any body within the Church of England’s structures that is monitoring for a town in England which might decide to hold a Festival of Decadence, such as was planned for New Orleans recently, and if so have they plans to resist it?
Mr Gerald O’Brien (Rochester) to ask the Secretary General:
Q22. Is the Secretary General aware of any legal or other constraints which might inhibit a diocesan bishop in the Church of England from offering episcopal care to those outside the area of his territorial jurisdiction?
CLERK TO THE SYNOD
For written reply
Mr Adrian Greenwood (Southwark) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
*Q23. Can the Clerk please supply for both the new House of Clergy and the new House of Laity:
an age profile (eg the numbers in the following age bands by year of birth: 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; over 70);
an ‘experience’ profile (showing those elected for the first time and those elected for the second, third and fourth times etc); and
a breakdown between male and female?
Mr Adrian Greenwood (Southwark) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q24. Are there written procedures, available to members of the Synod, governing the appointment and terms of office of the members of the Panel of Chairmen, or a published ‘job description’ and ‘person specification’, and is any training or feedback offered to them in the light of any such requirements?
Dr Anna Thomas-Betts (Oxford) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q25. In the new, slimmed-down General Synod, what has been the reduction in the representation of minority ethnic members, and how many of such members who stood for re-election were successful?
Canon Dr Christina Baxter (Southwell and Nottingham) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q26. Is the Central Secretariat willing to publish the names and addresses of each person supplied with a set of General Synod labels (by putting up a list on the Synod notice board) so that members may respond to any literature sent to them even if it does not furnish a reply address, and if not, why not?
Mrs Joanna Monckton (Lichfield) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q27. Has consideration been given to whether it is proper for those who may be seen as having a personal interest in the outcome of a debate in the General Synod, in terms of the possibility of their own preferment, to speak or vote in that debate?
Mr Harry Marsh (Chelmsford) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q28. Publication of the Church Representation Rules is intended to facilitate work undertaken by officers in parishes and deaneries, eg arrangements for elections to PCCs and Deanery Synods over the past six months. What has caused the continued delays in publishing the latest version, incorporating the wide range of revisions effected in 2004, originally due last February, then June, then October and now ‘possibly’ January 2006, and can there be any assurance of timely publication of future versions?
The Revd Peter Spiers (Liverpool) to ask the Clerk to the Synod:
Q29. In full expectation of England’s participation in the World Cup final (Sunday 9 July at 7.00pm), what steps will the Clerk to the Synod be taking to negotiate with York University authorities adequate viewing facilities for General Synod members?
BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Bishop of Dover to reply as Acting Chairman of the Board of Education
Mrs Mary Nagel (Chichester) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q30. Has the Board considered the problems those dioceses will face, which, as a cost-cutting exercise, have reduced, suspended or abolished their Children’s Work Adviser posts, as they seek to implement the Church of England Children’s Strategy?
Mrs Kathleen Ben Rabha (Salisbury) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q31. What is the Church of England currently doing to provide training opportunities (and better access to them) for those who work with young people in a voluntary capacity?
Mrs Kathleen Ben Rabha (Salisbury) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q32. Given the increasing importance of lay people both inside and outside the church structures, when and where is there to be a discussion about the allocation of adequate resources centrally, for the drawing out of more lay vocations, especially for work outside of church structures?
The Revd Stephen Coles (London) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q33. As the Church of England is planning to take advantage of the current Government’s education policies to become responsible for running more schools in the near future, can the Board of Education indicate what kind of admissions criteria would in its view best advance the mission of the Church of England under these circumstances?
Dr Edmund Marshall (Wakefield) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q34. What advice is the Board giving to Diocesan Boards of Education about school buildings which have been sold since 1987 and which were on land originally donated under the School Sites Act 1841?
Dr Edmund Marshall (Wakefield) to ask the Chairman of the Board of Education:
Q35. Will the Board issue a general direction to the Church of England Colleges of Higher Education to allow political parties the opportunity to hold stalls at the annual Freshers’ Fairs?
CATHEDRALS AND CHURCH BUILDINGS DIVISION
The Bishop of London to reply as Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division
Mr Peter Smith (St Edmundsbury & Ipswich) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q36. What progress has been made in discussions within the EC to seek a permanent reduction in VAT for repairs to listed places of worship?
Mr Roy Thompson (York) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q37. Has consideration been given to the question whether the provisions of the National Lottery Bill currently before Parliament are likely to threaten the availability of funds for the repair of church buildings?
Mrs Mary Judkins (Wakefield) to ask the Chairman of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division:
Q38. As from October 2004 under the Disability Discrimination Act service providers have had to look at what “inhibits the use of services by disabled people”. Is the Division aware of how this is being done in terms of access to toilets from the inside and access to gift shops, especially in our cathedrals, abbeys and minsters?
COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Bishop of Peterborough to reply as Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity
The Revd Stephen Trott (Peterborough) to ask the Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity:
Q39. Does the recent decision of the Kyrkomötet (Church Assembly) of the Church of Sweden to authorize rites of blessing of gay civil partnerships in any way affect the Communion established between our churches under the 1992 Porvoo Agreement?
MINISTRY DIVISION
The Bishop of Derby to answer as Chairman of the Ministry Division Finance Panel
The Ven Mark Bryant (Coventry) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q40. How much money has been spent from central funds over the past three years in subsidising vacant places at theological colleges?
The Bishop of Chelmsford to answer as Chairman of the Ministry Division
The Revd John Cook (London) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q41. Given the Synod’s decision that the residential theological colleges’ role is of national significance, what steps have been taken by the Ministry Division which demonstrate this has been appropriately implemented?
The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds to answer as Chairman of the Deployment, Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee
The Revd Prebendary Philippa Boardman (London) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q42. Given the inevitable vulnerability of clergy in the exercise of their ministry, which dioceses have a clergy safety policy and what steps are being taken within the national church to co-ordinate a strategy in this area?
Mr Roy Thompson (York) to ask the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q43. Who would be responsible under the proposals highlighted in GS 1593 (The Property Issues Revisited, pages 17 and 19) for compliance with Local Authority Building Control conditions (including new conditions for electrical and insulation standards) when changes (or periodic inspections) to clergy housing or church buildings are made?
MISSION AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Dr Philip Giddings to reply as Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council
The Revd Mark Ireland (Lichfield) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q44. What progress has been made to date on the establishment of a national Youth Evangelism Fund, which was the major recommendation of the Anglican Conference on Evangelism held at Swanwick in 1999?
Mr Aiden Hargreaves-Smith (London) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q45. Following the outcome of the recent House of Lords debate on the Assisted Dying Bill, will the Council:
thank the Bishop of St Albans and all those bishops who took part in the debate for their important contributions; and
in the light of the 293-1 vote in this Synod supporting the House of Bishops’ opposition to the Bill, confirm that it is aware of the concern of many church members at the submission to the Select Committee made by the Modern Churchpeople’s Union, which campaigns for assisted suicide to be legalized and claims its position is supported by 66% of regular Church of England worshippers?
The Revd Hugh Lee (Oxford) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q46. As around two million British households are defined as fuel poor and this is responsible for up to 50,000 premature deaths each winter, making it second only to smoking as a preventable cause of death, has any consideration been given to issuing practical advice to churches on how they could help people in their parishes, particularly the old and infirm, keep warm, given the forecasts of exceptionally cold weather this winter?
Dr Anna Thomas-Betts (Oxford) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q47. In view of the adoption of the new Iraqi constitution based on Islamic law, and the much-increased persecution already suffered by Iraqi Christians since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, has the Council considered in what ways the Church of England is best able to support Christians in Iraq?
The Bishop of Southwark to reply as Vice-Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council
The Revd Prebendary David Houlding (London) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q48. What representations has the Church made to Her Majesty’s Government concerning
Mr Aiden Hargreaves-Smith (London) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q49. Has the Council considered the issue of child runaways and homelessness amongst young people; and will the Council:
The Bishop of St Albans to reply as Chairman of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council
The Revd Jonathan Alderton-Ford (St Edmundsbury & Ipswich) to ask the Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council:
Q50. Massive cuts are being delivered to Primary Healthcare Trusts in Suffolk, with the result that services might be reduced by as much as two-thirds. What representation is the Church of England making at the national level, given that there are reasons for believing that cuts on a similar scale will be made in other areas of the country?
BUSINESS COMMITTEE
The Ven Alan Hawker to reply as Acting Chairman of the Business Committee
Mrs Christina Rees (St Albans) to ask the Chairman of the Business Committee:
Q51. Will the Business Committee please make it a priority to examine how the turnout at elections can be maximized in order to strengthen the mandate of the General Synod?
The Revd David Bird (Peterborough) to ask the Chairman of the Business Committee:
Q52. Has the Business Committee discussed the implications for by-elections of the changes in the rules for elections to the House of Clergy, specifically where two archdeacons stand for election in the same diocese in a general election?
The Ven Malcolm Colmer (Hereford) to ask the Chairman of the Business Committee:
Q53. Remembering that the word synod means together on the way and that a Church Synod is therefore Christians together on the way, would the Business Committee please bring forward proposals to ensure that the General Synod is less like a parliament, and gives more time to listening to God through study, reflection and prayer together?
The Revd Robert Cotton (Guildford) to ask the Chairman of the Business Committee:
Q54. What planning has the Business Committee undertaken to make certain that an effective procedural mechanism can be devised to reveal to the General Synod in advance of its forthcoming debate the degree of support for the various options for removing the legal obstacles to the ordination of women to the episcopate?