House of Commons · General Debate
10 September 2020 · 3 other contributors
Opened by James Sunderland Party Constituency
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
James Sunderland raised concerns about church commissioners in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
James Sunderland asked what steps the Church of England is taking to support mental health during the covid-19 outbreak. He highlighted the importance of youth engagement and raised concerns about the impact of lockdown measures on young people's mental health.
Responding to James Sunderland, Andrew Selous emphasised the work of healthcare chaplains in acute and community mental health services. He also mentioned specific initiatives such as the diocese of Manchester's provision of mental health wellbeing youth workers and the parish of Goudhurst in Kilndown providing subsidised mental health counselling in 13 schools.
In his follow-up question, James Sunderland questioned the impact of covid-19 on young people working for the Church and their engagement with youth work. He noted a significant reduction in connection due to lockdown measures.
Addressing James Sunderland's concern, Andrew Selous acknowledged the reduced connections between churches and young people during lockdowns. He suggested that churches can hold services tailored for young people and continue to meet in groups of six or fewer to increase youth involvement.