Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the reliance on charities and faith groups to address child poverty, particularly due to the two-child benefit cap.
For too long, charities, faith groups and churches such as my own, St Bede’s, have been supporting people struggling to get by. Does my hon. Friend agree that our child poverty taskforce needs to seriously consider scrapping the awful two-child benefit cap, because relying on charity to lift children out of poverty is simply unsustainable?
My hon. Friend makes an important point. Everyone has a responsibility to tackle child poverty, and we should all commend and thank the Church for the role it has played in this space. I know that the Bishop of Derby hosted Baroness Sherlock, the child poverty unit and colleagues for a roundtable, where many issues were discussed.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request to consider scrapping the two-child benefit cap was not directly addressed.
Roundtable Discussion
Commending Church'S Role
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the Church Commissioners spending £5 million on a project outside their charitable objectives without approval from the Charity Commission.
Churches across the country are doing amazing work tackling poverty, but they could be doing more. Many of my constituents will be surprised that the Church Commissioners have already spent £5 million on Project Spire when it is not within their charitable objectives, and that they plan to spend £100 million when the Charity Commission has not signed that off. Why are the Church Commissioners doing something that is not within their charitable objectives?
No decision has been taken on that. When the board of governors and the Church of Commissioners make that decision, they will follow the right processes to do so.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific spending outside charitable objectives was not addressed.
No Decision Made
Follow The Right Processes
Response accuracy