Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rough Sleeping

Thursday 11 January 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Church of England provides shelters and support for rough sleepers through parish churches.
  • Church of England is piloting projects to build housing on Church land for long-term secure housing.
  • Joint archbishops' commission on housing work is recommended for churches in Northern Ireland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevin Foster Con
Housing Religion & Faith
Context

The Church of England is being asked about its efforts to support local authorities and the government in tackling rough sleeping.

Question

What steps the Church is taking to support work by local authorities and the Government on reducing rough sleeping?

Answer from Andrew Selous

Many parish churches provide shelters and support for rough sleepers. The Church of England is working to provide long-term secure housing for those who need it, and piloting projects to build housing on Church land to enable that to happen.

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Q2 Kevin Foster Con
Housing Religion & Faith
Context

The question focuses on the support that the Church of England can offer parishes in Torbay engaged in work to reduce rough sleeping.

Question

Church buildings and congregations can work well with local councils to reduce rough sleeping by providing not only a bed and a meal, but the opportunity for lasting spiritual and emotional support through membership of the Church family. What further support can the Church of England offer parishes in Torbay that are undertaking such work?

Answer from Andrew Selous

I warmly congratulate all the churches in Torbay on the provision of the night shelter, and I single out in particular Mark Gridley and Gary Mitchell, who I know have been instrumental in leading that work—I am sure that the whole House is grateful for what they are doing. It is also typical of my hon. Friend that, as I understand it, he provides a Sunday evening surgery at the shelter. I am sure that churches across England could learn from that excellent initiative. If any churches would welcome conversation with the Church of England about housing on Church land, I ask them to get in touch with me directly and I will enable that to happen.

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Housing Northern Ireland Religion & Faith
Context

The question pertains to the Church's role in addressing homelessness, particularly focusing on the responsibility of churches in Northern Ireland.

Question

In my constituency, unfortunately, at this time of year we are witnessing a number of people who are homeless—we have not seen that for some time. The story of Christmas tells of Mary's journey before the birth of baby Jesus, when they too were homeless. I am very keen to hear from the Church Commissioners what can be done not just here on the mainland, which I understand is the responsibility of the Church of England, but in Northern Ireland, where the Church of Ireland and other churches also wish to participate.

Answer from Andrew Selous

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. In the first instance, I suggest that he and churches in Northern Ireland might want to look at the joint archbishops' commission on housing, which came out last year. The commission was widely praised for its work, and we are taking that work forward in the Church of England, but I am sure that churches in Northern Ireland could learn from it as well.

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