Speeches by Cordova.

“It is good to see my hon. Friend back in his place after his injury. I understand that he was running with his children when it happened.”

“He couldn’t keep up with his children, obviously! [Laughter.] Apologies, Mr Speaker. The new places of worship renewal fund will be managed by Historic England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The fund totals £92 million over four years and will support capital repairs to listed places of worsh…”

“The right hon. Member highlights the true value of what can happen in our local communities when churches, local authorities and all other stakeholders work together. Yes, I will take him up on that, and write to the Local Government Minister to encourage such a co-working relationship in his constituency.”

“The Church is concerned about the growth of extremism, including Christian nationalism, and bishops have established a working group to promote unity and support parishes with theological, practical and pastoral resources to counter extremism locally.”

“As the hon. Member will know, the issue of the persecution of Christians abroad has come up before, and the Church obviously takes it seriously. As I highlighted in my initial answer, last year the Church established a working group that seeks to provide support for bishops and senior clergy, with relevant experience a…”

“Mr Speaker, it always feels like I am getting my exercise in at Church questions! Through community programmes, the Church provides a significant contribution to the local economy, amounting to around £55 billion. That includes food banks, warm spaces, credit unions, school clubs and other forms of family support. The …”

“Parishes across England run tens of thousands of community projects, including parent and toddler groups, holiday clubs, and breakfast and after-school provision. Under its vision 2020 strategy, the Church of England aims to double the number of children and young people in congregations by 2030. This is backed by £236…”

“I thank the Minister for her statement, and welcome the Government’s plan to halve knife crime in a decade. In my constituency we have seen far too many lives taken as a result of knife crime—indeed, just last month, another young life was lost when a 25-year-old was killed. As such, it is really important that the Gov…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) on her sterling work as Chair of the Transport Committee, and I thank the Backbench Business Committee for providing time for us to debate what I think is a very important issue. It is no secret that I have been a lifelong campaigner fo…”

“I thank my right hon. Friend for his intervention, because he is absolutely spot on. We can have all the infrastructure in the world, but if we do not have the workforce to manage it then it will not work. We have to value the workforce, because I rely on that workforce when I travel and I know that many others do, too…”

“Thank you. This place is not accessible either, because I need someone to tell me when my time is running out, but we will work on that, too. We need solid infrastructure, backed up by the right investment, and the workforce to deliver it. We need to tighten up enforcement, because without enforcement, the onus is on d…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on her opening speech. Does she agree that society’s disabling barriers prevent disabled people from being able to have accessible transport, and that the Government and others need to understand that we have to change the infrastructure? That is how we are going to create an inclusive and…”

“I am pleased that the Government are looking at ways to protect our children and young people when it comes to the use of screens. It is vital that teachers, parents and young people have strong guidance in place, as we know that excessive screen time can have an impact on eye healthcare, so will the Minister commit to…”

“I could not have put it better myself. It is the best good news story which must be shared, and we will continue to lift up our voices and share that great story.”

“The hon. Lady makes an important point; the issue is about how the Church works across faith-based organisations to be the leaders of peace. The Church works closely with the diocese of Jerusalem and the Anglican communion agencies, providing education, healthcare and employment across the region and in other countries…”

“I commend my hon. Friend for being such a strong voice on this issue. The Church shares the concerns about the hostile new vetting restrictions and how they have disrupted humanitarian operations in Gaza—they are adversely affecting both church-based agencies and international aid programmes. The Church continues to wo…”

“I, too, attended the launch of the Open Doors world watch list last month, and I agree that the testimonies shared by those who have fled persecution were powerful and moving. The Bishop of Leeds, who has visited Sudan extensively, has repeatedly raised the issues facing the Sudanese people in the other place and direc…”

“The Church recognises the profound pain experienced by many mothers and adoptees affected by historical forced adoption practices, and it is sobering to hear the accounts from mothers and their children whose lives have been adversely affected by what happened to them in maternity homes, including those linked to the C…”

“The Anglican communion is deeply alarmed by the worsening humanitarian catastrophe, which has been described by regional bishops as “almost unbearable”. Christian communities are among the hardest hit and are facing mass killings, sexual violence and famine. Millions of people have been displaced, and churches and prop…”

“The Church of England has expressed heartfelt sorrow and regret that anyone has been hurt. The National Church Institutions are engaging with a range of stakeholders, including, most importantly, those people who were directly affected.”