Speeches by Cordova.

“9. What steps he is taking to improve the Access to Work scheme.”

“The Access to Work scheme provides vital support, and it is one of the best forms of support for blind and partially sighted workers, but when their awards come up for review, they find that their support and awards are being significantly reduced. Given the Government’s commitment to keeping Britain working, will the …”

“Again, I am sorry to hear about the right hon. Member’s constituency and the number of churches that are no longer in operation. I will certainly ensure that whatever best practice the Church Commissioners have can be shared with the Church of Scotland.”

“I always welcome the contributions of the hon. Member in Church Commissioners questions, and he raises a really important point. As I said, the Church continues to have dialogue with the many different charities and non-governmental organisations working in this area. I am sure that he, like me, will mark the Internati…”

“The Church of England has a presence in every community in England, and provides support to its clergy and other faith communities through its presence and engagement initiative. Our churches work with inter-faith networks to stand in solidarity with others, bringing people together, and to deepen understanding, offeri…”

“The Church is in regular dialogue with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and welcomes the Government’s continued commitment to implementing the findings of the Truro review. As part of its continuing conversations, the Church raises the importance of supporting freedom of religion with other countries, i…”

“On 3 October, after 11 months, Bishop Sarah Mullally was appointed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. This is an historic appointment, as she is the first woman to be appointed to the position.”

“I am always happy to meet hon. Members about any issue they wish to raise. I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman’s church, which is working in partnership with the food bank. There are many such examples, including at St Mark’s church in my constituency. We all know the role that our churches play in our communities to p…”

“The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. That overlaps with what is happening at local government level, but also with what the Church Commissioners are doing. I will write to him to set out whether discussions are taking place with the Church Commissioners. I hope he will find that sufficient.”

“The Prime Minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief launched the Government’s new strategy on 8 July this year, and the Church welcomes that continuing commitment. Obviously it is too early to assess the effectiveness of the strategy, but the Church remains concerned about the global and local trends. …”

“My hon. Friend makes a really important point. Across this House, I think we would all congratulate and celebrate all the women in leadership within our Church. Indeed, just last night I was at the installation of the new rector for St Mary’s, Battersea—a woman.”

“My hon. Friend makes some very good points, and I thank her for her words and good wishes. She is a true champion of women’s rights, but also of women in leadership. I want to place on the record my congratulations to Bishop Sarah on making history. She spent over 35 years in the NHS, becoming the youngest ever chief n…”

“My thoughts and prayers are with those communities affected by the tragic attack at Heaton Park synagogue, as well as that at the mosque in Sussex. The Church of England responded by offering direct support through its Manchester interfaith adviser, who worked closely with the authorities and is known and respected in …”

“I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend.”

“I am sure that across the House we can all agree that the situation in Sudan is desperate. The Church of England dioceses have given financial support and practical aid and worked through local agencies and international charities to support the local clergy in Sudan. The Bishop of Leeds has visited the country many ti…”

“I am truly sorry to hear about the closure of St John the Baptist church. As I have highlighted, in recognition of the importance of supporting churches in rural communities, the Church is investing £11 million with partner organisations dedicated to sharing the Christian faith. That funding will be available to nearly…”

“Rural churches play an important role in the life and wellbeing of their communities. Funding has been allocated by the National Church Institutions in recognition of that, and it is making a significant difference to missions across the country. Funds have been awarded to the diocese of Hereford to pay for a series of…”

“I recognise and commend the work of all churches that are standing up for minority communities, refugees and those seeking asylum. Our diversity is our strength, and our strength as a Church lies in supporting every member of our communities, including those who face barriers, persecution or prejudice. I also want to r…”

“The Church of England supports efforts to defend international religious freedoms for Christians or whichever religious group faces persecution. The Church has created parliamentary caucuses involving religious leaders in east and west Africa, and in south-east Asia to support legislation to protect religious freedoms.”

“I welcome this long-overdue ceasefire and phase one of this peace plan. The devastating number of Palestinians killed, including more than 18,400 children, is intolerable, and countless others have life-changing injuries. The devastation we have witnessed happened as a result of previous bombardments happening without …”