0:00:00 > 0:00:00right honourable member representing the House of Commons commission and
0:00:00 > 0:00:05the honourable member for Halton and Sunderland South, representing the
0:00:05 > 0:00:10speakers committee on the Electoral Commission, and the right honourable
0:00:10 > 0:00:16member representing the Church Commissioners. Mr Alan Brown.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22Question number one, Mr Speaker.The Electoral Commission reported on
0:00:22 > 0:00:29finance regulation at the general election in November 2017,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33highlighting areas to improve transparency and political finance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36The recommendations include increasing the maximum politics it
0:00:36 > 0:00:40can impose foreign breach of the rules, extending requirement for
0:00:40 > 0:00:44campaign materials to include online campaigning, and changing the law to
0:00:44 > 0:00:56allow transparency of political donations in Northern Ireland.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59After
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Does the honourable member agree with the Electoral Commission that
0:01:11 > 0:01:15the fines are no longer suitable and action needs to be taken urgently so
0:01:15 > 0:01:20the penalty matches the crime? The honourable gentleman is right to
0:01:20 > 0:01:22draw attention to the recommendation of the commission, that there should
0:01:22 > 0:01:27be an increase in the maximum penalty they can impose on political
0:01:27 > 0:01:33parties and campaigners for a breach of the rules. There is a risk a fine
0:01:33 > 0:01:38of £20,000 maximum per offence could be seen the risk of doing business.
0:01:38 > 0:01:44And the money should be more proportionate for well funded
0:01:44 > 0:01:48campaigners.Question number two, Mr Speaker.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53I must declare an interest here. This is actually my bill which would
0:01:53 > 0:01:57enable mother's details to be regarded on the registration of
0:01:57 > 0:02:04marriages. I am introducing it on 23rd February. The Bishop of Stal
0:02:04 > 0:02:09bans is introducing an identical bill in the House of Lords tomorrow.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I don't think the House can have a stronger indication of how the
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Church of England would welcome this change.Can I congratulate the
0:02:18 > 0:02:23honourable laid. One way women have been written out of history is not
0:02:23 > 0:02:32being by recorded on official documents like marriage certificates
0:02:32 > 0:02:37what work women have done in the past. Is there anything else she
0:02:37 > 0:02:41feels to promote this bill and get Government support?We are doing our
0:02:41 > 0:02:47very best. I was very encouraged to read in the Sunday Times on 31st
0:02:47 > 0:02:53December that a Home Office spokes man had told that newspaper that
0:02:53 > 0:02:57"The bill had been signed off." I am hoping that means the Government
0:02:57 > 0:03:00could actually give this bill time when it comes to us from the Lords,
0:03:00 > 0:03:05as I am sure it will. We all just want to see this happen. We would
0:03:05 > 0:03:10all cheer. And there are many mothers, Mr Speaker, really with
0:03:10 > 0:03:13weddings in the offing who would like to see this change happen in
0:03:13 > 0:03:18time for their children to be married.
0:03:18 > 0:03:28I thank the honourable lady for her response to the question. Marriage
0:03:28 > 0:03:36break downs daily to a large extent, we do welcome the honourable lady's
0:03:36 > 0:03:40response to include mother's details. Can the honourable lady in
0:03:40 > 0:03:45her response to this House outline a timescale legally and over a period
0:03:45 > 0:03:51of time when we hope to complete this?Mr Speaker, as it stands at
0:03:51 > 0:03:54the moment the identity Kay members bill is being introduced into both
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Houses. It is a pincher movement to try and make this happen. This is
0:03:59 > 0:04:02only the fifth time this House has tried to get an important change in
0:04:02 > 0:04:07a law that dates back to 1853. The thing that would speed up this
0:04:07 > 0:04:12change is if the Government would give that bill time in this House. I
0:04:12 > 0:04:19am hoping that statement, given by the Home Office on New Year's Eve
0:04:19 > 0:04:25has some substance behind it and they will give it time very shortly.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Thank you, Mr Speaker. The commission has given no formal
0:04:29 > 0:04:33consideration to a move to electronic voting in the House. Its
0:04:33 > 0:04:37response niblt this matter is limited to any financial or staffing
0:04:37 > 0:04:41implications of any change to the present system, were a change to be
0:04:41 > 0:04:46agreed to by the House. Thank you very much. The voting
0:04:46 > 0:04:50system here is a bit crazy. Last week, we had two hours for eight
0:04:50 > 0:04:55votes. Most of the Parliaments in the world would laugh at that and
0:04:55 > 0:05:00indeed do laugh at that T given MPs value meeting each other in the
0:05:00 > 0:05:07lobbies can we have a hybrid system where we have more than one vote to
0:05:07 > 0:05:12save hours?I have some sympathy with the point he's making. I am
0:05:12 > 0:05:17sure he will know now as an expert in these matters this is a matter
0:05:17 > 0:05:22for the House and of course he could f he choose to do so, approach the
0:05:22 > 0:05:29procedure committee to ask them to look at this matter.We do have a
0:05:29 > 0:05:33form of electronic voting now because the clerks are using iPads.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38The iPads are slower than the physical pieces of paper in the past
0:05:38 > 0:05:44because it takes more time to spot the individual name. I think it is a
0:05:44 > 0:05:47good opportunity to meet ministers and other colleagues in the lobbies.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52It would be good if it didn't take 16 minutes for every votend a
0:05:52 > 0:06:00wouldn't it be good to look at swifter voting such as using a thumb
0:06:00 > 0:06:07print to vote.I am happy to take that back to look at whether from a
0:06:07 > 0:06:15techno loingal point of view it could be speeded up.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Mr Speaker, I know that my Right Honourable friend has a great
0:06:18 > 0:06:22interest in this subject because he asked me about the training in April
0:06:22 > 0:06:27last year. I am very pleased to tell the House that an additional 44
0:06:27 > 0:06:31candidates have presented for training as ordained ministers. That
0:06:31 > 0:06:35makes a total of 544 in training, which means there we are on our way
0:06:35 > 0:06:42of our target of 750 a year by 2020. As so many clerks retire, what will
0:06:42 > 0:06:50be the future age profile of her holly orders?Like a lot of
0:06:50 > 0:06:56institutions we face the prospect of older clergy, actually large numbers
0:06:56 > 0:07:00retiring at the same time as a result of previous pushes to
0:07:00 > 0:07:04increase people to be ordained and enter the ministry. I am delighted
0:07:04 > 0:07:13to say those in the under 32 year age group rose by two fifths and
0:07:13 > 0:07:18accounts for nearly one-third of the total.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Mr Speaker, I was disappointed recently to hear from the head of
0:07:23 > 0:07:29Uber that only 5% of drivers are women. What is the gender balance in
0:07:29 > 0:07:35the statement she just made?The Right Honourable gentleman busy been
0:07:35 > 0:07:41assiduous in asking about gender balance. The intake of female or din
0:07:41 > 0:07:45mans has seen an increase of 19% compared to last year and while
0:07:45 > 0:07:49women only make up one third of the fully ordained clergy in place at
0:07:49 > 0:08:00the moment, we are moving, like other professions, towards 50/50.
0:08:00 > 0:08:07Thank you, Mr Speaker. In the dicesy of Gloucester, as soon as we fill
0:08:07 > 0:08:11one vacancy another arises. Bishop Rachel is working very hard. The
0:08:11 > 0:08:15situation can only be sorted if we bring more people forward for
0:08:15 > 0:08:20training. What the is church of England doing to enable for that to
0:08:20 > 0:08:26happen?We celebrated the introduction of Bishop Rachel as the
0:08:26 > 0:08:31first women Bishop after the change of the law. We have a female Bishop
0:08:31 > 0:08:35sitting in the Lords for Newcastle and recently the appointment of a
0:08:35 > 0:08:42female Bishop to London. There is a method of positive discrimination,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46where by diocese represented in the Lords are encouraged to appoint a
0:08:46 > 0:08:50woman. We move in the Lords to have a better reputation of female
0:08:50 > 0:08:56Bishops. Question five.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Mr Speaker, following all meetings of the General Synod, it is standard
0:09:00 > 0:09:05practise for the clerk of the General Synod to inform the
0:09:05 > 0:09:07appropriate Government department, this was done on 21st July,
0:09:07 > 0:09:12following the vote at the synod to ban conversion therapy and a
0:09:12 > 0:09:17response was received from the relevant minister on 24th August.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Mr Speaker, it would be helpful if we knew what that response actually
0:09:21 > 0:09:26said, because, as she will know, this so-called therapy does
0:09:26 > 0:09:29dreadful, dreadful damage to young people emotionally and
0:09:29 > 0:09:34psychologically. And it's long overdue to be banned. And the
0:09:34 > 0:09:39sponsor of this excellent motion in the General Synod has asked for a
0:09:39 > 0:09:44meeting the relevant Government minister and that has been refused.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Mr Speaker, I am not responsible for the decision of the Government, but
0:09:49 > 0:09:59the General Synod did very clearly vote to ban gay conversion therapy.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05I can share some of the content of the letter. It is very clear the
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Government is against preparative or conversion therapy they have no
0:10:08 > 0:10:15plans to ban or restrict this through legislation or throw
0:10:15 > 0:10:17statutory regulation because existing voluntary registers provide
0:10:17 > 0:10:22safeguards for the public. I will certainty assist in the way he
0:10:22 > 0:10:27describes in writing to the minister.Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33More widely, in some parishes antigay prejudice masquerades as
0:10:33 > 0:10:40theology. What further can be done to tackle this?Mr Speaker, the
0:10:40 > 0:10:46leadership of the Church of England couldn't be clearer on this point,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50indeed across the Anglican Communion Archbishops have succeeded in
0:10:50 > 0:10:54getting a commitment to stamp out homophobia, when all the Bishops
0:10:54 > 0:10:59were convened here in London. It is unequivocal from the top of the
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Church all the way down that homophobia has no place in the
0:11:03 > 0:11:10Anglican Communion.Question number six.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to answer question six
0:11:14 > 0:11:20and eight together. So, the Church of England is in regular contact
0:11:20 > 0:11:25with the dicesy of Jerusalem, Egypt and the Horn of Africa, I am pleased
0:11:25 > 0:11:30to report the news from the region was comparatively pleasing over
0:11:30 > 0:11:37Christmas when compared to a few months ago. I had notId, only an
0:11:37 > 0:11:46interest -- yesterday, I had visited the Holocaust survivor centre. Many
0:11:46 > 0:11:51were survivors from the Holocaust. Does my honourable friend agree
0:11:51 > 0:11:54those people are particularly concerned, not only about attacks in
0:11:54 > 0:11:57other countries on the basis of religion, but the fact we need to do
0:11:57 > 0:12:01more to support the Egyptian Government to actually prevent these
0:12:01 > 0:12:08attacks happening, which is effectively a form of genocide.The
0:12:08 > 0:12:12proximity of Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us all that these atrocities
0:12:12 > 0:12:16are on going in our world and that people are persecuted for their
0:12:16 > 0:12:21faith. Actually Egypt was relatively quiet compared to recent months but
0:12:21 > 0:12:25it is the ashentd Coptic church in Egypt which we as fellow Christians
0:12:25 > 0:12:31fear. It is a fact that e#2k3wi79 has moved from a position of 21st to
0:12:31 > 0:12:3717th on the world watch list of countries that we should be
0:12:37 > 0:12:43concerned about, not least because of the rise of Daesh in its country.
0:12:43 > 0:12:55Thank you, Mr Speaker. There was growing concern about the level...
0:12:55 > 0:13:01To Government and to the UNHCR about the disproportionately low number of
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Christians who are identified for recent to western countries.Mr
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Speaker, we are in regular contact with the Government over the plight
0:13:10 > 0:13:15of persecuted Christians and with UNHCR. We are interested to get to
0:13:15 > 0:13:20the bottom why the percentage of Christians in refugee camps in a
0:13:20 > 0:13:25number of these countries is so low. It is a question that it is
0:13:25 > 0:13:28extensive and therefore Christians living in other countries where they
0:13:28 > 0:13:32can help provide safe haven for their relatives do often enable them
0:13:32 > 0:13:36to travel over. I think it is significant that 30% of the Syrian
0:13:36 > 0:13:41refugees to America are in fact Christian. For example. So they
0:13:41 > 0:13:44often choose to show themselves in those ways.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49I have no doubt about the spiritual and pastural support offered by the
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Church of England for fellow Christians throughout the world. Can
0:13:52 > 0:13:58she outline some of the financial contributions made for programmes
0:13:58 > 0:14:03for those most directly affected? One of the things about the Anglican
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Communion is it offers a network of churches throughout the world and
0:14:08 > 0:14:14can often get food, resources, clothing and shelter through to
0:14:14 > 0:14:18persecuted community, who are very hard to reach. Only yesterday, I met
0:14:18 > 0:14:23with the Bishop of Goma, from the Democratic Republic of Congo who
0:14:23 > 0:14:29bravery puts his own life on the line to bring essential humanitarian
0:14:29 > 0:14:32assistance at his own expense to the Christians who suffer in his
0:14:32 > 0:14:37country. That is one of the strengths the Anglican Church has to
0:14:37 > 0:14:41offer.Number seven, please.Mr Speaker, six Cathedrals have
0:14:41 > 0:14:48received money from the programme launched in July 2016 as places of
0:14:48 > 0:14:59worship funding scream which in 2017 became the vulnerable faith scheme.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Cathedrals have been given up to £45,000 to take forward functions
0:15:04 > 0:15:14they need to take.The funding for their specific work, but also the
0:15:14 > 0:15:18planning regulations are inadequate. Would she work with me to ensure we
0:15:18 > 0:15:23can make sure that worshippers are save at York Minster?
0:15:28 > 0:15:38I don't think it is possible retrospectively to reimburse, but
0:15:38 > 0:15:43the House of Commons, Westminster City Council work together to make
0:15:43 > 0:15:52these public safe -- spaces safety after the terrible events of last
0:15:52 > 0:15:55year and I'd like to assist the honourable lady with getting that
0:15:55 > 0:15:59good partnership working around York.Given the Church of England is
0:15:59 > 0:16:03responsible for some iconic sites, it has welcomed the attention on
0:16:03 > 0:16:07this work but come the right honourable lady reassure me that
0:16:07 > 0:16:13those wishing to meet the living God will not find a palisade fence
0:16:13 > 0:16:23separating them from his house.We do not wish to turn this into a
0:16:23 > 0:16:26fortress, no more does the church want to provide security measures
0:16:26 > 0:16:31that it becomes a less accessible place where you can go and meet with
0:16:31 > 0:16:42God. That balance has to be struck. The House services contract
0:16:42 > 0:16:45requirement terms and conditions make provisions for contractors to
0:16:45 > 0:16:51provide adequate working conditions for employees, the provisions
0:16:51 > 0:16:53include health and safety, training, enumeration and payment of at least
0:16:53 > 0:16:57the London living wage to employees if working on the Parliamentary
0:16:57 > 0:17:02estate. The working conditions must be compliant with relevant
0:17:02 > 0:17:06legislation and ensure appropriate welfare and maintenance of stable
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and skilled workforces to ensure successful delivery of our
0:17:08 > 0:17:14contracts.Can I thank the right honourable gentleman for that
0:17:14 > 0:17:20answer. Companies such as McAlpine, who are up to their necks in
0:17:20 > 0:17:24blacklisting, have contracts on the Parliamentary site and since the
0:17:24 > 0:17:28best form of protection for workers is membership of the strong trade
0:17:28 > 0:17:32union, would the commission consider giving named officials in the
0:17:32 > 0:17:35relevant trade unions security access so they can check to make
0:17:35 > 0:17:40sure blacklisting is not taking place in this premises?I thank him
0:17:40 > 0:17:43for advance notice of the supplementary and I'm afraid the
0:17:43 > 0:17:55current permit -- position doesn't allow that, however he has made a
0:17:55 > 0:18:01specific request so I will undertake to secure a written response on that
0:18:01 > 0:18:08subject.I have been asked to reply on behalf of the chairman of the
0:18:08 > 0:18:17public accounts commission. The National Audit Office... Brexit is a
0:18:17 > 0:18:19major task for departments on some departments are more effective than
0:18:19 > 0:18:33others.After we leave the EU, we are likely to be still engaged in a
0:18:33 > 0:18:38number of EU-wide programmes. Will the public accounts commission
0:18:38 > 0:18:41satisfy itself that the National audit off is has the requisite
0:18:41 > 0:18:46powers to continue to investigate government involvement in those
0:18:46 > 0:18:51schemes?The National Audit Office has a remix to look at all
0:18:51 > 0:18:55taxpayers' money and it will scrutinise any financial settlement
0:18:55 > 0:19:00with the EU. The first report is due in the spring.