0:00:00 > 0:00:00accommodate everyone. Yes, I met him and others to discuss the challenges
0:00:00 > 0:00:04of Northern Ireland border and I can reassure him the government is fully
0:00:04 > 0:00:09appraised of this concern.We must move on. Questions to the chairman
0:00:09 > 0:00:17of public Accounts Commission and the member f Houghton and Sunderland
0:00:17 > 0:00:33South and the member for Merrydom. Question 1.The national audit
0:00:33 > 0:00:39office has operated a scheme since 2011, this includes setting targets
0:00:39 > 0:00:45to reduce or eliminate waste. It has implemented steps to minimise the
0:00:45 > 0:00:50use of single use plastics, for example it does not use single use
0:00:50 > 0:00:58plastic bottles or cups and encourages the use of reusable
0:00:58 > 0:01:10coffee cups in its cafe.Encourage the National Audit Office to be an
0:01:10 > 0:01:17exempla in eliminating single use plastic.My honourable friend is an
0:01:17 > 0:01:21exempla of an assiduous member of Parliament. I should say in passing
0:01:21 > 0:01:28that it is catering team has to deal with one supplier to collect and
0:01:28 > 0:01:32reuse packages so it has changed from being delivered in cardboard
0:01:32 > 0:01:38and single use plastic to reusable plastic crates instead. Isn't that
0:01:38 > 0:01:49marvellous.No 3.The chuff investors groups manages a fund of
0:01:49 > 0:01:54£17 billion of which the church commissioners assets represent 8
0:01:54 > 0:02:00billion. The commissioners have discharged their responsibilities by
0:02:00 > 0:02:08voting on issues including executive renumeration and climate change and
0:02:08 > 0:02:12gender disversety, disclose of pay ratios and the payment of at least
0:02:12 > 0:02:19the living wage to staff.I am grateful for that apps. Answer. I
0:02:19 > 0:02:27would if she set out the approach the chur commissioners are taking.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32This is one of responsibilities and commissioners will vote against the
0:02:32 > 0:02:37chair of a company if they're assessed as not having made
0:02:37 > 0:02:40sufficient progress in addressing climate change. I'm pleased to share
0:02:40 > 0:02:49the good news that at a resolution file bed ed by the church
0:02:49 > 0:02:57commissioners which asked Exxon to report on how its business model
0:02:57 > 0:03:02would help tackle climate change. Commissioners voted in favour of
0:03:02 > 0:03:12that.We have already had the honourable lady.No 4.The Church of
0:03:12 > 0:03:19England signed an accord with the Government to enable... Yes? Sorry,
0:03:19 > 0:03:29Mr Speak -- Mr Speak we are respect. The Church of England signed an
0:03:29 > 0:03:36accord with the Government to enable churches to improve broadband and
0:03:36 > 0:03:41mobile connective, particularly in rural areas. This sets out how the
0:03:41 > 0:03:47church can collaborate to achieve this.The tariffs of St Peter's
0:03:47 > 0:03:51could help with connectivity in an area which suffers from lack of
0:03:51 > 0:03:55connectivity. Could my honourable friend give my constituents some
0:03:55 > 0:03:59guidance as to guide their way through the planning system in order
0:03:59 > 0:04:06to help them to apply...Yes the honourable lady's constituency has
0:04:06 > 0:04:14seen a significant improvement in broadband coverage, currently at
0:04:14 > 0:04:2095.5%, up from 19% in 2010. But I would encourage to get the churches
0:04:20 > 0:04:24to contact Church House to find out how they can avail themselves of
0:04:24 > 0:04:29this new opportunity. The church has in this reached agreed with
0:04:29 > 0:04:33broadband providers to provide a standard contract. I would like to
0:04:33 > 0:04:39pay tribute to the Secretary of State at DCMS and the Parliamentary
0:04:39 > 0:04:43under-Secretary at DEFRA for getting this initiative of working together
0:04:43 > 0:04:57to get our rural and urban mobile knot spots.I would like to thank my
0:04:57 > 0:05:04honourable friend, on international women's 's day it seems right to
0:05:04 > 0:05:10mention a church in my constituency that is installing
0:05:10 > 0:05:14telecommunications in her tower. What more can my honourable friend
0:05:14 > 0:05:19do to encourage others to follow?My honourable friend is doing a very
0:05:19 > 0:05:22good job of demonstrating to the whole House the difference that it
0:05:22 > 0:05:28can make when we as members of Parliament make our constituents in
0:05:28 > 0:05:33knot spots aware of is in new agreement. That if members have
0:05:33 > 0:05:41churches with tall tower and spires, these can be used to bounce the
0:05:41 > 0:05:48broadband signal into existing knot spots and the example of the church
0:05:48 > 0:05:58that he referred to is to give encouragement to all and within his
0:05:58 > 0:06:05constituency I would encourage to get those churches to apply too.I
0:06:05 > 0:06:09hear what the the honourable lady says, will she include in the work
0:06:09 > 0:06:12that the church is doing churches that have been closed, because of
0:06:12 > 0:06:21course they are often in the most rural and isolated areas and it is
0:06:21 > 0:06:25sometimes unclear what their status is. It could be an important way to
0:06:25 > 0:06:33use these buildings.The Church of England has put its entire assets at
0:06:33 > 0:06:37the disposal of the Government. That includes churches, schools and land
0:06:37 > 0:06:43where necessary, because for example you can beam a signal from a church
0:06:43 > 0:06:51spire to the brow of the hill down into the next village. Those assets
0:06:51 > 0:06:58are all bound up in this accord. Thank you. It is good news that t
0:06:58 > 0:07:04Church of England is making their building available for this, but it
0:07:04 > 0:07:10is important that for the historical artefacts or could be displayed in
0:07:10 > 0:07:17small parishes who have dedicated Royal British Legion facilities and
0:07:17 > 0:07:23have historical displays, they could also be displayed in churches of
0:07:23 > 0:07:30Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This new accord regarding Wi-Fi and
0:07:30 > 0:07:37mobile coverage will make the churches a hotspot, not a knot spot
0:07:37 > 0:07:45community and may bring people the benefit of a good signal and thereby
0:07:45 > 0:07:47discover the wonderful artefact the churches offer. While the accord has
0:07:47 > 0:07:50been signed with the Church of England, I know the Government wants
0:07:50 > 0:07:54to offer the same opportunity to other denominations, because the aim
0:07:54 > 0:08:06is to get that universal coverage. Question No 6.The commission has a
0:08:06 > 0:08:09duty to monitor the political fps rules and secure compliance with
0:08:09 > 0:08:16them. The amount spent on compliance fluctuate and tends to intensify
0:08:16 > 0:08:23around electoral events. This includes creating guidance for
0:08:23 > 0:08:27parties and monitoring campaign activity and checking returns from
0:08:27 > 0:08:36parties and the enforcement of the rules. In the 2017 financial year,
0:08:36 > 0:08:42the budget is £2.66 million. Grateful for that answer. Can I make
0:08:42 > 0:08:46the point to her and can she make the point to the commission on our
0:08:46 > 0:08:51behalf that it is all very well putting these extra compliant costs
0:08:51 > 0:08:56on political party, which are substantial, when they're fully
0:08:56 > 0:09:00funded by the taxpayers and parties have to raise their own finances.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I'm sure officials will have heard the honourable gentleman's comments.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09The commission provides year round advice and engages with political
0:09:09 > 0:09:14parties as the honourable gentleman is aware from his many meetings with
0:09:14 > 0:09:17the commission. I'm sure they would welcome the opportunity to discuss
0:09:17 > 0:09:24any such suggestions with him again. Following the disgraceful decision
0:09:24 > 0:09:31by the Government to keep secret the source of 425,000 donation to the
0:09:31 > 0:09:36Leave campaign by the DUP, meaning that the public have no idea where
0:09:36 > 0:09:43this money came from, what more can the commission do to make sure we
0:09:43 > 0:09:47have transparency in the system.The commission welcomes the existing
0:09:47 > 0:09:50order that will provide information about donations and loans received
0:09:50 > 0:10:01by parties in Northern Ireland. But the commission will want to s
0:10:01 > 0:10:08transparency going back to 2014. Charities and academics are warning
0:10:08 > 0:10:17the Government that the trials for compulsory voter ID this May risk
0:10:17 > 0:10:20disenfranchising large numbers of vulnerable people. How will the
0:10:20 > 0:10:23commission monitor these pilots which are a disproportionate
0:10:23 > 0:10:28response to the scale of electoral fraud?My honourable friend makes an
0:10:28 > 0:10:33important point on this and refers to the pilots that the Government
0:10:33 > 0:10:38are carrying out. No one wants to see any voters turned away, but the
0:10:38 > 0:10:43extent to which voters in pilot areas are unable to vote on 3rd and
0:10:43 > 0:10:48May and why will be a key element of evaluation of pilot scheme and they
0:10:48 > 0:10:54will want to hear from any people that find themselves affected.Yes
0:10:54 > 0:11:04No 7.The national church institutions provide advice to
0:11:04 > 0:11:10churches and cathedrals about what funding is available. They can
0:11:10 > 0:11:16advice about other funds apart from landfill, and the new plastic fund
0:11:16 > 0:11:26which is also available.Can I inform the honourable lady many of
0:11:26 > 0:11:33the religious buildings are ignorant about the money that the trust roles
0:11:33 > 0:11:38that comes from landfill tax. If the churches have a broader community
0:11:38 > 0:11:43activity they do qualify. Could that be better known?I think the sheer
0:11:43 > 0:11:47fact that the honourable gentleman has made us all aware of this in the
0:11:47 > 0:11:52House and that it will be recorded will be extremely helpful, but I
0:11:52 > 0:11:58also wanted to mention apart from the landfill communities fund, which
0:11:58 > 0:12:02is actually spent £106 million since it was created on the restoration of
0:12:02 > 0:12:08places of worship, that the relatively new plastic tax bags fund
0:12:08 > 0:12:15is another source for places of worship and goes beyond the 10 mile
0:12:15 > 0:12:21radius from a landfill site, which is a constraint on that fund.You
0:12:21 > 0:12:26will be aware we have church buildings in Scotland and the burden
0:12:26 > 0:12:30of maintaining them is onerous for to churches. Will these churches be
0:12:30 > 0:12:39able to apply for similar funding north of the board snerrder in? I'm
0:12:39 > 0:12:46not responsible for the churches in Scotland. But I'm prepared to make d
0:12:46 > 0:13:02to make inquiries with the church of Scotland. The Church of England has
0:13:02 > 0:13:09many parishebased things to help the homeless. 3,000 people took shelter
0:13:09 > 0:13:14in churches last winter. That was 53% up on the year before and I
0:13:14 > 0:13:19expect with the severity of the winter we have had that number will
0:13:19 > 0:13:25increase again.I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was a
0:13:25 > 0:13:33stranger and you did not invite me in... We can't wait until 2027 in
0:13:33 > 0:13:37order to see homelessness eliminated I would like to know how the Church
0:13:37 > 0:13:41of England will use its estate to make sure people have shelter this
0:13:41 > 0:13:51year?The honourable lady reads that verse which always challenges me,
0:13:51 > 0:14:00one day when my maker asked me were you homeless did you shelter me. The
0:14:00 > 0:14:04growing initiative in the church for night shelter has been remarkable. I
0:14:04 > 0:14:11have heard it in the news how often the church was mentioned as the
0:14:11 > 0:14:16place where homeless people could shelter. I would like to pay tribute
0:14:16 > 0:14:22to my former head mistress who helped set up a night shelter, which
0:14:22 > 0:14:28I saw how the church had to be adapted with a toilet and shower and
0:14:28 > 0:14:32how people prepared meals and volunteers