Marsha De Cordova MP: speeches

Speeches

• 15 Jan 2026 · End-of-life Ministry · Hansard source

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  The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is still being debated in the other place. What it will look like is yet to be decided. The Church anticipates that there will be considerable impact on the end-of-life ministry, pastoral support and bereavement counselling offered by its chaplains and clergy.

• 15 Jan 2026 · End-of-life Ministry · Hansard source

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  The Church supports the need for an institutional and individual opt-out, as many hospices have highlighted their concerns about the Bill’s impact on their operations if there continues to be no option to opt out. It is crucial that hospices can offer their vital services without being compelled to offer assisted dying if they hold a conscientious objection.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme · Hansard source

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  It is good to hear how the scheme has benefited churches in my hon. Friend’s constituency. While I am not responsible for the Church in Wales, I can inform her that Wales has a significantly higher proportion of listed places of worship than England, and most buildings are in areas of low economic activity and there are fewer opportunities for philanthropy. I would be happy to put her in touch with the relevant people in Wales, so she can continue to engage with them. As I have highlighted, I met the Minister recently and was assured that the Government would bring forward plans soon.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady will not be surprised to hear that, of course, I agree with her.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme · Hansard source

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  The future of the listed places of worship scheme continues to feature heavily during Question Time, and over 200 Members have raised this issue. Faith communities with listed buildings are waiting for clarity on the future of the scheme, which is due to end in March. The uncertainty is delaying repairs and the implementation of community projects nationwide. I met the Minister for Heritage just before Christmas and was assured that the Government would be updating the House soon.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member is right that any further delay will continue to bring uncertainty to many churches across the country, so this is really important. I am reassured that the Government will come forward with plans soon, as the Secretary of State said during Department for Culture, Media and Sport questions prior to Church Commissioners questions.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme · Hansard source

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  I agree with my hon. Friend that historic churches are often cornerstones of our local communities. Even if members of a community are not regular churchgoers, they also see those churches as places they can call their own and identify with. People gather in those spaces for different events, whether that is for concerts or major life events like weddings, and all candidates have to attend them for election hustings. We all know how important our historical buildings are, and their estimated social value is £55 billion. With every investment of £1 in the Church, a return of £16 goes into the local community through outreach and community support. I am pleased that the Government will be publishing the evaluation report of the listed places of worship scheme soon.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories · Hansard source

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  As the hon. Member knows, the Church is rightly playing a role in the province in Jerusalem. I would be happy to write to him to set out further actions that the Church is taking in relation to work and other projects.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend will not be surprised to learn that the issue of what is happening in Palestine has featured heavily during Question Time for the past year. Israel revoking the licences of dozens of aid agencies in Gaza and the west bank will only worsen the situation. As I have outlined, during his recent visit, the Archbishop of York met Christian families affected by settler violence and faced with tense stand-offs with settlers, as well as challenges around displacement and damage to their land. I am pleased to say that bishops will be making another pilgrimage to Palestine in the very near future. I urge hon. Members to keep raising this issue. The sooner we get peace, the sooner we can see that people are being taken care of across Palestine.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories · Hansard source

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  The situation in Palestine in beyond devastating. The Church continues to support the Anglican province of Jerusalem. During advent last year, the Archbishop of York visited the west bank and met Christian Palestinian families affected by settler violence and witnessed tensions at first hand. The Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church are also working with the Palestinian community’s senior clergy and visited the Tent of Nations to promote peace and justice.

• 12 Jan 2026 · House Building: London · Hansard source

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  In Battersea, we are delivering more affordable homes for people to buy and rent, and I welcome recent plans by the mayor, the council and Battersea power station to deliver more than 200 social homes. Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming those plans, which show that Labour in London is delivering for local people?

• 17 Dec 2025 · UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations · Hansard source

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  First, as Chair of the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, I welcome the statement. I also commend my right hon. Friend for the stellar job he is doing in showing that this Labour Government are making very good progress on rebuilding our relationships with the EU. Rejoining Erasmus+ is a big win for young people in Battersea and across the country, creating opportunities to study, train, develop new skills, achieve success and, more importantly, thrive. Can he outline a bit more about how young people will be able to access the Erasmus+ scheme?

• 16 Dec 2025 · Africa: New Approach · Hansard source

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  I welcome the publication of the Government’s Africa approach. Strengthening systems that support people and growth is the right approach to improve health, education and social protection. Can the Minister confirm that the approach will include disability rights and inclusion, which the written ministerial statement did not mention? To truly strengthen systems and support, disability must be at the heart of the approach.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure (HC 1454).

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  The Church is fully aware of its responsibilities in relation to this redress Measure. The hon. Member for South Suffolk is right to raise the point about Kennedys. The data breach that took place was serious. Kennedys has fully owned that breach and put in place the necessary measures to ensure that something like that does not happen again. Kennedys also remains accountable to the Archbishops’ Council in that respect. There will be an oversight body to oversee how the Measure is being implemented and how the arm’s length body is operating the redress scheme.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  Thank you, Mr Mundell. We now move on to the Abuse Redress Measure and the associated draft rules, which lay the groundwork for the Church of England to deliver a redress scheme and confer the necessary legislative powers on the Archbishops’ Council to delegate decision-making to a third party. I add my thanks and pay tribute to those victims and survivors who have continued to give their time and energy to the process of developing the Measure, despite the harm that the Church has caused them. The Church recognises its lamentable failings, which have made it possible for some people to abuse others, while some in the Church of England have been reluctant to face up to unpalatable truths and have avoided confronting difficult and painful situations openly and candidly. I believe that the Measure and draft rules before us contain important elements that try to right those wrongs. In saying that, however, the Church must recognise that for many survivors the wait for redress has been too long in coming. Since the start of the scheme’s development in 2021, the Church has sought to work through some complex questions, wishing to give careful consideration to the views of victims and survivors. The Church has intentionally adopted a person-centred approach that enshrines dignity, respect and compassion at its heart. Crucially, the approach has been designed to look and feel different from mitigation. The scheme is not designed to mirror a court of law or to require a decision maker to resolve triable issues for which the scheme’s arrangements do not incorporate all of the features. The Church has reflected carefully on eligibility and conditions, and has sought to find the right balance: one that provides that the scheme responds when a failure within the Church has been the effective cause of abuse, but not otherwise. The Church has sought to be clear about the nature of abuse that is in scope, while allowing for flexibility to respond appropriately in particular cases, taking into account the experiences of victim and survivor. The scheme provides that applications should have available independent legal and financial advice, if they wish to receive it, but not at a level that allows legal fees to consume disproportionately the amount of redress funds to the detriment of those victims and survivors. The Church has provided for a review of the operation of the Measure, giving the Church’s General Synod the ability to hold the Archbishops’ Council accountable for the scheme’s operation. That allows the Synod to extend the lifetime of the scheme if it appears necessary to do so. I recognise that the Measure does not meet every person’s hopes, but I ask the Committee to recognise that there are many victims and survivors who want the Church to earnestly and finally meet its commitment to get on with providing this redress Measure.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  I will certainly ask for that, but it is not part of the Measure.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  In one sense, the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure is just tidying up a small area of ecclesiastical law—which we are all, obviously, very well versed in. But in a wider and more important way, it is enabling and supportive of the essential work carried out by chaplains to His Majesty’s armed forces. For more than a century, armed forces chaplains have been issued with licences by the Archbishop of Canterbury, giving them the ecclesiastical authority to exercise ministry in that role. However, recent work by the provincial registrars has identified a gap in the relevant statutory provision in this area: without this Measure, each armed forces chaplain would also need to obtain a licence or permission to officiate from the bishop of each diocese in which the chaplain was to exercise ministry. Not only would that give rise to a significant burden on bishops and their offices; it would also cause problems for the armed forces themselves—not least because chaplains need to be able to move with, and minister to, military personnel wherever they are currently serving. It is impractical for them to obtain a further authority to exercise ministry each time the servicemen and women they minister to move to a different part of the country. This Measure, in a straightforward way, addresses the issue by inserting a new section, headed “Armed Forces chaplains”, into the Extra-Parochial Ministry Measure 1967, which already covers ministry exercised outside the parish context, such as in hospitals, prisons, universities and schools. This Measure will provide a new statutory power enabling the Archbishop of Canterbury to license armed forces chaplains to exercise ministry in that capacity. When exercising ministry under the Archbishop’s licence, an armed forces chaplain does not need any further authority, either from the bishop of the diocese or from the minister of the parish in which the chaplain’s ministry is exercised. That applies only where he or she is acting in the capacity of an armed forces chaplain. Any other ministry that an individual chaplain might exercise, such as preaching at a parish church, remains subject to the usual rules about authority and permissions to exercise ministry in the diocese and parish.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  I think I mentioned that there is oversight. There will be an oversight body. I believe I mentioned that in my final remarks just now.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025 (HC 1454) Abuse Redress Measure 2025 (HC 1455) · Hansard source

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  I am fully aware. If the hon. Member has followed the work that I have done in this space, she will understand how seriously I take the issue of safeguarding and the redress Measure. Now that we have the Measure in place, the key is to ensure that we get it implemented so that the victims and survivors can begin to receive their redress. I have also said that the Measure does not set out that I will receive a report, but I will certainly ask for an update on how it is being implemented. The hon. Lady should make use of Church Commissioner questions, where I am responsible for answering on behalf of the national Church institutions. I suggest that she uses that mechanism to continue to hold the Church to account.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Conflict in Sudan · Hansard source

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  The situation in Sudan is beyond devastating. Indeed, Sudan’s ambassador has warned that a genocide is taking place there. As we focus on those who are being violated, I urge the Minister to ensure that the UK Government lead international efforts to bring the perpetrators of the disgraceful violence against women and girls to justice, no matter how long that takes.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Welfare Spending · Hansard source

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  My right hon. Friend is making a great introduction, because the Conservatives clearly need to be reminded of their failures over 14 years in government. During their time in office, the disability employment gap remained stubbornly at 30%. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is only this Labour Government who will do all they can to ensure that disabled people have opportunities for work?

• 27 Oct 2025 · Access to Work Scheme · Hansard source

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

• 27 Oct 2025 · Access to Work Scheme · Hansard source

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  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 Minister explain why blind and partially sighted people are seeing their support cut? Will he agree to meet me and sight-loss organisations to see how we can address some of the challenges with the scheme?

• 16 Oct 2025 · Archbishop of Canterbury: Appointment Process · Hansard source

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  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.