How can rural churches join the war on terror?
by Charles Moore, Telegraph:
Even in the bad times through which we are living, the chances of a terrorist attack in rural England are vanishingly low.
Be a little wary of any new legislation named after an individual who has suffered. It so often proves that hard cases make bad law.
Martyn’s Law is coming soon. Named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 murdered by the Manchester Arena bomber in 2017, the Bill has the laudable aim of better protecting premises from terrorist attacks. Its consultation period, for those with “smaller premises” such as churches and schools, ends on 18 March.
The churchwarden in our country parish, who happens to be my wife, has been looking into what this means. All churches will be required to register with a new regulator. This would be a big new undertaking because charities, which already have a regulator, will now have to face an extra one, imposing extra duties. The regulator could issue fines of up to £10,000 for non-compliance and, in extremis, close the church (or school). “Workers” would have to be trained for the new anti-terrorist tasks at the churches’/schools’ expense.
My wife points out that, even in the bad times through which we are living, the chances of a terrorist attack in rural England are vanishingly low, whereas the chances that the 14th-century church’s fine roof will at some point need expensive repair are 100 per cent. It is a real struggle to raise from about 700 souls the average of over £35,000 a year required for all existing repairs, “parish share” to the diocese etc.
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