Government to issue guidance on religious symbols at work

THE Government Equalities Office will release new guidance this month on wearing religious symbols at work, it was reported this week. It will say that “employers should be flexible and not set dress codes which prohibit religious symbols that do not interfere with an employee’s work”. Church House, Westminster, called the move a “sensible decision”.

Bishop of Chester speaks in debate on Divorce Bill

THE Bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster, warned about the dangers of “ring-fencing premarital property”, which was part of a Divorce Bill brought before the House of Lords last week. Dr Forster said he had “great concerns” that ring-fencing premarital property would result in a situation where one half of the couple would have noth­ing after a divorce, because they had devoted their life to the marriage rather than to a career. He said, however, that he warmly welcomed the Bill and hoped that it would proceed to committee stage.

Welby ‘will take no further action’ against Croft over abuse case

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has declined to discipline the Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, over alleged failings to handle properly a disclosure of abuse. The Revd Matthew Ineson, who says that he was raped while a child by another cleric, the late Trevor Devamanikkam (News, 16 March), made a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure against Dr Croft. Mr Ineson said that Dr Croft did not take any action after being told about the alleged abuse. Mr Ineson said that he had received a letter from Archbishop Welby which said that he “will take no further action”. The Archbishop said, however, that he would ensure that Dr Croft undertook further safeguarding training and understood his responsibilities as a diocesan bishop. Mr Ineson said that he was prepar­ing to appeal against Archbishop Welby’s decision not to discipline Dr Croft.

New Dean of St John’s College, Cambridge

THE Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, Canon Mark Oakley, announced on Wednesday that he would be leaving to become the Dean of St John’s College, Cambridge. He spent eight years at St Paul’s.

REMEMBERING SREBRENICASermon in stone: the Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Revd David Urquhart, reads names at the Srebrenica Memorial site, Sarajevo, on Saturday