The Charity Commission, the independent charity regulator, and researchers at the Von Hugel Institute, have disagreed over the findings of a new report commissioned by the Church of England on the role of faith in social welfare.

PM Gordon Brown stands accused of distorting the facts as the parlimentary vote on 42 days detention for terror suspects looms - with church figures joining critics.

The Cambridge-based Von Hugel Institute's report on church, government and social welfare is creating a lively media and political talking point following its launch in London yesterday.

When it comes to religion and public life, there is frequently unhelpful confusion in the debate, says Simon Barrow. Initial responses to the Von Hugel report on church and welfare illustrate this.

A report looking at the role of the Church of England and other faith communities in public welfare provision has been spun into an attack on government before it has even been published and read, say the researchers behind it.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Anglican Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, welcomed leaders from business, government and civil society to Lambeth Palace yesterday for a Climate Change round table.

The Christian Research organisation, whose latest data survey on the decline of UK church attendance has annoyed the Church of England, has defended its work against accusations of being misleading.