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1698359

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Lincolnshire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support churches in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	20147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners and National Church Institutions provide support for the mission and ministry of all dioceses in the Church of England.</p><p>The Church Commissioners have made £340 million available to support a Diocesan Investment Programme overseen by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Board, which includes additional funding and resources for lowest-income communities. The Diocese of Lincoln benefits from the Lowest Income Communities Fund, which is directly supporting the stipendiary ministry of clergy in many areas such as Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Lincoln and Boston.</p><p>The Diocese of Lincoln has recently launched ‘Time to Change Together’, which is its shared vision for the future of the diocese and its presence in Greater Lincolnshire. You can find out more about the project here: <a href="https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/parish-support/a-time-to-change-together/" target="_blank">https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/parish-support/a-time-to-change-together/</a> The Diocese bid for and received a grant from the Strategic Development Fund for a project called 'Resourcing the Urban Church' designed to revitalise churches of all traditions across the urban centres in the diocese.</p><p>Lincolnshire has one of the highest ratios of churches per head of the population in England, and the Diocese is committed to the stewardship of its historic churches and to supporting new worshipping communities. A new giving scheme has been developed to encourage congregations to support the flourishing of mission and ministry in the Diocese, and plans are being developed for an ‘Open Churches Trust’ to support smaller churches with maintenance and insurance advice.</p><p>The Diocese is developing new strategies to support clergy well-being. Preventing long-term vacancies and illness is a priority alongside finding sustainable solutions for parishes.</p><p>For further information about the work underway in Lincolnshire, please contact the area bishop The Rt Revd Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, Bishop of Grantham, whose details are here: <a href="https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/contact/directory/" target="_blank">https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/contact/directory/</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:19:23 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1697792

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Christianity: Ceremonies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many confirmations there were in each year since 1994.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	19960
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The table below shows the number of confirmations conducted in the Church of England each year since 1994. <br> <br> As the Established Church, every member of the public, whatever their belief, living within a parish in England has the right to access baptism, marriage and burial services of the Church of England as long as performing that service is lawful under Canon Law. <br> <br> The detailed data on the number of baptism and confirmation services is published in the annual data ‘Statistics for Mission’.</p><p>Post 2009 figures can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/statisticsformission2022_tables.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/statisticsformission2022_tables.xlsx</a></p><p>Pre-2009 figures can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/data-services/resources-publications-and-data#na" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/data-services/resources-publications-and-data#na</a></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of confirmations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1994</p></td><td><p>48,024</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1995</p></td><td><p>43,667</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1996</p></td><td><p>42,768</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1997</p></td><td><p>40,881</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1998</p></td><td><p>39,926</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1999</p></td><td><p>37,469</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000</p></td><td><p>36,387</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2001</p></td><td><p>33,367</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2002</p></td><td><p>33,425</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003</p></td><td><p>31,797</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004</p></td><td><p>30,425</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005</p></td><td><p>29,833</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>29,380</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>27,926</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>26,972</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>25,028</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>22,349</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>22,242</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>22,540</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>19,883</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>18,028</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>16,723</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>15,917</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>15,253</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>14,475</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>13,355</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>2,165</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>6,388</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>10,855</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:14:53 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1697793

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Services: Attendance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what average weekly attendance was in each year since 1994.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	19961
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The National Church Institutions first started collecting attendance data centrally in the autumn of 2000; as a result, it is not possible to publish data for the period 1994-1999. A methodological change also took place between 2000 and 2003 which means statistics for those years are not directly comparable with the data now collected. The data displayed below shows the longest period of comparable figures available, from 2003-2022.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Adult average weekly attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Child average weekly attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>All age average weekly attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Adult average Sunday attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Child average Sunday attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>All age average Sunday attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Adult average school service attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Child average school service attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>All age average school service attendance</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2003</strong></p></td><td><p>905,000</p></td><td><p>218,000</p></td><td><p>1,126,000</p></td><td><p>802,000</p></td><td><p>154,000</p></td><td><p>959,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2004</strong></p></td><td><p>896,000</p></td><td><p>220,000</p></td><td><p>1,119,000</p></td><td><p>789,000</p></td><td><p>151,000</p></td><td><p>942,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2005</strong></p></td><td><p>898,000</p></td><td><p>218,000</p></td><td><p>1,119,000</p></td><td><p>791,000</p></td><td><p>147,000</p></td><td><p>941,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2006</strong></p></td><td><p>894,000</p></td><td><p>217,000</p></td><td><p>1,115,000</p></td><td><p>786,000</p></td><td><p>145,000</p></td><td><p>935,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2007</strong></p></td><td><p>888,000</p></td><td><p>205,000</p></td><td><p>1,097,000</p></td><td><p>779,000</p></td><td><p>137,000</p></td><td><p>919,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2008</strong></p></td><td><p>877,000</p></td><td><p>215,000</p></td><td><p>1,094,000</p></td><td><p>768,000</p></td><td><p>139,000</p></td><td><p>910,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p>867,000</p></td><td><p>211,000</p></td><td><p>1,082,000</p></td><td><p>758,000</p></td><td><p>134,000</p></td><td><p>895,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p>851,000</p></td><td><p>208,000</p></td><td><p>1,062,000</p></td><td><p>741,000</p></td><td><p>130,000</p></td><td><p>874,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p>840,000</p></td><td><p>207,000</p></td><td><p>1,050,000</p></td><td><p>728,000</p></td><td><p>127,000</p></td><td><p>858,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p>843,000</p></td><td><p>202,000</p></td><td><p>1,049,000</p></td><td><p>733,000</p></td><td><p>128,000</p></td><td><p>864,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>836,000</p></td><td><p>157,000</p></td><td><p>994,000</p></td><td><p>721,000</p></td><td><p>124,000</p></td><td><p>845,000</p></td><td><p>23,000</p></td><td><p>103,000</p></td><td><p>126,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p>831,000</p></td><td><p>144,000</p></td><td><p>975,000</p></td><td><p>711,000</p></td><td><p>119,000</p></td><td><p>830,000</p></td><td><p>35,000</p></td><td><p>113,000</p></td><td><p>148,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p>819,000</p></td><td><p>140,000</p></td><td><p>959,000</p></td><td><p>698,000</p></td><td><p>115,000</p></td><td><p>813,000</p></td><td><p>40,000</p></td><td><p>131,000</p></td><td><p>171,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p>791,000</p></td><td><p>132,000</p></td><td><p>922,000</p></td><td><p>671,000</p></td><td><p>108,000</p></td><td><p>780,000</p></td><td><p>42,000</p></td><td><p>139,000</p></td><td><p>182,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>767,000</p></td><td><p>127,000</p></td><td><p>895,000</p></td><td><p>653,000</p></td><td><p>104,000</p></td><td><p>757,000</p></td><td><p>46,000</p></td><td><p>152,000</p></td><td><p>198,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p>752,000</p></td><td><p>120,000</p></td><td><p>872,000</p></td><td><p>635,000</p></td><td><p>96,000</p></td><td><p>730,000</p></td><td><p>40,000</p></td><td><p>137,000</p></td><td><p>177,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2019</strong></p></td><td><p>734,000</p></td><td><p>120,000</p></td><td><p>854,000</p></td><td><p>613,000</p></td><td><p>94,000</p></td><td><p>707,000</p></td><td><p>41,000</p></td><td><p>141,000</p></td><td><p>182,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2020</strong></p></td><td><p>317,000</p></td><td><p>28,000</p></td><td><p>345,000</p></td><td><p>273,000</p></td><td><p>24,000</p></td><td><p>298,000</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td><td><p>n/a</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2021</strong></p></td><td><p>531,000</p></td><td><p>75,000</p></td><td><p>605,000</p></td><td><p>447,000</p></td><td><p>62,000</p></td><td><p>509,000</p></td><td><p>18,000</p></td><td><p>71,000</p></td><td><p>89,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2022</strong></p></td><td><p>567,000</p></td><td><p>87,000</p></td><td><p>654,000</p></td><td><p>477,000</p></td><td><p>70,000</p></td><td><p>547,000</p></td><td><p>36,000</p></td><td><p>128,000</p></td><td><p>164,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Attendance figures are collected from churches for the first 4 Sundays of October and in the following Monday-Saturday midweek periods - this exercise is referred to as the &quot;October count”. Figures include attendance at baptisms, as these usually take place in service, but not attendance at weddings and funerals. Attendance at services for schools is NOT included in the average weekly and average Sunday attendance figures but is reported separately.</p><p>In 2013, the question was changed to specifically ask about attendance at school services. Prior to 2013, it was apparent that some churches included such attendance in their reported figures while others did not. The change in question during this year resulted in a large change in the average weekly attendance from 2012 to 2013 and a more consistent practice across the church as a whole.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:23:00 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1697794

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Redundant Churches
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many churches were deconsecrated in each year since 1994.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	19962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church of England law around church buildings is complex, but there are two main types; a consecrated church building where the bishop has performed a rite of consecration, setting the church building (and font and altar) aside for public worship, and a place of worship that has been licensed for that purpose by the bishop (not consecrated).</p><p>The Church of England does not have a rite of &quot;deconsecration&quot; as such – it is more usual to refer to the 'closure' of a church that is consecrated. The process of closure is a legal one, set out in the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 and its predecessor legislation. The bishop's consecration of a church building for worship cannot be removed. However, the legal effects of consecration can be withdrawn in order to allow the disposal of the building and a new use to be found for the building.</p><p>Since 1994 there have been around 650 closure schemes for consecrated church buildings brought forward under the Mission and Pastoral Measure. In some of those cases, the closed church building will have been sold to other Christian denominations for worship use, and in some cases some occasional worship continues, even if the closed church building is being used for community activities, for example.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:27:05 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1697991

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Cumbria
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support churches in (a) Penrith and The Border constituency and (b) Cumbria.
	tabling member constituency	Penrith and The Border
	tabling member printed	Dr Neil Hudson
	uin	19985
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners and National Church Institutions provide support for the mission and ministry of all dioceses in the Church of England.</p><p>The Church Commissioners have made £340 million available to support a Diocesan Investment Programme overseen by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Board, which includes additional funding and resources for lowest-income communities.</p><p>In Carlisle Diocese, the Lowest Income Communities Fund has provided £560,000 a year to support a range of projects in Barrow, South and West Carlisle, Workington, Whitehaven, and Maryport. Additional grants from the Strategic Development Fund totalling £ 1.6 million over five years have been awarded. The project funds five new pioneer enabler roles, which in addition to training and support, will help the Diocese reach those groups who are not typically represented in congregations in Carlisle.</p><p>Support is available to all churches in Penrith and The Border and across the Diocese with maintenance and management of church buildings via the Buildings for Mission fund, which will provide small grants for repairs and restoration and a dedicated support officer to advise parishes.</p><p>Other grants are available from the Diocese supported by the National Church Institutions to enable parishes to move towards Net Zero and increase capacity building at a parish level with youth work, internships, and vocations, and to support better stewardship of church buildings, to upgrade facilities and technology, and enable easier donation and giving. <br> <br> To find out more about the work underway across Cumbria, Carlisle and Penrith, please contact the Acting Bishop, The Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, Bishop of Penrith, whose details are here: <a href="https://www.carlislediocese.org.uk/bishops-and-senior-clergy/" target="_blank">https://www.carlislediocese.org.uk/bishops-and-senior-clergy/</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:31:39 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4853 label Biography information for Dr Neil Hudson

1697566

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Schools: Hendon
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution of church schools in Hendon constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19599
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>Though the National Church Institutions are not responsible for the operation of individual schools, the Diocese of London has volunteered the following information, which I hope is useful.</p><p>There are two Church of England schools in the Hendon Constituency.</p><p>St Mary’s and St John’s educates more than 1,600 pupils. One quarter are on free school meals, which is higher than the Local Authority average. Pupils are making above-average progress at an 8-level attainment of 0.39 compared with the national average of -0.03.</p><p>St Paul’s School Mill Hill educates 210 pupils. One fifth of pupils are in receipt of Free School Meals, in line with the Local Authority average. Pupils attainment is above-average; 84% attained the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths last summer compared to the national average of 60%.</p><p>I commend the teachers and leadership teams in both schools for these achievements.</p><p>The Church of England educates over one million children in its 4,700 schools across England. Church Schools are committed to the flourishing of children and deliver a rounded education that remains in high demand with parents. They serve all those in the community, whatever their faith or belief.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:10:53 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697571

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Tree Planting
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to take steps to plant trees on diocese lands.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19600
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>Diocesan land is managed by individual dioceses at a local level and, as such, the Church Commissioners are unable to plant trees on diocesan property. However, the Church Commissioners work with diocesan teams and other church bodies to encourage the responsible use of land, reducing carbon emissions and increasing biodiversity where appropriate, including incorporating environmental improvement into food production.</p><p>The Church Commissioners’ rural estates team has assisted with the creation of a guidance note for diocesan officers on ‘managing land for climate and nature’, attended net zero meetings, and engaged with local diocesan environmental officers. Staff from the Rural Estates team have also met with the Rural Bishops Group to illustrate their work managing the rural estates and share experiences that apply to dioceses. They will continue to share details of tree-planting undertaken by the Commissioners with our diocesan partners and are keen to work together on further improving and implementing good practice.</p><p>In 2023, the Church Commissioners planted over 1.5million trees on their Forestry and Farmland holdings, 700,000 of which were in the UK.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:34:50 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697590

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Carbon Emissions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to help achieve net zero.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners are committed to reducing the carbon intensity of their portfolio by 2025 and, as a member of the Asset Owners Alliance, reaching ‘Net Zero’ in the investment portfolio by 2050.</p><p>The General Synod has set a target for the Church of England to become Net Zero by 2030. The National Church Institutions are supporting every diocese with a grant to grow capacity and employ staff to manage the work of achieving this net zero ambition. The Church Commissioners have committed funding of £30m for 2023-25 and £190m total for a 9-year programme from 2023-31. <br> <br>Stage one will explore the best ways to decarbonise the diverse range of buildings and navigate planning and governance structures. The project will assess cathedrals and clergy housing, with demonstration churches that can act as showpieces of what is possible. There will be a special grant available from dioceses to enable churches to fund improvements to their energy efficiency.</p><p>A second workstream supports schools in accessing public sector decarbonisation funds, and another stream of grants will match local fundraising in churches for net-zero carbon projects through the Buildings for Mission scheme</p><p>This will provide a clear picture of the kinds of projects that are effective in reducing emissions, ready for a scaled-up investment in the second 3-year period</p><p>Recent success stories include York Minster and the Chapel at Kings College, Cambridge, which have joined many other major churches and cathedrals across the country in installing new solar panels and renewable technologies, reducing their running costs and making them more sustainable buildings.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:18:14 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697591

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Land Use
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether a recent assessment has been made of the environmental improvements being advanced through the church's holding of agricultural land.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19602
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners undertake rolling assessments of environmental improvements being made to the farmland portfolio by tenants, which is used to update the baseline study undertaken five years ago. Data has so far been provided on over 25,000 acres of Commissioners’ land holdings and contains details of environmental changes, such as transitioning to regenerative agricultural practices. The Commissioners are pleased to announce a partnership with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), which will further develop this work.</p><p>The Church Commissioners’ rural estates team continues to engage with our new and existing agricultural tenants through regular individual farm visits, the sharing of ground-sourced data, including carbon audits, and the gathering of information from third parties. On recent assessment revealed that on a single Commissioners’ farm in Kent, over 45 species of bird were recorded during a single visit in December 2023.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/04/2024 13:24:49 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1697593

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Slavery
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to publicly acknowledge historic links with the chattel slave trade.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Archbishop of Canterbury has been unequivocal on the theology of this issue, noting on his visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana in February 2023:</p><p>“It was a reminder that the abomination of African chattel enslavement was blasphemy: those who imprisoned men and women in those dungeons saw them as less than human. It is to the Church of England’s eternal shame that it did not always follow Christ’s teaching to give life. It is a stain on the wider church that some Christians did not see their brothers and sisters as created in the image of God, but as objects to be exploited.”</p><p>The Church Commissioners has been investigating its historic links to the chattel slave trade since 2019 and published a full, transparent report of the findings in January 2023. More information about the whole project is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/who-we-1" target="_blank">Church Commissioners Links to Historic Transatlantic Slavery | The Church of England</a></p><p>The Church Commissioners seek, through the research it has done and its response, to acknowledge the truth of the past, apologise for the wrongs that this research has highlighted, and to address these wrongs through repentance, remembrance, reconciliation, and renewal. The Church Commissioners believe that by addressing its past transparently, particularly this part of our past, the Church and its teachings will be more relevant to more people. The response is an important missional activity that will support the work and ministry of the Church of England in England.</p><p>The Church Commissioners are committed to setting up an Impact Investment Fund as part of its response to invest in a better and fairer future for all, particularly for communities affected by historic enslavement. It is hoped this fund will grow over time, reinvesting returns to enable it to have a positive and lasting legacy that will exist in perpetuity and with the potential for other institutions to participate, further enabling growth in the size and impact of the fund. This Fund will be seeded with a £100 million commitment from the Church Commissioners.</p><p>Despite recent press speculation, the Church Commissioners has no plans to increase its contribution to the Fund over the planned funding period. It is hoped that growth in the impact fund will also enable grant funding for projects focused on improving opportunities for communities impacted by historic African chattel enslavement.</p><p>The Church Commissioners have also committed to undertake further research, including into the Church Commissioners' history, supporting dioceses and parishes to research and address their historic links with African chattel enslavement, and sharing best practices with other organisations researching their enslavement legacies.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 25/04/2024 12:37:47 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord