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1356890

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
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: Assets
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 recent estimate he has made of the value of investment and liquid assets of the Church of England (a) centrally and (b) by diocese and cathedral, including those of the Church Commissioners less the liability for pensions for which they are responsible.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	51619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p>At the end of 2020 the total value of the Church Commissioners’ assets, less the estimated value of future pensions obligations, was £7,573m.</p><p>The Commissioners have additional and ongoing statutory funding obligations over and above pension liabilities, including support for the work of bishops and cathedrals. The Commissioners also make grants to support the work of the Church across the country, with a focus on supporting the poorest communities.</p><p>The Commissioners plan their spending in three year cycles and estimated expenditure in 2020-22 is £930m including £383m for pensions.</p><p>Further information is available in the most recent annual report of the Church Commissioners: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-commissioners-england/how-we-are-governed/publications" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-commissioners-england/how-we-are-governed/publications</a></p><p>The year end balances for Dioceses in 2019 (the most recent information available) were £1,692m in investments (the majority restricted for particular purposes) and £184m in cash. For cathedrals this was £524m in investments and £50m in cash. The majority of investment assets are in property investments, which are less liquid than stock market investments. Typically around two-thirds of diocesan incomes come from parish share, the majority of which is funded by individuals’ donations to Parochial Church Councils. This funding stream has been impacted by the pandemic and resulted in a significant draw on diocesan reserves.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:14:45 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23248 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1356891

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
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: Finance
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 much has been paid in (a) National Lottery Funds and (b) Government grants to Church of England bodies including (i) dioceses, (ii) parochial church councils, (iii) cathedrals, (iv) the Church Commissioners and (v) the Churches Conservation Trust in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	51620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p><em>Dioceses, parochial church councils and cathedrals:</em></p><p>The Church Commissioners do not hold figures broken down by Church of England diocese, parochial church council or cathedral, for National Lottery Heritage Fund or Government grants.</p><p>Grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to Church of England churches and cathedrals over the past five years are as follows. Brackets indicate the number of grants awarded:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £ 49,292,200 (166)</p><p> </p><p>2017 £ 25,264,900 (184)</p><p> </p><p>2018 £12,458,450 (144)</p><p> </p><p>2019 £11,652,300 (57)</p><p> </p><p>2020 £3,376,200 (67)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Government (DCMS) figures for grants equal to the value of VAT for works to listed Church of England places of worship over the past five years are:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £20,689,034</p><p> </p><p>2017 £23,839,469</p><p> </p><p>2018 £24,773,038</p><p> </p><p>2019 £24,522,362</p><p> </p><p>2020 £24,665,225</p><p> </p><p>This website, maintained by DCMS, contains details of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme and recent total disbursement: <a href="http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Grants to Church of England listed places of worship under the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund in 2020-21 totalled £54,387,240, broken down as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Building type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of grants</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total amount of funding</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cathedral</p></td><td><p>107</p></td><td><p>£29,424,529</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Major Parish Church</p></td><td><p>154</p></td><td><p>£14,903,597</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Parish Church</p></td><td><p>484</p></td><td><p>£9,889,114</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em> Church Commissioners:</em></p><p> </p><p>The Church Commissioners do not receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund or Government grants.</p><p> </p><p><em>Churches Conservation Trust:</em></p><p> </p><p>The Churches Conservation Trust is an independent charity reporting to both Parliament and the General Synod. It receives income from donations from individuals, trusts and foundations, and core funding from Government (DCMS) and the General Synod of the Church of England via the Church Commissioners. Funding for the last five years is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>2020/21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lottery Grants</p></td><td><p>£1,325,882</p></td><td><p>£683,053</p></td><td><p>£537,795</p></td><td><p>£1,394,687</p></td><td><p>£2,193,611</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Government Grant Funding</p></td><td><p>£2,749,000</p></td><td><p>£2,738,001</p></td><td><p>£2,604,000</p></td><td><p>£2,608,000</p></td><td><p>£4,533,451 of which £2,788,000 grant in aid</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Church Grant Funding</p></td><td><p>£1,355,000</p></td><td><p>£1,355,000</p></td><td><p>£1,655,000</p></td><td><p>£1,430,000</p></td><td><p>£1,430,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Annual Report and Accounts of the Trust are laid before Parliament and are available at <a href="https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html" target="_blank">https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html</a></p><p> </p><p>The National Churches Trust October 2020 report ‘The House of Good’, found that the total economic and social value that church buildings generate in the UK amounted to at least £12.4 billion per year, an average of around £300,000 per church. The report can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/" target="_blank">https://www.houseofgood.nationalchurchestrust.org/</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:18:45 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23249 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1356892

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
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: Taxation
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 much has been paid in (a) tax rebates, including of VAT on repairs and (b) Gift Aid to Church of England bodies including (i) dioceses, (ii) parochial church councils, (iii) cathedrals, (iv) the Church Commissioners and (v) the Churches Conservation Trust in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	51621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p><em>Dioceses, parochial church councils and cathedrals:</em></p><p>Government (DCMS) figures for grants equal to the value of VAT for works to listed places of worship over the past five years are below. These are grants to the value of VAT, not rebates. The Church Commissioners do not hold these figures broken down by Church of England diocese, parochial church council or cathedral:</p><p> </p><p>2016 £20,689,034.00</p><p> </p><p>2017 £23,839,469.00</p><p> </p><p>2018 £24,773,038.00</p><p> </p><p>2019 £24,522,362.00</p><p> </p><p>2020 £24,665,225.00</p><p> </p><p>This website, maintained by DCMS, contains details of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme and recent total disbursement: <a href="http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.lpwscheme.org.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Like all bodies that have charitable status, Gift Aid on donations can be claimed by parochial church councils, dioceses and cathedrals. The funding model of the Church of England means that the vast majority of donations from worshippers, visitors and other supporters are made to parochial church councils and to cathedral chapters. The Church Commissioners do not keep a record of Gift Aid receipts by dioceses, but the amount claimed will be modest.</p><p> </p><p>Parochial Church Council Gift Aid receipts for the past five years are:</p><p>2016 £91.9m</p><p>2017 £94.5m</p><p>2018 £94.3m</p><p>2019 £96.4m</p><p>2020 £91.3m*</p><p> </p><p>*The figure for 2020 is provisional and yet to be fully reviewed.</p><p>See also Parish Finance Statistics 2019, page 12: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Parish%20Finance%20Statistics%202019.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/Parish%20Finance%20Statistics%202019.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>In 2018, the most recent year for which statistics are readily available, Church of England cathedrals reported in their accounts a total of £1.3m of Gift Aid from donations.</p><p> </p><p><em>Church Commissioners:</em></p><p>The Church Commissioners have not received any Gift Aid on donations made by individuals.</p><p> </p><p><em>Churches Conservation Trust:</em></p><p>The Churches Conservation Trust is an independent charity reporting to both Parliament and the General Synod. It receives income from donations from individuals, trusts and foundations, and core funding from Government (DCMS) and the General Synod of the Church of England via the Church Commissioners.</p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td>2016/17</td><td>2017/18</td><td>2018/19</td><td>2019/20</td><td>2020/21</td></tr><tr><td>Tax Rebates / LPWGS*</td><td>£550,556</td><td>£239,520</td><td>£318,174</td><td>£289,460</td><td>£834,592</td></tr><tr><td>Gift Aid</td><td>£16,063</td><td>£22,756</td><td>£28,787</td><td>£19,824</td><td>£27,524</td></tr></tbody></table><p>*figure includes grants from the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme</p><p><br>The Annual Report and Accounts of the Trust are laid before Parliament and are available at <a href="https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html" target="_blank">https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/annual-report-accounts.html</a>*figure includes grants from the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/10/2021 17:30:24 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 23251 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1355281

registered interest
date	14/09/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Marriage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will make representations to Church leaders on allowing people to marry in any church of their choosing.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	49099
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2021 answer text <p>Since 2008 a couple can marry in a Church of England church of any parish where either of them resides or is on the church electoral roll, or any parish where either was baptised, prepared for confirmation, or had formerly lived or worshipped. They also qualify if the parents of either of them have lived in the parish of that church, or have worshipped there, or the parents or grandparents of either of them were married there. <br> <br>Being married in a church not only reflects the faith commitment of the couple but their connection to the communities to which they are linked, whether through present circumstances or family histories. This policy of ‘qualifying connections’ allows couples great flexibility in choosing their wedding venues while also maintaining those important community links. <br> <br>There are many positive effects of attending a church in order to get married there and the website yourchurchwedding.org encourages couples to ‘just ask’ to find out how they can get married in church.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 16/09/2021 16:22:55 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1355160

registered interest
date	13/09/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Bishops
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Catholic Relief Act 1829, what assessment the Commissioners have made of the Prime Minister's ability to advise the Sovereign on the appointment of Anglican Bishops.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	48216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2021 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Church Commissioners have not made any such assessment. </del><ins class="ministerial">The application of the Catholic Relief Act 1829 to the Sovereign’s advisers is a matter for the Government, not for the Church Commissioners.</ins></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 16/09/2021 16:24:45 question first ministerially corrected 20/09/2021 14:24:30 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 21997 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

1355161

registered interest
date	13/09/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Bishops
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 assessment the Commissioners have made of the potential merits of repealing legislation which prevents a Prime Minister who is a Catholic from advising the Sovereign on appointing Anglican Bishops.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	48217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2021 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners have not made any such assessment.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 16/09/2021 16:32:48 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

1354305

registered interest
date	09/09/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
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 most recent financial estimates the Church of England holds on the outstanding cost of fabric repairs to its parish churches.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	45956
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>Fluctuating material costs and the availability of specialist workers affect cost estimates significantly, so it is difficult to give a precise figure.</p><p>It is estimated, based on available architectural inspections and costed works, that the outstanding capital cost of all repairs over the next five years is close to £1bn for our 16,000 parish churches, or around £200m a year.</p><p>At best parishes currently raise and spend approximately half of that annually, so there remains a significant and growing maintenance deficit on these beautiful and treasured buildings.</p><p>England’s Anglican cathedrals were surveyed in 2019 to establish their repair and maintenance liabilities and from that it is estimated that these 42 buildings require £140m in the next five years in maintenance and repair. This estimate does not include precinct properties.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 13/09/2021 17:08:29 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1354306

registered interest
date	09/09/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
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 much the Church of England spent on the maintenance and repair of its parish churches in the financial year 2019-20.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	45957
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>A comprehensive record of maintenance and repair spend is not held centrally, as all parishes operate as independent entities. However it is estimated that parish communities spent at least £130m a year pre-pandemic on church building projects, including repair and maintenance, conservation of collections such as manuscripts, silver and textiles, improvements to accessibility and environmental sustainability, and inclusion of community facilities such as toilets and kitchens. Specialist building firms, craftspeople, archaeologists, conservators and others rely on churches to provide them with work and a training ground for passing their skills on to apprentices and trainees.</p><p>The vast majority of this money is raised locally and we are grateful to national bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Churches Trust, Wolfson Foundation and Pilgrim Trust, who continue to provide essential grants. The overall maintenance deficit continues to grow since the ending of the dedicated places of worship repair scheme in 2017.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 13/09/2021 17:14:39 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1345803

registered interest
date	12/07/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Housing and Public Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the article by the Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London, entitled, Is this the last chance to save the Church of England, published in the Spectator on 10 July 2021, what assessment the Church has made of the implications for its policies of the (a) findings of Revd Walker and (b) potential merits of proposals to create 10,000 new lay-led churches in the next 10 years in private homes and public halls.
tabling member constituency	Lichfield
tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
uin	31286
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2021 answer text <p>The Reverend Dave Male, Director of Evangelism and Discipleship for the Church of England, addressed the inaccuracies in The Spectator and subsequent articles, in a statement issued on 8th July: “I am very aware that some recent commentary in media and social media purporting to set out the future direction of Church of England has caused real anxiety, hurt and pain to many. Some of this has been based on a fundamental confusion between the Church of England’s own emerging Vision and Strategy for the 2020s and beyond, which we will be discussing at the upcoming meeting of General Synod, and a separate initiative called Myriad to create 10,000 new lay-led churches - which is not a national Church of England project. It has been claimed in some places that there is a plan to dissolve the parish system, sideline or even replace trained clergy, especially paid clergy, or to get rid of our beautiful, historic church buildings. So I want to make it abundantly clear that the Church of England is committed, now as always, to the ministry of the whole people of God including to ordained ministry in our parishes.” The full statement can be read here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/clergy-and-parishes-heart-church-england-now-and-future" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/clergy-and-parishes-heart-church-england-now-and-future</a></p><p>In his presidential address and in the subsequent debate on Vision and Strategy at the July General Synod, the Archbishop of York said that the Church needed more, not fewer vocations to ordination and that the limiting factor was the lack of vocations, not the valuable work of serving clergy across the country, of all forms of ministry.</p><p>The Archbishop of York’s presidential address can be read at <a href="https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/presidential-address-general-synod-july-2021" target="_blank">https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/presidential-address-general-synod-july-2021</a> and his presentation on the Vision and Strategy is here: <a href="https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/vision-and-strategy-address-general-synod-july-2021" target="_blank">https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/vision-and-strategy-address-general-synod-july-2021</a></p><p>More information about Vision and Strategy itself can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/emerging-church-england/vision-church-england-2020s" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/emerging-church-england/vision-church-england-2020s</a></p><p>Parishes remain at the heart of the Church of England's mission and ministry to the nation and the Church is delighted that growing numbers of people are answering the call to the priesthood. This year 591 clergy have committed themselves to ordained ministry within the Church, the largest number in over thirteen years. More information about vocations can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/recommendations-stipendiary-ordained-ministry-training-highest" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/news-releases/recommendations-stipendiary-ordained-ministry-training-highest</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 15/07/2021 13:51:13 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

1345285

registered interest
date	08/07/2021
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Singing
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 provisions will be put in place for people who remain concerned about covid-19 infection as singing is reintroduced in churches.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	29844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2021 answer text <p>The National Church Institutions as part of the DCMS and MHCLG Places of worship Task Force has produced fresh guidance for Parishes to help navigate the current situation. It reflects Government guidance as we move to step 4 of their roadmap as well as that from public health bodies and will continue to be updated as that evolves.</p><p>The guidance provided by the National Church Institutions it is hoped will inform local clergy and PCC’s in their decision-making. The circumstances in each parish may differ due to space, age and heath demographic, ability to ventilate the building or a variety of other concerns.</p><p>The full guidance can is available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 20/07/2021 12:27:15 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 13458 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell