Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP on 18th March 2022:
Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Church of England’s report, entitled From Anecdote to Evidence, what planning assumptions have been made in dioceses where large parish structures are being implemented in relation to the consequent fall in congregation numbers and drop in giving.
Andrew Selous MP (Con): In the area of parish structures, the From Anecdote to Evidence report has been superseded by more recent research reports called Growing Deeper and Stronger as One. Both reports can be viewed at: Findings and reports | The Church of England(opens in a new tab)
This research has shown that there is no statistically significant relationship between the number of churches within a benefice (the benefice structure) and numerical growth or decline, once clergy numbers, geography, population change and initial church size are taken into account.
The specific planning assumptions are for individual dioceses and not the Church Commissioners.
Ben Bradshaw MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the announcements of the cities of Leicester, Lincoln and Liverpool on plans to implement large parish structures in February 2022, what arrangements will be put in place to compensate for the loss in local pastoral care.
Andrew Selous MP: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.
In each of these cases, the change in structures are to enable effective ministry, including pastoral care, to be present in communities given the challenges in the overall numbers of clergy and the financial challenge facing the Church, especially post-Covid. In each of the cases there is an anticipation of better pastoral care than under the status quo.
Ben Bradshaw MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what estimate he has made of the potential net financial saving of areas that plan to implement large parish structures.
Andrew Selous MP: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.
These large parish structures are not primarily about achieving financial savings, but ensuring that there is effective ministry and service to the community, given the financial and other constraints that the Church faces.
The dioceses of the Church of England are not-for-profit organisations, and so all funds are reinvested in the work of the Church, and the proposed changes are about how to use these funds in the best possible way to serve the whole of England.
Ben Bradshaw MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what alternative approaches to savings were considered at the same time as large parish structures and why were these alternatives rejected.
Andrew Selous MP: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.
These large parish structures are not primarily about achieving financial savings, but ensuring that there is effective ministry and service to the community, given the financial and other constraints that the Church faces. Where funding has been awarded by the Church Commissioners, there has been a requirement to consider the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches and these have been scrutinised by funding award panels.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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