Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs on 1st December 2022:
Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church is taking steps to plant more trees on its land in rural areas.
Andrew Selous MP (Con): During 2021 the Church Commissioners planted approximately 2 million trees across their land holdings. In 2021 the Commissioners also purchased land in Wales with the intention of establishing a new woodland of c.85,000 new trees (subject to the grant of planting permissions).
Across the land portfolio the Commissioners have conducted numerous woodland reviews assessing opportunities for new planting schemes, creating wildlife corridors. Via the implementation of environmental land management schemes farm tenants are planting more hedgerows and the Commissioners are encouraging the inclusion of in-hedge trees.
Jim Shannon MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the church has taken recent steps to provide affordable and sustainable housing on its land.
Andrew Selous MP: The Church Commissioners are currently promoting land for approximately 30,000 new homes across England. Approximately 30% of these new homes will be classed as affordable. The Commissioners aim is to deliver high-quality new homes and employment opportunities within sustainable communities which support and enhance their local surroundings.
The Commissioners have recently appointed an Affordable Housing Asset Manager to increase the delivery of affordable housing across the portfolio, and have recently collaborated with a Housing Association to deliver ten affordable homes and three bungalows in a rural community known as Shepherdswell, near Dover in Kent.
Jim Shannon MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to use environmentally-friendly farming methods in its agricultural land.
Andrew Selous MP: The Church Commissioners encourage existing farm tenants to adopt environmentally friendly farming practices across all their agricultural land. Throughout the year the Commissioners’ asset managers and agents have conducted meetings with their existing agricultural tenants to discuss various environmental opportunities, including hedgerow improvements, benefits of cover crops and other regenerative farming practices.
When re-letting farmland on the open market the Church Commissioners emphasise their net-zero ambitions and seek out tenants who adopt nature-friendly farming methods, via a vigorous tender process, farm letting particulars and updated farm business tenancies. The new tenancies include soil improvement clauses and requirements for landlord and tenant to work collaboratively on conducting carbon audits and environmental improvements such as hedgerow planting.
Jim Shannon MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on:
- taking steps to help tackle (a) violence against and (b) the abduction of Christians in Nigeria in the last 18 months.
- taking steps to help tackle violence against Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- making an assessment of freedom of religion and belief in China.
Andrew Selous MP: Bishops and officials of the Church of England regularly engage with Ministers and officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on a range of thematic and geographic concerns regarding freedom of religion or belief, which include the human rights situation in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Bishops in the House of Lords regularly raise concerns about the same through questions to Government. Details of these can be seen at:
Nigeria: Nigeria – The Church of England in Parliament (churchinparliament.org)(opens in a new tab)
Democratic Republic of Congo: The Church of England in Parliament (churchinparliament.org)(opens in a new tab)
China: China – The Church of England in Parliament (churchinparliament.org)(opens in a new tab)
Most recently on 17th November the Bishop of St Albans led a debate in the House of Lords on allegations of human rights abuses in China.
Jim Shannon MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps parish churches are taking to help (a) progress towards net zero and (b) increase biodiversity.
Andrew Selous MP: Parish churches are signing up to the Eco Church scheme, which asks them to consider how they manage their building and their carbon footprint, and how they manage their churchyard or other land around the church for the benefit of people and nature. It also asks them to integrate environmental issues into their worship and teaching, to join in with wider environmental issues in their community and beyond, and to challenge congregation members to take steps to reduce carbon and take care of the planet in their own lives.
As of October, over 4,000 CofE churches have signed up to the Eco Church scheme, 1,350 have reached bronze, just over 400 silver and 25 gold. Case studies can be seen here: Net Zero Carbon and Environmental case studies | The Church of England(opens in a new tab). Projects include replacing heating systems with heat pumps or direct electric heating, a community garden in urban Liverpool, and a wild flower garden in the space next to the graveyard in a Sheffield city church. Churches are also being encouraged to review how and when they put the heating on, good maintenance and wherever possible fixing draughts, to reduce overall energy use.
Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what representations he has received recently about the Church of England’s exemptions under the Equality Act 2010.
Andrew Selous MP: I have received no direct representations in my capacity as Second Church Estates Commissioner.
Ben Bradshaw MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what representations has he received on sex discrimination and misogyny in the Church of England.
Andrew Selous MP: I have received no direct representations in my capacity as Second Church Estates Commissioner. The National Church Institutions (NCIs) have a Belonging and Inclusion Strategy, which aims to make sure that the NCI workforce represent the diversity of the nation that the Church of England serves, at all levels including the most senior, so that everyone in the NCIs feels that they belong, are valued for who they are and what they contribute, and are supported to develop and flourish.
Ben Bradshaw MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many parishes in the Church of England in England reject the ministry of women.
Andrew Selous MP: The House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests makes provision for parishes to pass resolutions where their theological conviction leads them to seek the priestly or episcopal ministry of men. The most recent information held centrally by the National Church Institutions is contained on page 32 of the Mission Statistics 2020, the full details of which can be found here: Ministry Statistics 2020 report FINAL.pdf (churchofengland.org)(opens in a new tab)
There were 590 parishes in which a resolution under the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests had been passed at the end of 2020. These parishes account for 4.8% of all parishes. The breakdown is shown in Figure 24 of the Mission Statistics 2020.
Jim Shannon MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the church commissioners have taken to help support parishes that are replacing (a) gas and (b) oil central heating equipment.
Andrew Selous MP: The Church of England’s Environment Programme has produced guidance for churches that are reviewing their heating, and webinars for advice, which can be seen at: Heating | The Church of England(opens in a new tab) & Webinars on getting to net zero carbon | The Church of England(opens in a new tab)
The Church Commissioners intend to distribute £1.2 billion between 2023 and 2025, up 30% from £930 million in the current three-year period, to support the Church’s mission and ministry, including through parishes across England. The core of the extra funding will be channelled into the revitalisation of parish and local ministry and go some way to continue enabling local parishes to serve their communities and the whole nation. The distributions will help fund dioceses’ plans by reaching more young and disadvantaged people, addressing issues of racial justice, and radically cutting the Church’s carbon footprint. By providing help for net zero programmes, and access to experts in renewable heating advice, parishes will be helped with their plans to replace gas and oil heating systems.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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