On 25th July 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Church of England: Finance
Rachael Maskell MP (Lab, York Central): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had with stakeholders on (a) their spending priorities and (b) how these align with the mission of the church.
Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): The budget of the Archbishops’ Council is debated at the General Synod, and members can question the chair of the Council’s Finance Committee about spending plans.
The spending plans are designed to align with the five Marks of Mission and the Vision and Strategy of the Church of England. The Five Marks of Mission were developed by the Anglican Communion and adopted at its meeting in 1984 (ACC-6) to draw the global family of Churches together around points of unity. You can find more information about this here: https://www.anglicancommunion.org/mission/marks-of-mission.aspx(opens in a new tab)
For more information about how the Church of England applies the Five Marks of Mission, see here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/deeper-god-mission-theology(opens in a new tab)
For more information about the Church of England’s Vision and Strategy set out in 2020, see the latest papers here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-and-strategy
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church has made of the potential merit of separating the funding of upkeep of the material fabric of buildings and of ministers for the cure of souls.
Andrew Selous: While no specific assessment has been made of separating the upkeep of buildings from the ministers’ cure of souls, the National Church Institutions regularly review the pressure on parishes and clergy in public ministry and are committed to reducing the burdens of administration, operation, and management. The National Church Institutions continue to explore the opportunities to support parishes, and the Church Commissioners have recently launched the £14 million ‘Buildings for Mission’ fund, which includes funding for Church Building Support Officers and minor fabric repairs. The Church would like to thank the Government for introducing an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to clarify the law around churches being able to receive grant funding from local authorities.
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to allocate funding to the least affluent areas in parishes.
Andrew Selous: Parliament has most recently approved the Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure 2023, which has received Royal Assent. This Measure has simplified the process and enabled wealthy dioceses to share surplus funds from their Diocesan Stipends Funds with less affluent dioceses should they choose to do so. This money can only be spent on the stipends for clergy.
Additionally, the Church Commissioners, whose predecessor bodies were founded to support poor clergy and poor parishes by redistributing the wealth of the Church, continue that purpose today. The primary example is through the Lowest Income Communities Fund. The Church Commissioners have also been making new money available to support vocations, training new clergy, and supporting dioceses to afford larger numbers of clergy. This money has been administered through the Archbishops’ Council.
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has had recent discussions with local dioceses on the potential merits of devolving budgets.
Andrew Selous: Parishes already have autonomy over their finances. The Church of England has a devolved structure with operational budgets managed at the parish, diocese and national levels. Each level makes day-to-day and long-term spending decisions appropriate to its activity. There are no plans to devolve further budgetary functions.
The Church Commissioners make significant money available each year through the Archbishops’ Council to support various initiatives at the diocesan and parish levels. Recent funds have included money to increase opportunity for those with a vocation to train for ministry, supporting clergy posts of first responsibility, funding parish churches upgrading heating systems and giving hardship grants to dioceses to support clergy in need.
The Church Commissioners are now working with a new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board to oversee the distribution of its lowest-income communities and strategic development project funding. The latest report from the Strategic Mission and Misntry Board can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-misc-1348-final-version-2022-sib-annual-report-for-synod.pdf(opens in a new tab)
You can find more about the work of both the Archbishops’ Council and the Church Commissioners to support parish and diocesan ministry in their Annual Reports here:
The Archbishops’ Council: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2308-2022-archbishops-council-annual-report.pdf(opens in a new tab)
The Church Commissioners: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-misc-1342-church-commissioners-for-england-annual-report-2022-final.pdf
Church of England: Parishes
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had with stakeholders on involving parishes in discussions over their future.
Andrew Selous: Parish ministry is central to the day-to-day life of the Church of England. The General Synod, at its July 2023 session, discussed GS 2314 a paper from the Vision and Strategy Department about revitalising parish ministry. You can find the paper here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2314-revitalising-the-parish.pdf(opens in a new tab)
Regarding the distribution of the Church Commissioners’ funds, it will be for the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Board to decide who and how they consult before making their decisions and advice regarding future investment.
The latest report from the Strategic Mission and Misntry Board can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-misc-1348-final-version-2022-sib-annual-report-for-synod.pdf(opens in a new tab)
Information about the foundation of the Board and its purpose can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and
Churches: VAT
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church has made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on VAT relief for the upkeep of (a) newer and (b) all church buildings.
Andrew Selous:
The most recent discussions between the National Church Institutions and the Treasury about VAT on building repairs took place in 2021-2022 around the regular review of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Representations were also made in 2022 by the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the National Church Institutions to the Secretary of State for Brexit Opportunities suggesting that VAT on repair and restoration of religious buildings be zero-rated as part of the review of EU legislation. This request was supported by the Historic Building Alliance and the wider sector. The Brexit Opportunities Department declined to take the suggestion further at the time.
The Church of England is grateful to the Treasury for continuing the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme while the post-Brexit tax arrangements are bedding in as this gives certainty to churches undertaking repair and building work.
More information about the scheme can be found here: https://listed-places-of-worship-grant.dcms.gov.uk/
Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions he has had with the Church Commissions on the role of charitable trusts in upkeep of church buildings.
Andrew Selous: I have not discussed with the Board of the Church Commissioners the role of charitable trusts. The Church Buildings Division of the national Church institutions are available to all parishes, diocese and cathedrals to offer advice and support about grants or maintenance. Parish Resources provides a list of grant funders. Details can be found here: https://www.parishresources.org.uk/resources-for-treasurers/funding/(opens in a new tab)
No major heritage funder, such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NHLF), has retained a ring-fenced fund to support the repair and maintain religious buildings and ecclesiastical heritage. However, the NLHF new ten-year strategy will include places of worship alongside other heritage assets.
The Church of England is therefore grateful to the local philanthropists and charitable trusts, large and small, that support the maintenance of our churches and Cathedrals alongside the support from the congregations. Without their support, our nationally and internationally important church architecture and the living heritage of our parish churches and cathedrals would be at even greater risk.
Independent Safeguarding Board
Mr Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab, Exeter): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the announcement by the Archbishop of York of an independent inquiry into the decision to close down the Independent Safeguarding Board, if he will publish a copy of the inquiry’s finings once available.
Andrew Selous: The Archbishop of York has committed that the findings of this review will be made public.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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