On 6th May 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:
Church of England: Slavery
Katie Lam MP (Con, Weald of Kent): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, when Project Spire discussions began between the Charity Commission and the Church Commissioners.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church Commissioners began discussions with the Charity Commission about Project Spire in February 2023.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what statutory powers the Church Commissioners plan to use to facilitate Project Spire.
Marsha De Cordova: Subject to the approval of trustees, the Church Commissioners intend to make an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 on the basis of a moral obligation.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church Commissioners have for the release of public information on (a) the structure of the Project Spire fund and (b) its statutory authority.
Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners have sought, and continue to seek, to keep the public informed about their research findings and their response to these findings through reports on their webpage, including a regularly updated Frequently Asked Questions section, stakeholder engagement sessions online and in-person, routinely answered correspondence, and published articles; including topics such as the structure of the proposed Fund of Healing, Repair and Justice – as that develops – and such statutory authority as the Church Commissioners may obtain: https://www.churchofengland.org/historic-links-to-enslavement
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, which grant-making powers the Church Commissioners plan to use in making grants under Project Spire.
Marsha De Cordova: Subject to the approval of trustees, the Church Commissioners intend to make an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 on the basis of a moral obligation.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners plan to set up a new charity to administer Project Spire, in the context of the Bishop of Salisbury’s comments at the General Synod in February 2025.
Marsha De Cordova: Subject to the decision of trustees and the approval of the Charity Commission, the Church Commissioners plan to set up a new charitable fund, which they propose to call the Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice, as part of the delivery of Project Spire.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have (a) made or (b) have held discussions with the Charity Commission on making an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 105 or 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire.
Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissions have not made an application to the Charity Commission to seek authority for a payment under section 105 or 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire.
The Church Commissioners have held discussions with the Charity Commission about making an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how much money has been spent on (a) research funding, (b) salaries and (c) legal advice for Project Spire.
Marsh De Cordova: The Annual Reports of the Church Commissioners’ contains information on fees relating to forensic accounting services provided to support a research project into the fund of Queen Anne’s Bounty, one of the Commissioners’ predecessor bodies. Information (2023, p.105; 2022, p.105; 2021, p.90) can be viewed here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/who-we-are/publications(opens in a new tab)
Further information will be included in the Church Commissioners’ Annual Report and Accounts for 2024, which will be published next month.
Katie Lam: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to Questions 48 and 49 of the Questions to the General Synod on 10 February 2025, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the potential implications for their policies of the comments made by the Bishop of Salisbury that external authorities must approve the implementation timeline for Project Spire; and if the Church Commissioners will list those external authorities.
Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners have had informal and constructive dialogue with the Charity Commission about how to implement the Church Commissioners’ response to their historic links to African chattel enslavement (known as “Project Spire”).
This informal engagement has now concluded, and subject to authorisation by trustees the Church Commissioners anticipate that they will make appropriate applications to the Charity Commission.
Project Spire’s implementation timeline depends on this external authority to the extent that the Charity Commission will determine how long it takes to come to a decision.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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