On 20th March 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Church of England: Ground Rent and Leasehold
Sir James Cleverly MP (Con, Braintree): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England had made representations to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on (a) restrictions on ground rents and (b) leasehold reform in the last year.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): Since 2021, the Church Commissioners have routinely made formal representations to the Government on proposed reforms to leasehold and ground rents. These have included written submissions, correspondence with Ministers, participation in relevant Law Commission consultations and debates in the House of Lords.
Throughout the development of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA), the Church Commissioners have consistently highlighted the risk that the loss of marriage value would diminish the Charity’s ability to support its beneficiaries, particularly those most in need.
The Church Commissioners await the Government’s consultation on deferment rates to assess the full impact of LAFRA, noting that the proposals would result in a one off transfer of value from the Charity to individual leaseholders, in some cases amounting to significant sums.
Church of England: Council Tax
Sir James Cleverly: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has made an assessment of the cost to the Church of England of the new council tax surcharge on residential dwellings occupied by serving or retired Anglican clergy and owned by the Church.
Marsha De Cordova: The National Church Institutions of the Church of England (NCIs) have not conducted a formal assessment because the management of council tax levied on vicarages is handled at a diocesan level, and retired clergy are responsible for their own council tax on their retirement properties.
A broad, high-level assessment was conducted shortly after the Government’s initial budget announcement in November 2025. It indicated that the proposed changes to council tax would mainly impact dioceses in regions with vicarages in higher property bands, especially the London Diocese. Any extra council tax payable would be borne by dioceses for housing parish clergy, archdeacons, and suffragan bishops; by cathedral chapters for housing cathedral clergy; and by the Church Commissioners for diocesan bishops’ housing.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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