Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Church Commissioners

22 April 2021 · 4 other contributors

Opened by Stephen Timms Lab East Ham

HousingReligion & Faith

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Stephen Timms raised concerns about church commissioners in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The debate focuses on the Church of England's plans to collaborate with social housing providers for affordable homes.
  • The Church Commissioners have secured planning permission for 3,820 new homes since 2015, with 820 being affordable.
  • Stephen Timms welcomed the archbishops' housing commission report aimed at addressing the housing crisis.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Stephen Timms Lab East Ham

The debate focuses on the future plans of the Church of England to collaborate with social housing providers, specifically addressing the issue of affordable homes. The Church Commissioners have secured planning permission for 3,820 new homes since 2015, with around 820 being affordable. Stephen Timms welcomed the archbishops’ housing commission report that aims to address the housing crisis and enquired about how the Church will work alongside social housing providers to provide desperately needed affordable housing.

Other contributors (4)
  • Stephen Timms Lab East Ham

    Asked for details on the Church's future plans to collaborate with social housing providers, particularly in east London.

  • Andrew Selous

    Replied by sharing that since 2015, the Church Commissioners have secured planning permission for 3,820 new homes, of which 820 are affordable. He mentioned a bold vision from the archbishops’ housing commission report and assured that the Church will work on implementing these recommendations across England.

  • Kerry McCarthy Lab Bristol East

    Asked about the plans for making publicly available a map of landholdings by the commissioners, dioceses and parishes. She expressed her interest in transparency to aid campaigners identify sites for rewilding, agroforestry, social housing and other public goods.

  • Andrew Selous

    Stated that a process of mapping as much of the Church of England’s land is underway. He confirmed that the issue will be debated at the General Synod's July session, and the Church Commissioners are in close contact with the housing executive team to plan for future ownership and use of the map.

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