Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Church Maintenance: Sustainability

Thursday 9 December 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Church of England received 54 million in culture recovery funding from the Government.
  • Various options including new insurance and maintenance partnerships are being explored to support small rural churches.
  • No specific new plans were mentioned for engaging young people in caring for church buildings.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Neil Hudson Con Epping Forest
Religion & Faith
Context

The Church of England faces challenges in maintaining its buildings, with a need for stable funding to ensure continued contribution to national wellbeing.

Question

What proposals does the Church of England have to put the maintenance of churches and cathedrals on a sustainable basis?

Answer from Andrew Selous

The Church is grateful for Government support, including £54 million culture recovery funding. However, putting repair and maintenance funding on a stable footing is essential. Past partnerships have been helpful and the opportunity with levelling up is greater.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific proposals or commitments to maintain churches sustainably were not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Neil Hudson Con Epping Forest
Agriculture & Rural Affairs Religion & Faith
Context

Churches in rural communities face challenges such as small congregations and significant upkeep costs, which threaten their long-term viability.

Question

What is the Church doing to support the long-term survival of small rural churches?

Answer from Andrew Selous

We are looking at various options including new insurance and maintenance partnerships, which could reduce bureaucracy for priests and churchwardens while retaining local ownership. We are committed to a thriving rural ministry to attract congregations that can sustain these churches into the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details or commitments on actions taken to support small rural churches were not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Barry Sheerman Lab
Religion & Faith
Context

Local community engagement is crucial for the sustainability of churches, especially involving young people to make them more energetic and sustainable.

Question

What role do local communities play in caring for church buildings and fostering their place in the community? Are there new plans to engage young people in this process?

Answer from Andrew Selous

Sometimes the church is described as 22 people needing a rest and many more needing exercise. The hon. Gentleman has highlighted something important, but no specific new plans or actions were mentioned regarding engaging young people.

Not addressed: The question about engagement of young people in sustaining churches was not addressed directly

How: Acknowledged The Issue Without Providing Details

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)