Churches: Financial Viability

3. What recent assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of payments that churches are required to make to it on the financial viability of those churches.

No parish is required to make payments to the national Church institutions. The parish share, or common fund, is a financial contribution that a parish makes to the diocese to help fund clergy stipends, pensions and housing, including mutual support for ministries in less affluent areas.

Whether it is holding coffee mornings to bring people together, stepping in to provide activities for young people where council services have disappeared, or providing affordable spaces for community groups, our churches are part of the fabric of Cannock Chase, but what they do carries a cost. One parish in my constituency saw its parish share reduced from £35,000 to £15,000, yet even that lower figure required it to draw on reserves, which are now exhausted. What assessment have the Church Commissioners made of how many parishes are in a similar situation, and what support might be available to those churches once their reserves have run out?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out the importance of churches in providing community support and care, which are essential in many local areas. On the specific case in his parish, I would be happy to put him in touch with the diocese of Lichfield so that he can discuss his concerns more broadly. On a wider note, the Church Commissioners are supporting parishes in the lowest-income communities with over £133 million of investment, representing a 46% increase on the previous funding window.