“To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to support deprived communities.”
Asked by
Jessica Toale
Answering Minister
the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners
Answer from Hansard
The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Marsha De Cordova)
The Church remains a major investor in deprived communities. Funding for the period from 2026 to 2028 has reached a record £430 million, focusing on strengthening ministry and providing long-term support for the lowest-income communities. That is in addition to the £91 million already spent in the period between 2023 and 2025 in dioceses in urban, post-industrial and coastal communities. Just recently, at the last General Synod meeting, we marked the 40th anniversary of the landmark “Faith in the City” report into tackling structural deprivation.