Oral Answers to Questions

Jeremy Lefroy Excerpts

Tuesday 30th November 2010 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

7. What steps the Church Commissioners are taking to support the work of the Churches Conservation Trust.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry)]

The Churches Conservation Trust was set up by statute to preserve

“in the interests of the nation”

churches that have closed for regular public worship but are of historic or architectural value. For the funding period to March 2012, the Church Commissioners will provide a further £4 million.

[Jeremy Lefroy]

How many churches is the CCT currently supporting?

[Tony Baldry]

The CCT is supporting some 340 church buildings, all of which are of considerable historic or architectural interest. We are grateful for the co-sponsoring by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on a 30:70 basis. This is an issue that is bigger than just the Church. Some 45% of all grade 1 listed buildings are churches, and those buildings represent an important part of the social history of our nation.