Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

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

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

2. What steps the Church of England is taking to support deprived communities.

[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.

[Jessica Toale]

Over the last few weeks, I have visited Winton and Parkstone community pantry at the Winton Christadelphian church, which is supported by FareShare, and the sanctuary project at St Andrew’s church in Kinson, which has a food bank supported by the Trussell Trust. Both churches go out of their way to support our community members in need. Will the hon. Lady join me in paying tribute to the churches and their volunteers? Will she outline what more they can do to provide support with the cost of living and isolation in our communities?

[Marsha De Cordova]

Churches are cornerstones of all our communities, and I congratulate the clergy, volunteers and congregation of St Andrew’s church in Kinson and the Winton Christadelphian church on their hard work and contributions to supporting the community pantry and the sanctuary project. Across the country, churches are delivering around 31,000 community projects, including 8,000 food banks, 4,000 parent and carer groups, 5,000 lunch clubs and 3,000 community cafés. These programmes offer practical support, companionship and advice to those facing hardship, demonstrating the Church’s ongoing commitment to serving and standing with all our communities nationwide.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

Again, I am sorry to hear about the right hon. Member’s constituency and the number of churches that are no longer in operation. I will certainly ensure that whatever best practice the Church Commissioners have can be shared with the Church of Scotland.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

4. What assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of church leaders on community relations.

[Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)]

6. What assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of church leaders on community relations.

[Jessica Toale]

Bournemouth has been made richer by its diversity and the communities that have chosen to make it their home, yet tensions rose over the summer due to protests about asylum seekers. I pay tribute to our local churches, particularly Lansdowne church and Gateway church, for the vital work they do to welcome asylum seekers and build community connection between our many communities. How can we do more to support those churches and the vital work they do?

[Marsha De Cordova]

I recognise and commend the work of all churches that are standing up for minority communities, refugees and those seeking asylum. Our diversity is our strength, and our strength as a Church lies in supporting every member of our communities, including those who face barriers, persecution or prejudice. I also want to recognise my hon. Friend’s leadership in the work she is doing to support her local community, as well as her local churches. It is so important that our churches work across faiths with all of our communities to enhance community cohesion.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

10. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of dormant assets funding on access to sport for young people in Bournemouth.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government recently published their first ever dormant assets strategy, setting out how £440 million will be distributed in England. Some £132.5 million will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sport and wider youth services.

[Jessica Toale]

The Henry Brown centre in West Howe, in my Bournemouth West constituency, runs a range of activities for the community, including the Changes Are Made boxing club, which provides positive sport activities for local young people and aims to raise awareness about the dangers of knife crime. Like many community centres and clubs, it would like to expand but struggles to find the funds to do so. Will the Minister tell me how CAM and the Henry Brown centre can access the dormant asset funds to expand the amazing work that they are doing in the local area?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The Government will work with the National Lottery Community Fund to decide on the specific programmes, and we will outline how that funding will be allocated shortly. I pay tribute to the organisations in my hon. Friend’s constituency for their work and activities, and I would happily meet her to discuss the issue further.

Film Industry

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

I thank him genuinely for that question on such an important issue. I have already held discussions with the Transport Secretary about young people having issues accessing art, sport, music and creativity in their communities because of transport challenges. I recognise exactly what he says from my own constituency in Wigan, which is for the most part very rural. He is right to raise the impact that the lack of rural transport has on employment and the industry. I will commit to taking that away and talking to the Transport Secretary to resolve it.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

I welcome the Government’s commitment to supporting our film and creative industries in all parts of the country. My constituency supports the full life cycle of our film industries, from our universities that train our technicians, producers and actors to the world-leading post-production companies that provide visual effects work for big budget film and TV productions. What more can be done to boost investment in jobs in the creative industries in Bournemouth and the south-west?

[Lisa Nandy]

My hon. Friend does a very good job of singing the virtues of Bournemouth, and our Government are very aware of that. Universities are incredibly important to our plans to put rocket boosters under the creative industries. Only yesterday I was at Pinewood Studios. Its partnership with the local university is introducing young people to skills and opportunities that some of them told me yesterday they would never have dreamed of. I met a young woman who is undertaking a course; she had had a dream to work in the creative industries, film in particular, since she watched “Mrs. Doubtfire” as a child and saw the amazing work that could be done through hair, make-up, and prosthetics. That gives us an idea of the enormous ecosystem of good, skilled jobs out there in the creative industries if we get this right. We are absolutely determined to make that happen.