Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to Questions 48 and 49 of the Questions to the General Synod on 10 February 2025, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the potential implications for their policies of the comments made by the Bishop of Salisbury that external authorities must approve the implementation timeline for Project Spire; and if the Church Commissioners will list those external authorities.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

The Church Commissioners have had informal and constructive dialogue with the Charity Commission about how to implement the Church Commissioners’ response to their historic links to African chattel enslavement (known as “Project Spire”).

This informal engagement has now concluded, and subject to authorisation by trustees the Church Commissioners anticipate that they will make appropriate applications to the Charity Commission.

Project Spire’s implementation timeline depends on this external authority to the extent that the Charity Commission will determine how long it takes to come to a decision.