The Anglican Church could give up some of its land for public housing as reparation for its role in slavery, Culture Minister Dale Butler said yesterday.

Scholarships at Bermuda College and the sponsoring of employment opportunities are other suggestions put forward by Mr. Butler in response to new Bishop Patrick White's pledge for talks on the subject.

Bishop White has said he hopes to discuss with church leaders what can be done in recognition of the way it profited from slaves building churches and allowed segregation to persist until halfway through the last century.

Mr. Butler, who has been calling for such a move since 2007, said yesterday: "I was pleased with what the bishop hopes his church will do. I think it will be good for Bermuda.

"I hope they can look at whether or not the church can offer a couple of scholarships, or use any portion of its land to provide housing for some people.

"They could sponsor some employment or courses at Bermuda College. Anything. Just the mere fact that he mentioned it comes as a favourable gesture."

The previous bishop, Ewen Ratteray, provided a long-awaited apology by the church two years ago to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery — but he incurred Mr. Butler's wrath by saying the church would address reparations in its own time and in its own way.

Yesterday, Mr. Butler said: "I was disappointed. I thought, while he has to go to his Synod, those were his closing days and he could have taken a risk and said he was in favour of it. He could have added it to his legacy.

"With the current bishop, we are not expecting the world. I just think any gesture, any step forward, will be helpful.

"History will judge him to be a man that saw what needed to be done."

Bishop White had said in yesterday's The Royal Gazette: "There's scope for discussions about scholarships. You have got to come up with money — I would like to see that happen. We should not leave it hanging."