§ MR. RADFORD (Islington, E.)I beg to ask the hon. Member for the Crewe Division, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether his attention has been directed to the scheme for clergy pensions recently inaugurated by the Commissioners; whether he is aware that one-third of the parochial clergy, viz.: assistant stipendiary curates, are excluded from the benefits of the scheme; will he say whether this exclusion is due to any limitation by Statute of the Commissioners' powers; and, if so, whether the Commissioners will consider the advisability of applying to Parliament for powers to enable them to extend their scheme so as to include the most necessitous class of the clergy.
§ MR. TOMKINSON (Cheshire, Crewe)Having regard to the limitations imposed by Statute upon the application of the Common Fund of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners the scheme for pensions to aged or infirm incumbents recently inaugurated by the Commissioners cannot without fresh legislation be extended to unbeneficed clergymen.
§ MR. RADFORDArising out of the reply, I observe that the hon. Gentleman has not replied to the latter part of the Question, viz.: whether the Commissioners will consider the advisability of applying to Parliament for powers to enable them to extend their scheme so as to include the most necessitous class of the clergy. If he has no reply ready on the spur of the moment, will he kindly confer with the Commissioners on the subject?
§ MR. TOMKINSONThe Ecclesiastical Commissioners are constantly considering questions such as this, and have considered the Question of the hon. Gentleman. I am afraid that they feel that no useful purpose would be served by applying to Parliament for fresh powers to extend the application of their funds in the direction desired by the hon. Gentleman.
§ SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham, E.)Am I to understand that poor curates are entirely excluded from the benefit of the scheme?
§ MR. TOMKINSONYes, Sir; I understand that retired curates do not come within the scope of the application of the surplus revenue of the Commissioners. The application of the surplus revenue in the hands of the General Commissioners is limited to the "Cure of Souls"—and a pension to a retired curate does not fall within that limit. Subventions to retirement can be made only to incumbents of benefices, and in order to prevent the stipend of a benefice being unduly reduced by the pension of the retiring incumbent and to enable worn-out incumbents to make way for more effective men.