CHURCH COMMISSIONERS (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) MEASURE (Hansard, 21 July 1975)

§ Mr. Terry Walker (Kingswood)
I beg to move, That the Church Commissioners (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure, passed by the General Synod of the Church of England, be presented to Her Majesty for Her Royal Assent in the form in which the said Measure was laid before Parliament.

§ Mr. Enoch Powell (Down, South)
Object.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. George Thomas)
I understand that this is exempted business and is permitted.

§ Mr. Terry Walker
This measure was generally approved by the Synod of the Church of England in July 1974, considered for revision in November of that year and finally approved in February 1975 by an overwhelming majority. At no stage in the General Synod was there a division.
The measure deals with two distinct matters. Clause 1 replaces Section 3 of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (Powers) Measure 1936, under which the Commissioners were empowered to augment the income of the bishopric of Sodor and Man up to a ceiling of £3,000 per annum. This figure is now generally accepted to be too low. The clause enables the Commissioners to pay out of their general fund such annual sums as they think expedient to augment his stipend and as a contribution to the expenses of office in this far-flung diocese.
Clause 2 relates to the pensions of the First and Third Church Estates Commissioners and their widows. This provision is understood to be most expedient because at present this is left at the discretion of the Commissioners. The pension is paid on a discretionary basis to the First and Third Estates Commis- 218 sioners providing that they have served for 10 years.
The present amount of the pension is up to two-thirds of the salary if they have performed 10 to 15 years service or, if they have, retired by reason of disability, after not less than five years' service. If they have less than five years' service they are allowed at least a pension of one-third of the salary. This measure will bring the Estates Commissioners into line with good pensions practice.
The First and Third Estates Commissioners are usually people who have been appointed after they have served in high office elsewhere, yet they bear great responsibility. It is only proper that they should receive reasonable remuneration and that provision should be made. It is, therefore, desirable that this measure should be brought before the House tonight. It has been before the Ecclesiastical Committee and has been found most expedient.