§ 21. Mr. Greenwayasked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, how many members of the clergy received stipends for the first time in 1984 and in each of the preceding 10 years.
§ The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Representing Church Commissioners (Sir William van Straubenzee)There were 404. Information is not available for all of the preceding 10 years, but for 1983 the figure was 423 and for 1982 it was 385.
§ Mr. GreenwayI thank my hon. Friend for those figures. Do they not represent a disturbing but slow decline in the number of clergy available in this country, and does that not have serious long-term implications for the life of the Church? Secondly, will my hon. Friend comment on the fact that divorced and separated wives of clergymen are living in penury because proper provision is not made for them?
§ Sir William van StraubenzeeCourtesy to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) means that I must not answer the second part of my hon. Friend's question. I am sure that we can make quick progress.
With regard to the first part of his question, my hon. Friend asked me in his original question to give the number of clergy receiving stipends for the first time. That is not 320
614 necessarily the same thing, as he already knows. Of course, I would very much wish to see a sharp increase in the number of men offering themselves for ordination.
§ Mr. CormackDoes my hon. Friend agree that vocations might be increased if certain right reverend prelates stuck to politics rather than straying into unsound doctrine?
§ Sir William van StraubenzeeI am certain that it is very much better for a good shoemaker to stick to his last.