§ 38. Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet)If he will make a statement on the work of the Church Commissioners during the past year in respect of funding clergy. [46354]
§ Mr. Stuart Bell (Second Church Estates Commissioner, representing the Church Commissioners)In 1997, the commissioners' total expenditure on behalf of the Church was £130.6 million—£82 million on clergy pensions. We contributed £24.6 million towards the total stipends bill of £159.7 million.
§ Sir Sydney ChapmanI thank the hon. Gentleman for that answer. In commending the commissioners and their advisers on the great and welcome increase in the returns recently secured on their investments, will the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that a large proportion of it will benefit clergy, stipends and pensions through the dioceses?
§ Mr. BellI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. The commissioners' aim is always to achieve sustainable expenditure so that we can continue to meet our principal objective of supporting ministry in the neediest diocese. As part of that plan, as he will know, we aim to provide minimum support of £20 million for parochial ministry in the foreseeable future. On the dioceses, to which he referred, it is important that parishioners meet a growing proportion of needs of the Church through stipends costs and, of course, the cost of future service pensions. I am sure that he appreciates the floor of £20 million a year.