HL Deb 04 February 1980 vol 404 cc1089-91

2.57 p.m.

The Lord Bishop of LONDON

My Lords, I beg to move, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Deaconesses and Lay Workers (Pensions) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for Royal Assent. This is a very simple and entirely non-controversial Measure since it passed through all its stages in the General Synod without a single voice being raised in opposition or criticism of it. Indeed, I have some embarrassment in asking your Lordships to spend some time upon consideration of it. I have, however, to do so for this reason. The Church Commissioners are only permitted to disburse their funds in accordance with the directions of Parliament. Therefore, if they see a reasonable cause to which they should make their contribution they have to seek parliamentary approval to give them power to make such a contribution.

As things stand at the moment, the Church Commissioners have, under the Clergy Pensions Measure 1961, the power to make contributions to the Pensions Board, through whom pensions are paid to the ordained clergy. But as things stand at the moment the Church Commissioners have no power to make a financial contribution to the Church Workers Pensions Fund which is administered by the Pensions Board and is solely for the benefit of deaconesses and licensed layworkers. Therefore, the Pensions Board has no funds other than the very small and meagre funds available for paying the pensions of deaconesses and licensed layworkers.

There are at the present time some 600 deaconesses and lay workers in active service and about 350 deaconesses and lay workers who are in retirement, and after a lifetime of service to the Church they only receive a minimal pension. Therefore, it is the will of the General Synod and of the Church Commissioners that they should be empowered to make a suitablecontribution to the Pensions Board, and the Pensions Board will therefore be able to pay a proper pension to deaconesses and licensed lay workers. It is hoped that they should be put on the same standing and status as the clergy, which would mean they would receive a pension of £54 per annum for every year of service, with a maximum of 37 years; so that if a deaconess or licensed lay worker had served 37 years, they would receive a pension of about £2,000 a year.

Similarly, they would be entitled to a lump sum on retirement, and again the similar figure is £86 for each year of service, subject to a maximum of 37 years. So if a deaconess or licensed lay worker has served for 37 years they would be entitled also to a lump sum of something in the region of £3,000. These figures are, in these days, small enough, but they are a great improvement on the position as it affects deaconesses and lay workers at the present time because they are on a descending scale and there are some very old and senior retired deaconesses who are receiving little more than £1 per week as a pension.

This will cost the General Fund of the Church Commissioners approximately £600,000 per annum, but they believe that it is right and proper that the Church should be able to use its funds in this way in order to provide a reasonable pension for deaconesses and licensed lay workers who have served the Church so faithfully before their retirement. I therefore beg to move that this Motion be agreed to.

Moved, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Deaconesses and Lay Workers (Pensions) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.£(The Lord Bishop of London.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.