§ Mr. BakerTo ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, to what extent the Commissioners take into account extra income earned by bishops(a) from giving lectures and (b) from other sources in determining their remuneration. [99118]
§ Mr. Stuart BellBishops are advised that if they take on further, paid commitments, and that work involves time which would otherwise be used for episcopal responsibilities, they should inform the Commissioners of the gross annual amount. An equivalent sum can then be deducted from their stipend. This is on the same basis as the rules for other clergy.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list the expenses claimed by each bishop for the last year for which figures are available. [99117]
§ Mr. Stuart BellThe Commissioners' current policy is not to make public the expenditure on individual bishops' working costs. The overall expenditure under this heading in 1998 was £8.8 million. Of this £5.1 million was spent60W on staff salaries, pensions and fees; £3.3 million on other working costs; and £0.4 million on costs connected with last year's Lambeth Conference.
This expenditure is the necessary costs of supporting the bishops' ministry: principally the salaries and pensions of their staff, the costs of running an office, of official travel, of hospitality, and other miscellaneous costs. All this expenditure is subject to detailed and continuous audit to ensure that it is incurred in line with the Inland Revenue's requirement that it be "wholly, exclusively and necessarily" incurred in the performance of a bishop's duties.