§ Mr. Fieldasked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list each of the churches which have been (a) closed, (b) demolished and (c) put to an alternative use in Birkenhead since 1960; and under which procedures the status of each church was changed.
§ Sir William van StraubenzeeThe information is as follows
St. Michael and All Angels, Claughton, which was, at the time, in the borough of Birkenhead, was demolished in 1960 under the authority of an Order in Council confirming a scheme made under the Union of Benefices Measure 1923–1952.All Saints, Birkenhead, was declared redundant—that is, closed for worship—in 1972 by Order in Council confirming a scheme made under the Pastoral Measure 1968, which I refer to as "the Measure" hereafter. The church was demolished in 1972 under the authority of an Order in Council confirming a redundancy scheme made under the Measure.Holy Trinity, Birkenhead, and St. Matthew, Birkenhead, were declared redundant in 1975 by Order in Council under the Measure. Both churches were demolished in 1975 under the authority of a faculty issued by the Consistory Court of the diocese, pursuant to the Faculty Jurisdiction Measure 1964.St. John's, Birkenhead, was declared redundant in 1975 by Order in Council under the Measure. It was demolished in 1976, also by the authority of an Order in Council under the Measure.St. Mary's, Birkenhead, was declared redundant in 1975 by Order in Council under the Measure. In 1977 part of it was demolished by the authority of an Order in Council under the Measure and part was vested in the Redundant Churches Fund for care and maintenance by similar authority.