§ Mr. ByersTo ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners how many clerics have resigned and are claiming severance pay as a consequence of the ordination of women priests; how many resignations there have been in each diocese; and what is the cost in severance pay so far awarded and projected costs in 1995 and 1996.
§ Mr. AlisonAs at 31 October 1994, 215 men eligible for financial provision had resigned; they have so far received a total of £1.9 million from re-settlement grants and continuing periodic payments. The following schedule gives a breakdown of numbers by diocese.
On current projections we expect the cost to be £2.3 million in 1994, about £3.5 million in 1995 and about £3.0 million in 1996.
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Ordination of Women Measure Resigners at 31 October 1994 Bath and Wells 8 Birmingham 3 Blackburn 2 Bradford — Bristol — Canterbury 3 Carlisle 2 Chelmsford 12 Chester 2 Chichester 9 Coventry 1 Derby 4 Durham 10
Ordination of Women Measure Resigners at 31 October 1994 Ely 2 Exeter 6 Gloucester 3 Guildford 1 Hereford 1 Leicester 6 Lichfield 13 Lincoln 6 Liverpool 1 London 14 Manchester 10 Newcastle 2 Norwich 4 Oxford 8 Peterborough 7 Portsmouth 1 Ripon 4 Rochester 6 St Albans 2 St Eds & Ips 4 Salisbury 4 Sheffield 8 Sodor amp; Man 1 Southwark 6 Southwell 4 Truro 13 Wakefield 9 Winchester 3 Worcester 1 York 3 Other 6