Pensions (Hansard, 15 May 1995)

§ 32. Mr. Jenkin
To ask the right hon. Member for Selby as representing the Church Commissioners what discussions the commissioners have had concerning the recent second report of the Social Security Committee on the Church Commissioners and Church of England pensions; and if he will make a statement. [22499]

§ 34. Mr. Harry Greenway
To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the recommendations contained in the second report of the Social Security Committee of Session 1994–95, HC 354, on the operation of Church of England pensions. [22501]

§ 35. Mr. Corbyn
To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what action has been taken to carry out the recommendations of the second report of the Social Security Committee, HC 354, in respect of the past use of Church Commissioners' pension fund money. [22502]

§ Mr. Alison
I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to day to the hon. Members for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes), and Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Clifton-Brown).

§ 33. Mr. Frank Field
To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners how many wives have been divorced from their clergy husbands for each of the last 30 years; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these numbers on pension provision. [22500]

§ Mr. Alison
Neither the Church Commissioners nor the pensions board holds this information. It is possible that Broken Rites, which, as the hon. Member knows, is an independent association of divorced and separated wives of clergy, may be able to provide certain information.
A survivorship pension is payable to a legal widow—the wife to whom the clergyman was married at the time of his death. No such pension is payable in respect of the ex-wife of a divorced clergyman unless he remarries. In that event, and if he is survived by the second wife, she would receive a pension.
The pensions board makes discretionary grants to a former wife, after the death of her ex-husband, if her total income from all sources is below a certain figure.