§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will estimate the total cost of the compensation scheme for those priests unwilling to accept the Ordination of Women up to the cessation of the scheme. [38495]
§ Mr. BellI refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 27 February, which stated that expenditure to date and budgeted provision for future expenditure in respect of past and present claims for payment under the Ordination of Women (Financial Provisions) Measure 1993 is £24.2 million in total.
The figure will rise if further claims are approved during the remaining lifetime of the legislation, which expires on 21 February 2004.