§ 40 Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the level of pensions of clergy. [81536]
§ Mr. BellClergy in office receive a stipend and are housed. When they retire, they have to meet the costs of their own housing, but they receive a pension from the state as well as that provided by the Church's clergy pension scheme. The basis for determining the benefits provided by the latter—a lump sum at retirement plus a pension—was designed to take into account all of these factors. The full service pension is currently £10,693 per annum and the retirement lump sum is £32,079.