---

Church Commissioners

Answer

Mr. Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, (1) what was the total cost of (a) stipends, (b) staff, (c) administrative, (d) housing and (e) other costs for each (i) diocesan and (ii) suffragen bishop within the Church of England for each of the last 10 years; [145381] (2) what was the expenditure for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available on the home provided by the Church Commissioners to the Bishop of Exeter. [145382] (3) what was the annual cost of running and maintaining Lambeth Palace in each of the last 20 years. [145383] Mr. Stuart Bell: As stated in my answers on 18 May 1999 and 23 November 1999, the Commissioners' current policy is not to make public expenditure on individual bishops' houses or working costs. Total revenue expenditure by the Commissioners on bishops' stipends, housing and funding their working costs for the years 1990 to 1999 inclusive was: £ million _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Stipends Housing Working costs 1990 2.0 1.7 5.3 1991 2.4 2.1 6.0 1992 2.5 2.2 6.3 1993 2.4 2.2 6.7 1994 2.6 2.7 7.0 1995 2.6 2.3 7.4 1996 2.6 2.7 7.6 1997 2.7 2.6 8.1 1998 {1}3.3 3.0 8.8 1999 {1}3.5 3.3 8.5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} The totals for expenditure on stipends in 1998 and 1999 include pension contributions payable under the Pensions Measure 1997 Spending on bishops' houses and working costs is subject to close budgetary control. That on repairs to buildings is limited to the minimum consistent with their proper maintenance, bearing in mind that some are listed buildings. Diocesan boards of finance are responsible for suffragan bishops' houses and the Commissioners do not have figures for that expenditure. Spending on working costs is that necessary to support the bishops in their ministry. It consists of the salaries and pensions of their staff, the costs of running their offices, official travel, Church meetings and functions, and other miscellaneous costs. All this expenditure is subject to detailed and continuous audit, to ensure that it is in line with the Inland Revenue's requirement that it is "wholly, exclusively and necessarily" incurred in the performance of a bishop's duties.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

361 c178W; 145381;145382;145383

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Staff Bishops Housing Expenditure Repairs and maintenance Operating costs

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk