Question

To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will publish the legal costs of defending bishops against claims that they failed to act appropriately in safeguarding matters in each of the last five years.

The Church Commissioners have a discretion under the Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure 1943, assessed on a case by case basis, to pay the costs of a bishop’s office, including costs in connection with legal claims. Such claims include those which may allege that the office of a serving bishop is liable for the wrongdoing of a previous holder of the office or a person for whom in law the office of the bishop may be responsible.

Requests to the Church Commissioners for assistance with legal costs are subject to scrutiny by the First Church Estates Commissioner and the KC Commissioner, assisted by officers, to ensure that costs are reasonable in the circumstances.

It is not the practice of the Church Commissioners to disclose expenditure on the costs of legal proceedings of this kind (they are not required to do so under s.5 Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure 1943)