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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 November 2001
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Retired Clergy
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on housing provision for clergy on their retirement. [16295]
Mr. Bell: Clergy in office are provided with a house and are paid a stipend. In retirement, however, they must meet their own housing costs. The derivation of the formula for the pension and retirement lump sum takes this into account.
Actual arrangement of retirement housing is a matter for the individual, who may purchase a property (if necessary with the aid of a mortgage obtained in the market) or rent. The Church offers, through the Pensions Board and supported by investment capital provided by the Church Commissioners, a scheme of housing assistance which widens the choice available. Subject to
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the circumstances of the individual, a value-linked mortgage loan may be granted to enable accommodation to be purchased, or a property owned by the Board can be occupied in return for payment of maintenance contributions.
The Archbishops' Council has recently conducted a review of clergy stipends and the General Synod has agreed that the report should be sent to dioceses for consultation. A copy of the review group's report "Generosity and Sacrifice" (GS 1408) is available in the House of Commons Library. It includes the recommendation that the Pensions Board, the Church Commissioners, dioceses and clergy charities consider the possibility of finding sufficient capital for loans to clergy to enable them to make provision for retirement housing in advance of retirement by lending them the money for a deposit on a house, the mortgage for which could be funded by renting out the property. The Commissioners will give consideration to this in due course.
Ministers
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) non- stipendiary ministers there are in each diocese. [16297]
Mr. Bell: This information is contained in Statistics of Licensed Ministers (GS Misc 638), a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. For reference see the table.
Notes:
1. The above figures include only those ministers who were working within the diocesan framework as at 31 December 2000.
2. The Archbishop of Canterbury and ordained members of his staff at Lambeth are classed as extra-diocesan and are not included in these figures
3. The figures for Readers include Readers with Permission to Officiate and active Emeriti.
4. One part-timer works for both Bradford and Wakefield. He has been counted into the Bradford figure.
5. Ordained clergy in Europe are all counted as full-time as it has not been possible to split them this year.
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Churchwardens Measure
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the Churchwardens Measure. [16296]
Mr. Bell: The Churchwardens Measure 2001 provides a comprehensive set of rules about the appointment of churchwardens and their tenure of office, building on earlier legislation. Most of the Measure has caused no controversy, and the draft provisions about which the Ecclesiastical Committee expressed concern, relating to the possible suspension of a churchwarden from exercising his or her duties, were deleted by the General Synod and form no part of the Measure.
The Measure will come into force on 1 January 2002, and will apply to the elections of churchwardens at the annual meetings held in parishes from 2002 onwards. A good deal of information about the new rules has already been published and more guidance will be issued before the Measure comes into force.
The new rule that a churchwarden may not serve for more than six years without a break is laid down in the Measure as the norm, but the parishioners of an individual parish will be free to decide that the rule is not to apply in their case. As the six years will not start to run until the Measure comes into force, there will be ample time for every parish to consider the matter and reach its own decision.
TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND
THE REGIONS
Railtrack
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his officials informed executives of Railtrack plc, at their
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meeting on 3 October, of the reasons the payment due to be paid by the Government to the company on 1 October has not been made. [11226]
Mr. Spellar: One payment was legally due on 1 October. This was for £337 million and it was paid in full on that date.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library the powers of the Railtrack administrator; when he expects to receive the administrator's report for approval; and who will decide what return the shareholders will receive. [16751]
Mr. Jamieson: The principal functions of the Administrator of Railtrack plc are set out in section 59 of the Railways Act 1993 and the Insolvency Act 1986, as applied by Schedule 6 to the Railways Act 1993. The timetable of the administration process is a matter for the Administrator. Once the administration process is complete, it will be clear what value is available for disbursement to its shareholder, Railtrack Group plc. Disbursement of Railtrack Group plc's assets is a matter for the Board of that company.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what substantial investment projects Railtrack was planning; and what is (a) their current status, (b) the current timetable for their completion and (c) the current estimate of the cost. [16752]
Mr. Jamieson: Railtrack's May 2001 Network Management Statement identifies the projects on which the company was working and expected completion dates. Government have committed to provide the Administrator with access to sufficient funding to continue on a "business as usual" basis—including investment expenditure—during the administration period.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the cash needs of Railtrack plc in administration. [16381]
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Mr. Spellar: The Administration process is at a very early stage and any estimate of the cash needs of Railtrack plc in administration would be purely speculative.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average daily rate of (a) loss (PBT) and (b) cash outflow at Railtrack plc in administration has been since 5 October. [16360]
Mr. Spellar: This is a matter for the Administrator. The premature release of unaudited financial information may prejudice the Administrator's orderly release of commercially sensitive information in detailed discussions with potential bidders for Railtrack plc.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investment expenditure was planned for the period from the end of September to 31 March (a) 2002 and (b) 2002–03 by Railtrack plc prior to being placed in administration. [16359]
Mr. Spellar: Railtrack's investment plans were outlines in its Network Management Statement published in May 2001.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the (a) Board and (b) auditors of Railtrack sought a letter of comfort concerning payments to Railtrack Group and plc before the directors and auditors signed the accounts for 2000–01 on a going concern basis; and if the Government granted such a request. [16377]
Mr. Spellar: No such request was made.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what money was budgeted to be given to Railtrack (a) Group and (b) plc in 2002–03 prior to the decision to place Railtrack plc in administration. [16363]
Mr. Spellar: The income to be received by Railtrack for its regulated business in 2002–03 was determined and set out in the October 2000 conclusions of the Rail Regulator's Periodic Review and in the 2 April agreement between the Government and Railtrack.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much Railtrack plc spent on investment in (a) 2000–01 and (b) between 1 April and being placed in administration. [16352]
Mr. Spellar: Railtrack's investment expenditure for 2000–01 is set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. My Department does not hold audited investment expenditure data for 2001–02.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the Government have paid to Railtrack Group plc (a) directly and (b) via the SRA in 2001–02; and how much it planned to pay it over the balance of the year before the company was put into administration. [16382]
Mr. Spellar: The Government have made no payments to Railtrack Group plc. This company is not in administration.
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Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what money is available for the successor Railtrack company in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 from (i) Government and (ii) SRA sources. [16368]
Mr. Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 195W.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the fees of the administrator for Railtrack plc. [16372]
Mr. Spellar: It is not possible at this stage to make an accurate estimate.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 614W, on Railtrack, for what reason he did not comment upon the advice that he has received on the extra cost to the Government of the successor company to Railtrack achieving a credit rating of lower than A/A2; and if he will make a statement. [16075]
Mr. Jamieson: On the basis of advice received, we consider a long-term credit rating of A/A2 or higher to be the most appropriate rating to target in order to finance the proposed Company Limited by Guarantee in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Lower ratings than those to be targeted are considered to be less efficient and less cost-effective.
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much a single share in Railtrack has earned in dividends and other payments from privatisation to 1 October. [16062]
Mr. Jamieson: A single share in Railtrack Group plc has received £1.40 in cash or equivalent dividends since its flotation on 20 May 1996.
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average value of one Railtrack share from privatisation to 1 October. [16061]
Mr. Jamieson: The average daily share price for Railtrack Group plc from privatisation to 1 October 2001 was 917 pence.
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