Departmental Property
Church Commissioners
Written answers and statements, 15 October 2009
David Maclean (Penrith & The Border, Conservative)
To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what procedures the Church Commissioners follow to determine the appropriate use for a former see house with a chapel when such a property is considered no longer suitable as an episcopal residence; and what steps the Commissioners take to consult (a) local communities and (b) diocesan authorities on the future use of such properties.
Stuart Bell (Second Church Estates Commissioner, No Department; Middlesbrough, Labour)
All see houses are provided with chapels. These chapels vary quite significantly but are private chapels solely for the use of the bishop and his ministry. Given their status as private chapels they usually fall outside the remit of the Pastoral Measure and do not form any specific part of the Commissioners' consultation on the future of a house.
Where the future of any see house is under consideration the Commissioners' policy is to consult widely, including with the diocesan authorities.