If he will make a statement on the availability for sale of cathedral property to existing tenants over the next five years.

With permission, I shall answer Church commissioners' questions on behalf of the Second Church Estates Commissioner, my hon. Friend Sir Stuart Bell.

The Church Commissioners have no statutory responsibility for the day-to-day management of cathedral property and do not therefore possess the information requested by the hon. Gentleman.

This will be an easier one. The hon. Gentleman will know that Lichfield cathedral was completed in 1180 and is very much a part of our national heritage, as are other cathedrals, yet they receive no money from Government funding. They do receive money from tenants in cathedral closes. Can he ensure, by discussing the matter with Ministers at the Office of the Deputy prime minister, that cathedrals will not have their property sold off, thus reducing the amount of money received?

I know that the hon. Gentleman has campaigned on behalf of cathedrals for some time. I think that he will know that my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough has said that the Charities Bill may be a vehicle through which to look at that matter. I hope that he will join my hon. Friend in raising that issue as the Bill makes its passage through Another place.

Would the hon. Gentleman care to tell the House why it should be that, as my hon. Friend Michael Fabricant said, English cathedrals receive not a single penny from the state, yet all five Scottish cathedrals are entirely supported by the state?

Again, from discussions with the Church commissioners, the hon. Gentleman will know that the money has increased because of what we have been able to do around reclaiming on VAT. He will also be pleased at the £23 million contribution and above that the state is making to our cathedrals.