What criteria are used to determine areas of need in relation to the allocation of funds via the Archbishops Council in support of parish ministry.

Parish ministry support is targeted on low-income dioceses, their share calculated according to a formula that takes into account the income from the historic resources within the diocese, the income levels of the local population and other factors including attendance and electoral roll numbers.

The averaging of wealth and well-being results in the masking of some areas and strands of deprivation. Some dioceses that are perceived as being relatively well-off receive less than others. Chester, for example, has done well in terms of parish mission initiatives. What does my hon. Friend plan to do to maintain that creditable list?

My hon. Friend is right about Chester diocese being relatively well resourced, but it does receive less from the Church Commissioners than other dioceses do. I congratulate Chester diocese, through my hon. Friend, on its long list of parish mission initiatives. That was supported last year by the mission development moneys that the commissioners made available. I wish the diocese well in its future work.

Will the hon. Gentleman ensure that the Archbishops Council allocates funds to investigate bat damage in historic churches? It is a real issue across the country, and it needs to be examined. The Archbishops Council could do that, and it should get in touch with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that we are not hidebound by foolish regulations to protect bats. I want to protect bats, but we must strike a balance between bat conservation and the needs of historic churches.

English Heritage has recognised that, in addition to the public health issues, bat droppings are highly damaging to monuments, brasses and other fixtures. When bats get into the main body of a church, fixtures must be covered and then uncovered for worship and other activities. We recognise the need to conserve the environment, and the Bat Conservation Trust must be considered, but the Church recognises the potential damage to church contents from bats in the belfry.