Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are aware of the increasing demands that cathedrals are making on their insurance policies, especially as a consequence of metal theft. The majority of cathedrals are insured by Ecclesiastical Insurance and so far no Cathedral has ever been refused any insurance claim by Ecclesiastical, which is working extremely hard with all cathedrals to assist in reducing the problem of metal theft.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry): The commissioners are currently employing 19 drivers, at a total cost of £352,719, which helps to ensure the best use of bishops’ time.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry): I hope that it will be of some help to the House if I am allowed to make a contribution in my capacity as the Second Church Estates Commissioner. If I read this debate correctly, it will not miss the point. The debate, which was introduced excellently by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson), has had contributions from an avowed atheist, the churchwarden of St Margaret’s and a resolute reactionary, and they all supported the Measure to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England and want it passed as soon as possible.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are not taking such steps at the present time. Guidance issued by the Cathedral and Church Buildings Council strongly advises the use of traditional materials where it is reasonable, although it recognises situations where the use of alternatives is acceptable, especially for roofs that are not visible or where there have been multiple thefts.

On Wednesday 15 February, Tony Baldry MP for North Oxfordshire and Second Church Estates Commissioner attended a reception with HRH Queen Elizabeth II at Lambeth Palace to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

Tony Baldry welcomed to Westminster the Bishop of Rhode Island and the Bishop of Nova Scotia, together with their husbands. The Bishop of Rhode Island in the United States and the Bishop of Nova Scotia in Canada are two of only twenty Women Bishops so far in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): I will try to observe your admonition, Mr Deputy Speaker. On behalf of the Church of England, I thank the Home Secretary and Ministers in the Home Office for what they are doing. For some time, tragically, lead has been stolen from the roofs of an average of some 10 churches a day. We have heard of many instances from Members this evening.

North Oxfordshire MP Tony Baldry, who has been campaigning for the Government to take action on lead and metal theft, has welcomed the announcement by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, that the Government is going to introduce legislation to tackle the problem by making it a new criminal offence to prohibit cash payments to purchase scrap and by significantly increasing the fines for all offences under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Tony Baldry: There are no apprentices currently employed by the Church Commissioners or the Church of England.

Tony Baldry: The Church of England only has information pertaining to its Church of England schools. There are around 4,700 of these schools and academies across the country, spanning both the primary and secondary sectors.