Bishops have been accused of raiding cash set aside for the Church’s mission in order to fund their own palaces and houses.

Papers circulated at the meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England in London show that £20.7 million was spent on supporting bishops in 2005. By 2007 this figure will have risen nearly 50 per cent to £29.5 million, largely because of spending on bishops’ houses. There are 44 diocesan bishops in the Church of England and 69 suffragan and area bishops. This compares with 9,500 stipendiary clergy.

The parish mission fund, which this year received £4.6 million from the Church Commissioners, is regarded as one of the Church’s success stories. Most of the cash goes to small projects around the country. Examples include churches in pubs, rollerskate parks and youth centres.