Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Parochial Fees Order 2024.

(2) It comes into operation on 1st January 2025.

(3) In this Order “ the Measure” means the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986.

Period for which fees are prescribed

2.  This Order prescribes parochial fees for the period 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2026.

Base figures

3.  The “base figure” for a matter listed in the first column of the table in Schedule 1 is the amount specified in respect of that matter in the second column of the table for the diocesan board of finance or (as the case may be) in the third column for the parochial church council.

Prescribed fees

4.—(1) Parochial fees are payable to a diocesan board of finance and to a parochial church council in respect of each of the matters listed in the first column of the table in Schedule 1 as follows.

(2) The fee payable in the calendar year 1st January to 31st December 2025 is the base figure for that matter—

(a) increased by the lower of—

(i) the percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for August 2024 is greater than that for August 2023, and

(ii) 5%, and

(b) rounded up to the nearest £1.

(3) The fee payable in the calendar year 1st January to 31st December 2026 is the fee payable for that matter in the preceding calendar year (“Year A”)—

(a) increased by the lower of—

(i) the percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for August in Year A is greater than that for August in the calendar year preceding Year A, and

(ii) 5%, and

(b) rounded up to the nearest £1.

(4) But where there is no increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), the percentage for the purposes of paragraph (2) or (3) is to be treated as zero.

Supplementary

5.—(1) Schedule 2 contains incidental provisions that apply in relation to the parochial fees prescribed by article 4.

(2) Article 4 is subject to section 1(8) of the Measure (which provides that where the relevant parish is a parish of which a cathedral is the parish church, any fees which would, apart from that subsection, be payable to the parochial church council or to the diocesan board of finance, are instead payable to the Chapter of the cathedral).

SCHEDULES

Article 4

SCHEDULE 1 Parochial Fees: base figures

Article 5(1)

SCHEDULE 2 Incidental provisions

Certificates and certified copies

1.—(1) The fee for a certificate issued at the time of baptism is for a certified copy of the entry in the register book of baptisms giving the particulars required in Form No 1 in Schedule 1 to the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978( 3).

(2) The fees payable for a certified copy of an entry in a register book of baptisms issued at any other time are the fees prescribed for searching registers of baptisms or burials and, if applicable, for each additional copy of an entry in a register of baptisms or burials.

(3) Any fee prescribed under the heading “SEARCHES IN CHURCH REGISTERS ETC.” for a copy of an entry in a register or of an instrument or other document is for a certified copy; and where provision of a copy is included in the fee for searching a register, that fee includes the provision of a certified copy.

Costs and expenses included in prescribed fees

2.  Where a matter is marked (*) in the table in Schedule 1, any costs and expenses incurred in relation to that matter in respect of routine administration (including arranging dates and times and the making of entries in registers), making the church available and lighting it are included in the fee prescribed as payable to the parochial church council.

Parish church cathedrals

3.  Where section 1(8) of the Measure applies, paragraph 2 applies as if the reference to the parochial church council were to the Chapter of the cathedral.

Approval of inscriptions

4.  The fees prescribed for matters marked (†) in the table in Schedule 1 include fees in respect of the approval of the original inscription by the incumbent.

Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880

5.  In the case of a burial under the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880( 4), the fees payable are those prescribed in respect of a funeral service (including burial of body) at a graveside in a churchyard.

Banns published by lay person

6.  Where a lay person publishes banns under section 9(2) of the Marriage Act 1949( 5), the fees prescribed in respect of the publication of banns of marriage are payable.

Registers in custody of churchwardens

7.  Where a churchwarden allows a search to be made in a register of baptisms or burials or gives a copy of an entry in such a register under section 20(1) of the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, the fees prescribed in respect of such searches and to the giving of such copies are payable.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Order prescribes the parochial fees payable for the period 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2026 in connection with marriages, funerals and burials and the erection of monuments in churchyards and in respect of other, miscellaneous matters.