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Wonga row: Archbishop of Canterbury 'irritated' over Church funds Wonga row: Archbishop of Canterbury 'embarrassed' over Church funds
(35 minutes later)
The Archbishop of Canterbury said he was "embarrassed" and "irritated" that the Church of England invested indirectly in online lender Wonga.The Archbishop of Canterbury said he was "embarrassed" and "irritated" that the Church of England invested indirectly in online lender Wonga.
It comes after the Most Reverend Justin Welby told Wonga the Church would try to force it out of business by helping credit unions compete against the firm.It comes after the Most Reverend Justin Welby told Wonga the Church would try to force it out of business by helping credit unions compete against the firm.
But the Church later said it invested in funds that provided money for Wonga.But the Church later said it invested in funds that provided money for Wonga.
Archbishop Welby told the BBC he wanted the Church's investment rules to be reviewed following the row.Archbishop Welby told the BBC he wanted the Church's investment rules to be reviewed following the row.
Lambeth Palace said an independent inquiry would be launched into how "this serious inconsistency" occurred.Lambeth Palace said an independent inquiry would be launched into how "this serious inconsistency" occurred.
The amount of Church money indirectly invested in Wonga was about £75,000 out of investments totalling £5.2bn, according to the archbishop. The amount of Church money indirectly invested in Wonga was about £75,000 out of investments totalling £5.5bn, according to the archbishop.
"It shouldn't happen, it's very embarrassing, but these things do happen and we have to find out why and make sure it doesn't happen again," Archbishop Welby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Real world
The Church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group "recommends against investment" in companies which make more than 3% of their income from pornography, 10% from military products and services, or 25% from other industries such as gambling, alcohol and high interest rate lenders.
The Church also "reserves the right" not to invest in companies with "unacceptable" management practices, according to its website.
Archbishop Welby said the 25% level for firms which deal in high interest rate lending was "probably too high" and he would ask the advisory group to review it.
"I think we have to review these levels and make sure that we are consistent between what we're saying and what we're doing," he said.
But he said it is difficult to decide exactly which businesses are unethical, giving hypothetical examples of a clothes company which makes socks for the military or a hotel which provides pornography through the TVs in its rooms.
He said the church had to operate in the "real world", adding: "If you exclude any contact with anything that directly or indirectly at any point gets you anywhere bad, you can't do anything at all."
Payday firms offer short-term loans, often at high interest rates, and have been accused of leading people into more debt.Payday firms offer short-term loans, often at high interest rates, and have been accused of leading people into more debt.
Archbishop Welby said he did not want to "drive legal payday lenders out of business" if that left people in deprived areas with no choice but to use "loan sharks".
Last year, the Church placed such lenders on a list of unethical investments.Last year, the Church placed such lenders on a list of unethical investments.
This week, Archbishop Welby told Total Politics magazine he had met Wonga boss Errol Damelin and had "bluntly" told him "we're not in the business of trying to legislate you out of existence; we're trying to compete you out of existence".This week, Archbishop Welby told Total Politics magazine he had met Wonga boss Errol Damelin and had "bluntly" told him "we're not in the business of trying to legislate you out of existence; we're trying to compete you out of existence".
Mr Damelin, in response, said he was "all for better consumer choice".Mr Damelin, in response, said he was "all for better consumer choice".
But, after the archbishop's comments were widely reported, Financial Times journalists looked into the Church's own investments and discovered links with Wonga.But, after the archbishop's comments were widely reported, Financial Times journalists looked into the Church's own investments and discovered links with Wonga.
The paper reported that the Church's pension fund, which claims to explicitly ban firms involved in payday lending, had invested in US venture capitalists Accel Partners - a company that led Wonga fundraising in 2009.The paper reported that the Church's pension fund, which claims to explicitly ban firms involved in payday lending, had invested in US venture capitalists Accel Partners - a company that led Wonga fundraising in 2009.
According to BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott, the Church's investment is said to be removed from its immediate control by "several layers".According to BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott, the Church's investment is said to be removed from its immediate control by "several layers".
A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said in a statement the Church was grateful to the Financial Times for "pointing out this serious inconsistency of which we were unaware".A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said in a statement the Church was grateful to the Financial Times for "pointing out this serious inconsistency of which we were unaware".
The palace said the Church would be asking the Assets Committee of the Church Commissioners, a statutory body independent from the Church, "to investigate how this has occurred and to review the holding in this pooled investment vehicle".
"We will also be requesting the Church Commissioners to investigate whether there are any other inconsistencies as normally all investment policies are reviewed by the [Church's] ethical investment advisory group."
Archbishop Welby, a former oil industry financial executive who sits on the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, has previously lobbied for a cap on high interest rates charged by loan companies.Archbishop Welby, a former oil industry financial executive who sits on the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, has previously lobbied for a cap on high interest rates charged by loan companies.
He told Total Politics the Church could do more to help non-profit lenders to compete with payday firms and said he had "a very good conversation" with Mr Damelin.He told Total Politics the Church could do more to help non-profit lenders to compete with payday firms and said he had "a very good conversation" with Mr Damelin.
He said of the Wonga head's response: "He's a businessman; he took that well."
Mr Damelin later said: "There is mutual respect, some differing opinions and a meeting of minds on many big issues.Mr Damelin later said: "There is mutual respect, some differing opinions and a meeting of minds on many big issues.
"On the competition point, we always welcome fresh approaches that give people a fuller set of alternatives to solve their financial challenges. I'm all for better consumer choice.""On the competition point, we always welcome fresh approaches that give people a fuller set of alternatives to solve their financial challenges. I'm all for better consumer choice."
'Social good''Social good'
Earlier this month, Archbishop Welby launched a new credit union aimed at clergy and church staff. Credit unions charge their members low rates of interest to borrow money.Earlier this month, Archbishop Welby launched a new credit union aimed at clergy and church staff. Credit unions charge their members low rates of interest to borrow money.
The BBC's Robert Pigott said the archbishop's latest plan was to go to some of the 500 independent loan companies and say to them "we will help you by letting you have access to our buildings and expertise".The BBC's Robert Pigott said the archbishop's latest plan was to go to some of the 500 independent loan companies and say to them "we will help you by letting you have access to our buildings and expertise".
Our correspondent said the Church would not run the companies but would help them and allow them to work on its premises.Our correspondent said the Church would not run the companies but would help them and allow them to work on its premises.
He said news that the Church had invested in funds that provided money for Wonga was "embarrassing" for Archbishop Welby, but it had "raised the stakes even further" and meant the plan to compete with Wonga "has to succeed".He said news that the Church had invested in funds that provided money for Wonga was "embarrassing" for Archbishop Welby, but it had "raised the stakes even further" and meant the plan to compete with Wonga "has to succeed".
"I think the archbishop would see this as a social good countering a social evil," he added."I think the archbishop would see this as a social good countering a social evil," he added.
According to the Church's website, its "ethical investment restrictions" apply to companies involved in pornography, tobacco, gambling, alcohol, military products and services, high interest rate lending and human embryonic cloning. Jonathan Bartley, of religious think tank Ekklesia, said the Church's policy was to make the most of its investments while "minimising harm".
This means the Church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group "recommends against investment" in companies which make more than 3% of their income from pornography, 10% from military products and services, or 25% from any of the other restricted industries.
'Minimising harm'
The Church says it "reserves the right" not to invest in companies with "unacceptable" management practices.
But Jonathan Bartley, of religious think tank Ekklesia, said the Church's policy was to make the most of its investments while "minimising harm".
"A better way of doing it would perhaps be to see the investments as part of the Church's mission, rather than an add-on, and saying actually we'll try and do good with our money," he said."A better way of doing it would perhaps be to see the investments as part of the Church's mission, rather than an add-on, and saying actually we'll try and do good with our money," he said.
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Vince Cable has backed the archbishop's plan to force Wonga out of business.
Mr Cable told Channel 5 News that the archbishop was "right not just to condemn abuse but to offer alternatives which are more ethical".
Mr Cable also said that the government was considering ways of regulating the industry, possibly by stopping advertising "drawing people into payday lending who perhaps shouldn't be using it."