Category: Church Measures

Church of England Measures that come before Parliament for debate and approval.

Church Measures on buildings, pensions, ecumenism and miscellaneous provisions, approved by House of Commons

Spelman CCQs120718cOn the 11th December 2018 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP introduced  four Church of England Measures to the House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee. The Committee approved the Measures following discussion.

Third Delegated Legislation Committee
[Stewart Hosie in the Chair]

Tuesday 11 December 2018

Ecumenical Relations Measure, Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure, Church Property Measure and Church of England Pensions Measure

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Dame Caroline Spelman): I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the Ecumenical Relations Measure (HC 1687).

The Chair: With this it will be convenient to consider the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure (HC 1688), Church Property Measure (HC 1689) and Church of England Pensions Measure (HC 1690).

Dame Caroline Spelman: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hosie. To some colleagues, this may be an unusual format for the Committee. I would like to explain that the Measures that we are considering have been through the Ecclesiastical Committee, which is composed of Members from both Houses, is cross-party and is chaired by Lady Butler-Sloss. On 24 October, we went through all these Measures in considerable detail, and I have the report of that careful scrutiny, so I hope that today we may be able to deal with the Measures expeditiously.

Continue reading “Church Measures on buildings, pensions, ecumenism and miscellaneous provisions, approved by House of Commons”

Bishop of Rochester takes five Church of England Measures through House of Lords

On 22nd March 2018 the Bishop of Rochester introduced five Church of England Measures for debate and approval in the House of Lords. The full text of the debate on each Measure is reproduced below and the House gave approval to each. The Measures were:  the Legislative Reform Measure, the Mission and Pastoral etc. (Amendment) Measure, the Pensions (Pre-consolidation) Measure, the Statute Law (Repeals) Measure and the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester takes five Church of England Measures through House of Lords”

Lords approves Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure

On January 28th 2016 the House of Lords debated and passed the Church of England Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, led the short debate and a transcript is below: 

 

Moved by The Lord Bishop of Durham

That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

Bp Durham June 2015 bThe Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, this is a very short and technical draft measure. It amends the Diocesan Stipends Funds Measure 1953 to ensure that diocesan boards of finance have the same powers to make decisions about the balance of investments in the diocesan stipends fund that they have in relation to their other charitable property. Continue reading “Lords approves Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure”

Lords approves CofE Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure – Bishop of Durham leads debate

On 28th January 2016 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, moved a motion that the House of Lords approve the Church of England’s Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure. Peers gave approval to the Measure, following a short debate – the full transcript of which is below.

Moved by The Lord Bishop of Durham

That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

Bp Durham June 2015 bThe Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure is set in the context of our commitment, as the Church of England, to keep becoming a safer church. The Measure itself is only one part of all the work that we are undertaking. The Measure is before your Lordships because the church believes it needs to improve its statutory arrangements: first, to prevent the abuse of children and adults at risk within the church community; and, secondly, to deal effectively with those in authority within the church who seek to harm children and vulnerable adults. Continue reading “Lords approves CofE Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure – Bishop of Durham leads debate”

House of Commons Consideration of Church Measures, Simplification of the Faculty Process, Management of Church Pensions & Management of Parish Property

Tony Baldry MPOn Wednesday 28th January 2015 the Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee of the House of Commons met to consider three Church Measures relating to simplification of the faculty process, management of church pensions and management of parish property. The committee approved all the Measures which now proceed to the floor of the House of Commons to receive final approval and be sent for Royal Assent

Continue reading “House of Commons Consideration of Church Measures, Simplification of the Faculty Process, Management of Church Pensions & Management of Parish Property”

Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure on Pensions through the House of Lords

On the 22nd January the Bishop of Derby Lead a debate on a Church of England Measure reforming the Church Pensions system. The House of Lords considered and approved the Measure which will now move to the House of Commons.

Church of England Pensions (Amendment) Measure

Motion to Direct

Moved by The Lord Bishop of Derby

DerbyThat this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Church of England Pensions (Amendment) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, this very short Measure makes a single change to the Church of England Pensions Measure 1997. It extends by a further seven years the period during which the Church Commissioners have power to use the capital of their general fund in order to fund their historic pension obligations. The Pensions Measure 1997 conferred the original power on the commissioners to spend capital in order to support their responsibility to pay pensions for clergy service before 1998. The original power came to an end in 2004, and has been extended twice since then, on each occasion for seven years. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure on Pensions through the House of Lords”

Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure on PCC Property through House of Lords

DerbyOn the 22nd January 2015 the Bishop of Derby lead a debate on a Church of England Measure reforming the way a Parochial Church Council can manage their properties. The House considered the Motion and passed the Measure which will now move for consideration in the House of Commons.

Ecclesiastical Property Measure

Motion to Direct

Moved by The Lord Bishop of Derby

That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Ecclesiastical Property Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, this Measure makes a modest change to the statutory framework for land and property held on permanent trusts by parochial church councils. At present, legal title to all PCC land is vested in the “diocesan authority”—usually the diocesan board of finance—which holds it as trustee for the PCC, by virtue of the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956. The diocesan authority’s consent is required to all kinds of transactions, with the exception of leases for a year or less. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure on PCC Property through House of Lords”

Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure through House of Lords on Simplifying Faculty Process

On 22nd January 2015 the Bishop of Derby lead the debate in the House of Lords on a Church of England Measure. The House considered a Measure which was presented for Royal Assent on the subject of simplifying the faculty process. The Measure was accepted by the House and now proceeds to the House of Commons for consideration.

Derby

Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction (Amendment) Measure

Motion to Direct

Moved by The Lord Bishop of Derby

That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction (Amendment) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby takes Church of England Measure through House of Lords on Simplifying Faculty Process”

House of Commons approves the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure

Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure

20th October, 2014

[Relevant document: The 233rd Report from the Ecclesiastical Committee, Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure, HC 622.]

5.07 pm

Green BenchesThe Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Tony Baldry):

I beg to move,

That the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure (HC 621), passed by the General Synod of the Church of England, be presented to Her Majesty for her Royal Assent in the form in which it was laid before Parliament.

It is now nearly a century since Parliament recognised that it should no longer be the body that initiated legislation concerning the running of the Church of England. However, Church legislation becomes part of the law of England, so it requires parliamentary approval and Royal Assent. A Measure such as the one before us has to have been passed by the General Synod of the Church of England. Most Measures require simple majorities in the Synod, but this one falls in that special category of particularly important instruments that need to have achieved at least two-thirds majorities in each of the Houses of Bishops, Clergy and Laity. Continue reading “House of Commons approves the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure”

Lords Approves the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure

Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure

14th October 2014

Motion to Direct

5.35 pm

Moved by

The Archbishop of Canterbury

That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury:

My Lords, it is now 95 years since Parliament conferred on the Church of England the power to initiate legislation, which, following parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, becomes part of the law of England.

Most of the Measures passed by the Church Assembly and, since 1970, by the General Synod have been necessary but modest revisions of the church’s rule book and the law of England. Texts such as the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2014 or the Ecclesiastical Fees (Amendment) Measure 2011 were not framed with excitement in mind, but even they sound positively racy compared with that early piece of Church Assembly legislation considered by this House in the days of Archbishop Davidson—the Ecclesiastical Dilapidations Measure 1923. Just occasionally, though, the church brings to Parliament legislation which is of more significance and effect. The Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974 was one such, and so was the legislation passed by Synod in 1992 to enable women to be ordained priests in the Church of England. Continue reading “Lords Approves the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure”