On 12th March 2015 the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill completed its passage through Parliament, when it received an unopposed Third Reading in the House of Lords. Continue reading “Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill completes passage through Parliament”
Tag: Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill 2014-15
Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – Lords Committee and Report Stages
On 26th February 2015 the House of Lords considered the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill in Committee. Continue reading “Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – Lords Committee and Report Stages”
Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – Full Transcript of Lords Second Reading debate
On 12th February 2015 the House of Lords debated at Second Reading ther Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill. A full transcript of that debate is below. See also the speeches made in the debate by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Leicester.
Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill
11:39 A.M.
Lord Faulks (The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice): That the Bill be read a second time .
Lord Taylor Of Holbeach (Con): My Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill, has consented to place her prerogative, so far is it is affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
Lord Faulks (The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice): My Lords, this Bill will enable female diocesan bishops of the Church of England to become Lords Spiritual sooner than they would under current rules. Continue reading “Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – Full Transcript of Lords Second Reading debate”
Bishop of Leicester: Lords Spritual (Women) Bill to serve “interests of the nation”
On 12th February 2015, the House of Lords debated the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill at Second Reading. The Bill will bring forward the time at which the first female diocesan bishops can sit as Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords. Speaking just prior to the ‘winding up’ of the debate, the Bishop of Leicester responded to a small number of questions raised in the course of the debate:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I know I speak for all of us on this Bench in wanting to express our appreciation to your Lordships’ House for the serious, thoughtful and supportive way that your Lordships have considered this legislation, and to rehearse the most reverend Primate’s appreciation to the Government and Opposition Benches, and to the usual channels, for making it possible for the Bill to reach this stage so quickly. Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester: Lords Spritual (Women) Bill to serve “interests of the nation””
Archbishop of Canterbury speaks in support of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill
On 12th February 2015 the House of Lords debated the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill at Second Reading. The Bill will bring forward the time at which the first female diocesan bishops can sit as Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords. The Archbishop of Canterbury gave the Bill his wholehearted support. He said:
The Archbishop of Canterbury:
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for those opening remarks. I wish to put on record my personal thanks and those of the church to the Government for securing the time to bring this Bill forward, and to the Opposition for giving their support to the proposal. Continue reading “Archbishop of Canterbury speaks in support of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill”
MPs Pass the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – debate transcript
Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill
House of Commons, 19th January 2015
3.37 pm
Allocation of Time
The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Tom Brake):
I beg to move,
That the following provisions shall apply to the proceedings on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill–
Timetable
1.- (1) Proceedings on Second Reading, in Committee, on consideration and on Third Reading shall be completed at this day’s sitting…..
The motion applies to the proceedings on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill. The motion timetables all stages of the Bill, guaranteeing six hours debate, with up to four hours on Second Reading and a further two hours for Committee and remaining stages.
This is a short, single-issue Bill that the Government have introduced in response to the recent decision by the Church of England to allow women to be consecrated as bishops. The provisions will fast-track female diocesan bishops in the House of Lords, as current legislation will otherwise mean it would be many years before female bishops could take seats on the Lords Spiritual Benches.
More will be said about the detail of the provisions and the necessity for this legislation when we come to debating the Bill itself. This is an important Bill, strongly supported by both the Government and the Church, and it has broad support across the House. It is a tightly focused Bill with only one substantive clause, and it is for that reason that the motion allocates six hours for debate. I commend the motion to the House. Continue reading “MPs Pass the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill – debate transcript”
MPs to debate Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill on 19th January
On 8th January 2015 the Leader of the House of Commons told MPs that the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill would have all stages debated in the Commons on the 19th January. The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, welcomed the news.
The First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr William Hague) [extract]:..The provisional business for the week commencing 19 January will include:
Monday 19 January—Consideration of an allocation of time motion, followed by all stages of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill…
Continue reading “MPs to debate Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill on 19th January”
The Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill
The Government introduced the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill in the House of Commons on Thursday 18th December 2014. Information on the Bill and links to statements on its introduction are below.
Continue reading “The Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill”
Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill welcomed in the Commons
At Questions to the Leader of the House of Commons on 18th December 2014, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Sir Tony Baldry MP, welcomed the introduction by Government of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill:
Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): May I welcome the publication today of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill, which will provide the opportunity to fast-track into the House of Lords women consecrated as diocesan bishops? Continue reading “Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill welcomed in the Commons”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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