HC Deb 13 March 1972 vol 833 cc30-1
Mr. Heffer

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. While I have a great deal of sympathy with Question No. 36, is it not possible for the House to devise some other way of raising such matters rather than have items concerning the Church of England coming before the House? I know that it is the established Church but is it not time that a Select Committee had a look at the procedure of raising questions of this kind and other matters relating to the Church of England? We are not all members of the Church of England—right hon. and hon. Members may be Methodists or Roman Catholics, for example, and we may have Moslems in the House sooner or later. In these circumstances, is it not time we had a look at the whole issue? Could we not have a Select Committee to go into the matter? I say this as a member of the Church of England. It is about time we got away from the archaic practice of having such items discussed in this House.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman has raised this as a point of order. I make no comment on the substance of the matter. It is not for me but for other people to consider.