§ THE LORD BISHOP OF WINCHESTER moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Channel Islands (Church Legislation) Measure, 1931, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. The right rev. Prelate said: My Lords, I next 230 move the Church Legislation Measure also in your hands. This makes provision for application to the Islands of measures passed by the Church Assembly. You will observe that it has two main points or parts. In regard to the future, it provides that within two years from the date of its passing any Measures may be applied, subject to the conditions attaching to those Measures, to the Channel Islands which have been passed in the Church Assembly and have obtained the approval of Parliament. Further, in regard to Measures which have already been passed by the Church Assembly and have been approved by Parliament, any Measure which has thus been passed within the last five years may be applied, under conditions indicated in the Measure, to the circumstances of the Church in the Channel Islands.
§ I will only mention one instance, if I may, of the difficulties of the clergy in the Channel Island as compared with those on the mainland. They are entirely excluded by the very fact of being in the Channel Islands from the operation of the Pensions Measure. That, of course, is a very serious matter to them, and if we were to go on very much longer passing Measures of reform on the mainland which it was impossible to apply to the Channel Islands the whole situation of the Church and the clergy in those Islands would become exceedingly serious. The important part of this Measure is the Schedule which defines the procedure which is to be followed if it is desired to apply the Measure to the Islands. You will notice that the procedure is somewhat elaborate, and I can assure your Lordships that it was, even more than the previous Measure, the subject of the most prolonged, careful and meticulous negotiations between the various parties concerned.
§ You will notice that according to the Schedule, if it is desired to apply the Measure to the Islands, three stages have to be gone through. The Bishop has to decide, in consultation with the Decanal Conference, that it is desirable that such a Measure should be applied. You will observe in paragraph 2 of the Schedule that it is definitely provided that in coming to such a conclusion, as well as in preparing a draft scheme, the Bishop shall proceed in consultation with the Decanal Conference of the Island concerned, 231 or, if the scheme relates to both the Islands, with the Decanal Conferences of both. When the Bishop and the Church in the Island have made up their minds that any particular Measure is thus desired to be applied to the Islands he must, according to the next provision, communicate the scheme to the Home Office. As provided in paragraph 3 of the Schedule, if the Home Office approves, they then have to communicate the scheme to the States of the Island concerned, which is the main part of paragraph 3 of the Schedule. When those stages have been achieved and consummated, the result is then communicated to the Church Assembly.
§ Presumably, the scheme in such cases, having gone through the sieve of criticism and discussion in these various bodies, will then be in a fit state for its complete application to the needs of the Island, and it goes to the Church Assembly for acceptance or rejection. If the Church Assembly accept it, it is then forwarded to the Secretary of State for the final state—that, namely, of presentation to His Majesty in Council, who may, as the final words of the Schedule provide, thereupon make an order confirming the scheme, and directing that the Measure shall apply to the Island or the Islands concerned, as the case may be. Your Lordships may think it is a somewhat elaborate procedure, but when you remember the delicacy of the situation and the number of parties concerned and consulted—namely, the Decanal Conferences, that is to say, the local church life in the Islands and the civil life of the Islands, as represented by the States, and then the Home Office, not to mention the Diocese and the Church Assembly, I think you will realise, and will, I hope, feel that in reaching this conclusion, these various bodies have done their best to remedy the situation which, as I ventured to point out at the beginning, very much needs to be remedied. I beg to move.
§ Moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Channel Islands (Church Legislation) Measure, 1931, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Bishop of Winchester.)