§ 8.10 p.m.
§ THE LORD BISHOP OF LICHFIELD rose to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Reorganisation Areas Measure, 1944 (Amendment) Measure, 1949, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. The right reverend Prelate said: My Lords, at this late hour I can say what needs to be said in very abbreviated form. This amending Measure was passed by the Church Assembly without a division, and it has received the approval of the Ecclesiastical Committee. The Measure which it amends was an emergency Measure passed in 1934, not to deal with a permanent piece of church machinery, but to provide for areas where the distribution of population had been altered, owing either to war damage or to planning schemes. In such case obviously there had to be revision of parochial areas. Provision had to be made for redistribution of benefice incomes where parish boundaries were changed, and also for demolition, disposal or restriction of church property.
§ In order to do this with as little delay as possible, it was obviously desirable to restrict vested interests during the interim period. It was, therefore, provided that in such cases the benefice might be kept vacant for three years without the patron's right of appointment lapsing. This is the point. Experience has proved that these rearrangements cannot always be carried through in three 1516 years, as the complicated machinery for making schemes takes time. Moreover, in some cases it is impossible for church authorities to plan until the civil authorities make up their minds about their planning schemes. Therefore, this amending Measure simply proposes to extend the period during which a benefice in a reorganisation area may be kept vacant until the date when the original Measure ceases to operate—namely, March 31, 1954. I add only that the rights of patrons continue to be secured against lapse, and they have the right, as before, to be consulted by the Bishop when he makes temporary appointments for the interim period. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Reorganisation Areas Measure, 1944 (Amendment) Measure, 1949, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Bishop of Lichfield.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.