§ 2.44 p.m.
§ THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY rose to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) (Amendment) Measure, 1949, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.
§ The most reverend Primate said: My Lords, this matter deals with one single and, I think, very straightforward point. A parochial church council, by the Measure of 1921, has power to acquire, hold and manage property for ecclesiastical purposes, but apparently the term "ecclesiastical purposes" is very restricted in its range or scope. A parochial church council may—and often does—wish to acquire property for the purpose of, for instance, a youth club in connection with the church, a youth centre or some other social centre where, as this Measure says, much spiritual, moral and even physical training may be provided. I hold that such activities are entirely proper forms of Church work. It is erroneous to suppose that the Church functions only within the narrow range of the strictest ecclesiastical terms; its purpose is to meet people in the whole of their life.
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But these wider purposes fall outside the definition "ecclesiastical purposes," and on these grounds a parochial church council wishing to hold property for use as a centre or youth club, or for one of these other important social purposes, has been ineligible for any grant from the Ministry of Education, while such grants are readily available for such other denominations as provide this kind of facility. It is obviously proper that this anomaly should be corrected, and this Measure therefore extends the powers under the Measure of 1921 by adding to the words "for any ecclesiastical purposes" the further words:
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or for the furtherance of Church work by means of schemes for providing facilities for the spiritual, moral and physical training of persons residing in or near the parish.
At the same time the Measure makes some provisions for the proper management of such centres and submits them to some control, in that the parochial church council cannot take part in the management of such a centre except with the consent of the diocesan education committee, which is a statutory body set up in another Measure. This committee will see that the centre is properly set up and properly conducted. Without further explanation, I beg to move.
§ Moved, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) (Amendment) Measure, 1949, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.