§ 4.3 p.m.
§ THE LORD BISHOP OF HEREFORD moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure, 1956, be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent. The right reverend Prelate said: My Lords, again on behalf of my right reverend friend, I beg to move the Motion standing in his name on the Order Paper. The first seven clauses of this Measure replace the first six sections of the 1921 Measure and an amending Measure which was passed in 1949. Clause 8 replaces Section 8 of the original Measure and clauses 9 and 10 replace Sections 16 and 17 of the original Measure. Very little alteration of any substance has been made in the existing law and the Measure aroused little comment in the Assembly, through which it passed without a Division.
§ The principal amendments are these. If, in connection with an educational scheme, a financial undertaking is given by the parochial church council to the Minister of Education or to a local authority, such undertaking shall be binding on the parochial church council as such. At present, it would be revocable by the next parochial church council and therefore it might be illegal or improper for a grant to be given at all owing to the absence of any safeguard. The provisions whereby the diocesan board of finance, or an equivalent body, consents to the acquisition of capital property by the parochial church council and holds the legal estate while the parochial church council administers the income are re-enacted with minor modifications and clarifications. In particular, first of all, it is no longer necessary to obtain the consent of the diocesan board of finance for the acquisition of a lease from year to year or for a shorter period: and secondly, the consent of the diocesan board of finance is required for the acquisition of personal property only if it is to be held on permanent trust—that is, property where it is intended that the capital shall be held indefinitely. The legal estate in such property is I vested in the diocesan board of finance.
145§ This Measure has been favourably reported upon by the Ecclesiastical Committee, whose Report contains the comments and explanations of the Legislative Committee of the Church Assembly, which set out in greater detail the changes which have been made. As I have pointed out, the Measure gave rise to little debate in the Assembly and is not, I venture to think, at all controversial.
§ Moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure, 1956, be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.— (The Lord Bishop of Hereford.)
§ On Question. Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.