§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time. I should not like this Bill to leave your Lordships' House without recording the admiration of this House and of the Government for the work of the Bridges Commission, under the chairmanship of a most distinguished Member of this House, which sat between 1958 and 1960 and on the Report of which most of what is in the Bill is based.
§ Moved. That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Kennet.)
§ LORD ILFORDMy Lords, I shall detain the House for only a moment to say how glad I am that the noble Lord has referred to the work done by Lord Bridges and the Commission over which he presided. I was Chairman of the Commission appointed by the Church Assembly to frame the Pastoral Measure, which dealt among other matters with the problem of the churches which had become redundant, and I had a special opportunity of appreciating the value of the work which Lord Bridges and his colleagues did in handling that very difficult problem. The procedure for dealing with churches that have become redundant, which is now laid down in the 213 Pastoral Measure, follows exactly the work of Lord Bridges's Commission. I am sure that your Lordships, and all who are interested in these matters, will feel deeply grateful to him for what he and his Commission were able to do.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, and passed.