HL Deb 25 January 1971 vol 314 cc711-3

3.5 p.m.

THE LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER rose to move, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Synodical Government (Special Majorities) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent. The right reverend Prelate said: My Lords, I beg to move the Resolution standing in my name on the Order Paper. The Synodical Government (Special Majorities) Measure concerns a technical point on the way in which the General Synod may vote.

The procedure of the Synod is largely governed by its Constitution, which is set out in Schedule 2 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969. Article 5 of that Constitution requires that every Motion shall be carried by a simple majority of these present and voting except when some Measure already lays down that there shall be a two-thirds majority. There have been cases in the past, and there may well be cases in the future, when the General Synod will feel that a matter before it is of such far-reaching importance, or for the protection of minorities that it would be desirable to provide that an issue shall be decided only if carried by a special majority. So Clause 1(1) enables the General Synod to resolve that the final approval of a scheme for constitutional union or permanent or substantial change in relationship between the Church of England and other Christian bodies shall require a special majority of the General Synod or of the three Houses. The majority required for the General Synod and the Houses may be different.

Subsection (2) of Clause 1 gives power to the General Synod to require a special majority for the suspension of Standing Orders. Power to suspend Standing Orders already exists under Article 11. It is, however, felt that it is so drastic a step that the Synod should at any rate have the power to lay down a special majority rather than a straight majority before Standing Orders are suspended. Subsection (3) is consequential. The Ecclesiastical Committee is of the opinion that the Measure is expedient.

My Lords, in presenting this Measure for an Affirmative Resolution, I may remind your Lordships that this is the last Measure to emanate from the Church Assembly. In future, Measures will bear the imprimatur of the General Synod. I see that the Report of the Ecclesiastical Committee is its 161st. In passing this Resolution, as I trust your Lordships will, we may look back on the fifty years of co-operation between the Church Assembly and your Lordships' House and look forward to what we trust may be a similarly profitable co-operation with the General Synod. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Synodical Government (Special Majorities) Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Bishop of Chester.)

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I should like to ask one question of the right reverend Prelate. In view of the fact that the last week has been an Ecumenical week in various Churches and that we who are members of the various Churches all hope for greater unity, could he tell us what percentage of votes the Synod are likely to require before they pass the Measure of Union with the Methodists?

THE LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot foretell what would be the required majority; but in the vote which has already taken place it was required that there should be a two-thirds majority in each House and a 75 per cent. majority for the whole of the Church Assembly.

On Question Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.

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