§ Mr. STUART-WORTLEYasked the Home Secretary whether, considering the possibility of Clause 22 (Saving for marriage law) of the Established Church (Wales) Bill having to be passed without discussion or amendment, it is his intention to give notice of any Amendments to that Clause providing adequate securities to the public that all episcopal and other Acts or documents necessary to the ascertainment of the status of any church or place in which marriages may lawfully be solemnised shall, for the purpose of preventing doubts as to the validity of marriages, be properly recorded, preserved, and made accessible to His Majesty's subjects after the existing machinery for effecting those purposes has by the passing of the Bill, been rendered unavailable and non-existent?
§ Mr. McKENNAClause 22, under the Order relating to allocation of time, comes on first for discussion after Seven o'clock on the thirteenth allotted day, and there will presumably be considerable time on that day available for its discussion. If any Amendments are put down dealing with the matters to which the right hon. Gentleman refers, they will be carefully considered, and if, on such consideration, it is found that any further provisions are necessary to prevent doubts as to the validity of marriages solemnised in Churches in Wales, Amendments for that purpose will be put down by the Government. The Registrar-General was consulted about the Clause before the Bill was introduced, but if the right hon. Gentleman will communicate to me the nature of the doubts which he apprehends may arise, I am perfectly willing to consult him further.