§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Prime Minister if he will now make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government to accord the same degree of official recognition to the territorial sees and titles of the Roman Catholic Church in England and in Wales as is accorded to the unestablished Anglican churches outside England; and if he will make a statement on the situation in Northern Ireland.
§ The Prime MinisterOfficial recognition for Roman Catholic territorial titles was precluded under Acts of 18296W and 1851, the penal provisions of which were repealed in 1871 and 1978. Since it was raised with me by Sir Hugh Rossi in the last Parliament I have been looking sympathetically at the matter and my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will now be consulting the relevant Church authorities about the practices to be adopted in future.