– in the House of Commons at on 29 April 1929.
Sir Francis Fremantle
, St Albans
I beg to move,
That, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Representation of the Laity Measure, 1929, be presented to His Majesty for Royal Assent.
This Measure does not excite any party controversy. It does not change the method of representation of the laity in the church councils, whether parochial, rurideaconal or diocesan, or in the House of Assembly. It fills certain gaps and provides for the filling of vacancies and for improvements of certain machinery in regard to giving notice, and so on. It has been approved by the Ecclesiastical Committee.
The Ecclesiastical Committee is a parliamentary committee established by an Act of Parliament in 1919 to consider measures passed by the General Synod of the Church of England.
The committee is appointed for the duration of a Parliament and consists of 15 members drawn from the House of Commons and the House of Lords who are nominated by the Speaker and lord chancellor respectively.
An example of an issue which was considered in recent years by the Ecclesiastical Committee is the proposal from the Church of England that it should be allowed to appoint women priests.
Matters concerning the Established Church of England are dealt with at Question Time by a parliamentary representative of the Church Commissioners.
