I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

It may be a surprise to some hon. Members that this Measure comes forward as a Bill rather than as a Church Assembly Measure, since it is being initiated, in part, to assist the next batch of Revised Canons to be put forward for the Royal Assent. Since the Bill deals with the Episcopal Church in Scotland, however, it could not be a Church Assembly Measure, and it therefore comes forward in the form of a Bill.

The present position is that a duly ordained Minister of any province of the Anglican Church outside England may minister in a church or chapel of the Church of England for a period of no more than seven days within three months, without reference to the Bishop. The Episcopal Church in Scotland, however, is excluded by Section 6 of the Episcopal Church (Scotland) Act, 1864, which limits such ministrations to no more than one in three months.

This Act was an attempt to lighten the previous disabilities imposed on the Scottish Episcopal Church in the eighteenth century. I feel that hon. Members will agree that it would be only right that that situation should now be brought into line with that which is prevailing in other provinces. That is the sole object of the Bill.