Backbench Business — Church of England (Women Bishops)

Part of Opposition Day — [12th Allotted Day] – in the House of Commons at 5:48 pm on 12 December 2012.

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Photo of Paul Murphy Paul Murphy Labour, Torfaen 5:48, 12 December 2012

That is the feeling that lay behind the thinking of my right hon. Friend Mr Brown when he was Prime Minister. He said that he would not take part in choosing bishops of the Church of England, and that that should be a matter for the Appointments Committee. I believe that he was right. I do not see why a Methodist, a member of the Church of Scotland, a Roman Catholic or someone with no faith at all should decide whom the head of the Church of England should be. That would be incredibly wrong in this day and age. The Church itself should make that decision. I accept that there are strong views on this issue, but as I said, I believe that this debate will have some value in that it might prod the Church of England into reaching a speedy conclusion.