Part of Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill: Allocation of Time – in the House of Commons at 5:15 pm on 19 January 2015.
Tom Brake
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury), The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
5:15,
19 January 2015
Clearly, as I stated earlier, this is a matter for senior clergy, including senior female clergy, to keep under review and to raise with Governments if they feel it has not been addressed within the 10 years. There could be many factors at play that could make it impossible to meet any target if they or we were to set one at this point. As I said, therefore, this is a matter for the clergy to respond to. While I personally could make a commitment regarding what will happen in 2025, it would rather prejudge certain factors, and as my hon. Friend Sarah Newton knows, no Government can commit a future Government to any particular action. However, it is certainly something that future Governments would, I hope, want to consider positively if a further request were made and if, at the end of the 10 years, the representation of women bishops or Lords Spiritual had not been addressed in a way that the clergy and House of Commons thought appropriate.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 1 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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