Ecclesiastical Committee - Role
The Ecclesiastical Committee examines draft measures presented to it by the Legislative Committee of the General Synod of the Church of England.
The Committee's remit
The remit is set by the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919.
Membership
The Committee is chaired by Baroness Butler-Sloss and has 30 members. 15 members are MPs appointed by Mr. Speaker and 15 members of the House of Lords appointed by the Lord Speaker.
Formation timeline
The Ecclesiastical Committee is a statutory committee appointed under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919.
Appointments to the committee are generally made early in a Parliament. Members ordinarily remain on the Committee for the life of the Parliament. While the powers of the Committee are laid down by the Act, its procedures are broadly those of a Joint Select Committee.
It will generally ask members of the General Synod to assist it in its consideration of draft measures. In some circumstances a conference of the Ecclesiastical Committee and the Legislative Committee may be convened.
Further information
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