Oral Answers to Questions

Diana Johnson Excerpts

Tuesday 27th July 2010 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

[Diana R. Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

6. What recent representations he has received on proposals for the consecration of women as bishops.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry)]

I have received numerous representations from people on all sides of the argument. I recently addressed the General Synod of the Church of England on this matter in York, and I have placed a copy of my statement in the Library.

[Diana R. Johnson]

Will the hon. Gentleman take a guess as to when he thinks we will have the historic first woman bishop in the Church of England? When does he think that will be?

[Tony Baldry]

The legislation completed its Report stage at York. It now has to go to all the 44 dioceses of the Church of England. If a majority of them agree, it will go back to General Synod, probably in 2012. If two thirds of each of the General Synod’s houses agree to it, I would then expect it to come here to the Ecclesiastical Committee and this House in 2013, and if this House agrees, we could see the appointment of the first woman bishop in 2014.

Oral Answers to Questions

Diana Johnson Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

[Diana R. Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

2. What progress the Church of England has made on proposals to enable women to be consecrated as bishops.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry)]

Before I answer that question, may I pay tribute to my predecessor, the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Sir Stuart Bell)? He has been the longest serving Second Church Estates Commissioner ever, and he did an excellent job. The legislation to enable women to become bishops reaches the General Synod’s equivalent of Report early next month in York. Depending on what is decided there, the legislation will then go to the 44 diocesan synods, and I understand that the earliest date that the General Synod can take a final decision, and when the matter can eventually come before the House, is 2012.

[Diana R. Johnson]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his new role. Does he not agree that the intervention of the two archbishops, with their proposal on the legislation to enable women to become bishops, will create a two-tier system of bishops? Women will no doubt be on the lower tier, and does that not send out completely the wrong message from the established Church of this country about the role of women bishops?

[Tony Baldry]

I thank the hon. Lady for her kind words at the beginning of her question. There are clear majorities in the General Synod in favour of women becoming bishops, but, as the proposals by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York yesterday demonstrated, there are still efforts to try to find ways to reconcile those who have deep-held opposition to the measure. Under legislation, it is important that the Church decides the way forward, and we should give it the space to do so. However, it is also very important that the Church hears the voices of this House about how we see those matters, because ultimately the issue will have to come back to this House.