Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, further to the written statement of 10 September 2026, HCWS325, on Church Appointments, whether the Archbishop of Canterbury was consulted by the Prime Minister before the Prime Minister’s announcement of amending the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.

Yes. The Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill will remove a historic legal restriction on those who profess the Roman Catholic or Jewish faith from advising the Crown on appointments in the established churches of England and Scotland. This minor change ensures equal treatment of future office holders, regardless of their faith tradition, or lack of faith

In practical terms the arrangements governing Crown appointments in the Church of England, which have been in place since they were agreed between the Church and Government in 2007, are unaffected by this Bill. The appointments process is led by the Church, with the relevant Church body identifying the candidate to fill a vacant post. The Prime Minister’s role in advising the Sovereign on Church appointments is a constitutional duty and does not involve the Prime Minister exercising a personal choice. The Bill will not change these processes or alter the constitutional relationship between Church and State. Nor will it affect the requirement that the Sovereign join in communion with the Church of England.