UK Parliamentary Archives

• Held At: Parliamentary Archives: GB-061
• Catalogue Reference: HL/PO/CO/CE
• Ref No: HL/PO/CO/CE
• Date: 1838-2015
• Level: Sub sub sub fonds
• Extent: 10 series
• Creator Name: House of Lords and House of Commons; Ecclesiastical Committee; 1919-
• Administrative or Biographical History: The Ecclesiastical Committee is a statutory Committee appointed under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919. It is not a committee of Parliament in the usual sense, as it was set up by legislation rather than by orders of either House. Its reports and their associated Measures are printed by order of both Houses and its records are made available in Parliament. Whilst its powers are those laid down by the Act, its procedures are those of a Joint Select Committee.
  
  The Committee comprises thirty members, fifteen of whom are Members of the Commons, appointed by the Speaker, and fifteen of whom are members of the House of Lords, appointed by the Lord Chancellor.
  
  The remit of the Ecclesiastical Committee is to examine the draft Measures presented to it by the Legislative Committee of the General Synod of the Church of England (which replaced The National Assembly in 1969). The Ecclesiastical Committee reports to Parliament on whether or not it considers the measures to be expedient. It will generally ask members of the General Synod to assist it in its deliberations. In some circumstances a conference of the Ecclesiastical Committee and the Legislative Committee may be convened. The Ecclesiastical Committee cannot amend Measures: unlike Bills, they must be passed in full or rejected. Although Parliament reserves the right to reject Measures, in general they pass without much debate.
  
  Before the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, church legislation was governed by Parliament and was often delayed or abandoned due to the volume of Government business before the Commons. The National Assembly Bill was raised in the House of Lords by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1919 and introduced to the Commons by Sir Edward Beauchamp. The Act made provision for the Church to discuss its own affairs, and to revise the legislative role of Parliament. Rather than having reform proceed by Bill from the outset, the Act allowed for a representative Church Assembly to agree on Measures which would then be referred to their Legislative Committee. The Legislative Committee would present it, with any comment or explanation deemed necessary, to the Ecclesiastical Committee (composed of Peers and Members of Parliament).
  
  Each report of the Ecclesiastical Committee is numbered in a series which began with No 1 in 1920, and printed in both the House of Lords and House of Commons Papers series, as is the Measure on which it reports. The two papers are commonly given consecutive numbers in both series. The Papers are laid before the House and are recorded in the Appendix to the daily Votes and Proceedings of the Commons and Minutes of the House of Lords. Their presentation and dates of debate in both Houses are given at the end of the Complete List of Public Bills House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin, and for the session, in the Sessional Information Digest.
  
  In the Lords, the Motion to present the Measure for Royal Assent is generally moved by a Bishop or Archbishop, and in the Commons by the Second Church Estates Commissioner, who also answers Parliamentary Questions on certain Church matters. In the Commons, less important Measures have occasionally been referred to Standing Committee under SO No 118, although this practice is rare. For the purposes of timing of debates, Church Measures are exempted business under SO No 16 in the same way as Statutory Instruments.
  
  Measures are cited in a form such as "CAM No 1, 1938" (for Measures up to 1970) and "GSM No 1, 1978" (thereafter). Measures, like Acts of Parliament, may amend or repeal previous Acts or Measures and Statutory Instruments, hence the inclusion of 19th cenury legislation within the collection. They have the full force of statute law and apply generally throughout England.
• Acquisition: The records were transferred by the Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Committee in a series of accessions.
• Category: Unpublished Select Committee papers
• Description: HL/PO/CO/CE/1 contains agendas for meetings. HL/PO/CO/CE/2 contains Measures presented to the Ecclesiastical Committee for consideration and Reports passed on to the Houses for approval or rejection. There is also some background material used by the committee in their deliberations. HL/PO/CO/CE/3 contains Committee correspondence. HL/PO/CO/CE/4 contains minutes of meetings and related papers. HL/PO/CO/CE/5 contains printed Committee Reports and HL/PO/CO/CE/6 contains printed Committee Measures up to 1946. From 1947 Measures were included with the Main Papers. HL/PO/CO/CE/7 contains correspondence and papers in preparation for Measures. HL/PO/CO/CE/8 contains original parchment/vellum Measures dating from 1920-1993. HL/PO/CO/CE/9 contains certified copy and draft Measures, with some correspondence, comments and explanations relating to these. HL/PO/CO/CE/10 contains administrative records including agendas, chairman's briefs, attendance figures and reports.
• Terms:
  • Church and State,
  • Religion,
  • Legislation,
• Appraisal Information: Duplicate material was removed following appraisal.
• Accruals: Accruals are expected.
• Language: English
• System of Arrangement: The original order was largely maintained although the material was split into discrete series for ease of use.
• Related Material: HL/CP/3139-3157: Letters to Ecclesiastical Committee re Ordination of Women, 1993. HL/PO/1/81/30: Ecclesiastical Committee (Prayer Book Measure) with a summary of representations received in opposition to the Prayer Book measure. HC/SO/2/368: Correspondence and papers relating to the Ecclesiastical Committee.
• Related Record:
  • HL/CP/3139,
  • HL/PO/1/81/30,
  • HC/SO/2/368,
• Access Status: Open
• Access Conditions: Most closed files are closed for a period of 30 years at the point of transfer. Requests to see these files will be considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• Copies Exist: Public General Acts and Measures
• Publication Notes: HC Factsheet L10 - Ecclesiastical Committee [http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/fs25.pdf]; "Erskine May's Treatise on The Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament" ed Sir Donald Limon and W R McKay (London, 1997, 22nd edition) pp595-599.

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