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The Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 Extension Bill - Clause 1 - Extension of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 by five years
18 December 2024
Lead MP
Abena Oppong-Asare
Debate Type
Bill Debate
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Other Contributors: 3
At a Glance
Abena Oppong-Asare raised concerns about the lords spiritual (women) act 2015 extension bill - clause 1 - extension of the lords spiritual (women) act 2015 by five years in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key Requests to Government:
Question put and agreed to. Clause 1 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. The Bill was read the Third time and passed, without amendment.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Minister proposes to extend the provisions of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 for an additional five years until May 2030, in accordance with the request from the Church of England. This extension aims to continue filling vacancies among the Lords Spiritual preferentially by the most senior eligible female bishop over male bishops where possible. The Bill has wide cross-party support and no amendments have been tabled to challenge its aim.
Richard Holden
Con
Basildon and Billericay
The MP supports the extension of the Act, noting that it has already been successful in allowing five out of six women bishops to be appointed earlier than they otherwise would have. He asks if the Government foresees another five-year extension after this period.
Torfaen
The MP thanks those who worked on the Bill and acknowledges its continued positive effects, including enabling women bishops to enter the House of Lords earlier. He expresses gratitude for the co-operative spirit in which the official Opposition have approached the Bill.
Sarah Olney
Lib Dem
Richmond Park
The MP and her Liberal Democrat colleagues are supportive of extending this legislation to address gender imbalance among Lords Spiritual, aiming for a more representative second Chamber.
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