Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

Power of General Synod to make temporary provision with respect to membership of Convocations

10 Power of General Synod to make temporary provision with respect to membership of Convocations, etc.

(1) The General Synod may, by resolution, make provision with respect to—

(a) the representation in the Convocations of Canterbury and York or either of them, as the circumstances require, during the transitional period of any new diocese created by a reorganisation scheme, any diocese the area of which is altered by such a scheme or any diocese transferred by such a scheme from one province to the other; and

(b) the representation during that period of any such diocese in the House of Laity of the General Synod.

(2) In exercising its powers under subsection (1) above, the General Synod—

(a) shall, as respects any new diocese created by the scheme, determine the number of elected members who are to represent that diocese in a Convocation or in the House of Laity;

(b) may, as respects any diocese the area of which is altered by the scheme, alter the number of elected members fixed for that diocese by a determination of the General Synod in force at the passing of a resolution under this section;

but the General Synod shall not have power by virtue of this subsection to increase, as respects the Convocations, the total number of proctors elected for all the dioceses, or, as respects the House of Laity, the total number of members elected by the diocesan electors of all the dioceses, being the numbers fixed by a determination of the General Synod in force at the passing of the said resolution.

(3) In exercising its powers under subsection (1) above, the General Synod may allocate any members of a Convocation, or of the House of Laity, who were originally elected by the diocesan electors of—

(a) a diocese dissolved by the scheme or an electoral area thereof, or

(b) a diocese part of which is by virtue of the scheme to become part of another diocese or an electoral area of the first-mentioned diocese,

to such diocese, being a new diocese created by the scheme or a diocese the area of which is altered by the scheme, as the Synod may determine.

(4) Any member of a Convocation or of the House of Laity allocated to a diocese in accordance with a determination of the General Synod under subsection (3) above shall be in the same position as if he or she had been elected by the diocesan electors of that diocese.

(5) A resolution under this section may make provision with respect to any matter incidental to, or consequential on, the other matters with respect to which provision may be made by such a resolution.

(6) The power of the General Synod to make provision in pursuance of this section shall be exercisable on or after the date on which the reorganisation scheme in question is approved by the Synod under section 7 above.

(7) In this section “transitional period” means the period beginning with the date of the commencement of the relevant provision of the reorganisation scheme in question and ending with the date of the dissolution of the General Synod which is in being on the first mentioned date, and “relevant provision” means the provision creating a new diocese, altering the area of a diocese or transferring a diocese from one province to the other, as the circumstances require.