Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

18 Provisions with respect to creation of suffragan sees

(1) No bishop of a diocese shall petition Her Majesty in Council to direct under the Suffragans Nomination Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 56) that a town in his diocese shall be taken and accepted for a see of a suffragan bishop as if it had been included in the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 (26 Hen. 8 c. 14) unless his proposal to do so is approved by the diocesan synod and the General Synod.

(2) After consulting (if the bishop is not an archbishop) the archbishop of the province the bishop shall send a copy of his proposal, together with a statement of his reasons for making it, to the Commission for it to report thereon.

(3) On receiving such a proposal, the Commission shall prepare a statement of the effect of the proposal on the mission of the Church of England if implemented and, in consultation with the Commissioners, an estimate of the financial effect of the proposal and shall include the statement and estimate in its report.

(4) The bishop shall consider the report of the Commission on the proposal and if he decides to proceed with it he shall lay the proposal before the diocesan synod for its approval.

(5) A copy of the proposal and of the report of the Commission thereon shall be sent to every member of the diocesan synod at least three weeks before the session at which the proposal is considered.

(6) If the proposal is approved by the diocesan synod, the bishop shall lay the proposal before the General Synod for its approval.

(7) A copy of the proposal and of the report of the Commission thereon shall be sent to every member of the General Synod at least fourteen days before the beginning of the group of sessions at which the proposal is considered.

(8) Where the Business Committee of the General Synod determines that the proposal does not need to be debated by the General Synod then, unless notice is given by a member of the General Synod in accordance with its Standing Orders that that member wishes the proposal to be debated, the proposal shall, for the purposes of subsection (6) above, be deemed to have been approved by the General Synod.