(1)If it appears to the bishop of two or more diocese that a committee should be constituted for the purpose of considering the boundaries of the dioceses concerned and the pastoral arrangements in the areas adjacent thereto and of making recommendations (if the committee so decide) the implementing of which would require the exercise of powers under section 36, then, if the Dioceses Commission gives its consent, they may by an instrument sealed by each of them provide for constituting a committee in accordance with the next following subsection.
(2)The committee shall be known as the joint pastoral committee for the dioceses concerned, and shall comprise an equal number of members not exceeding five from each diocese, together with a member of the Dioceses Commission nominated by that Commission and a chairman appointed by the bishops jointly, or, in default of their agreement, by the Commissioners; and the members from any diocese shall include the bishop if he so desires and shall otherwise be nominated by the pastoral committee of the diocese concerned from among their members.
(3)Without prejudice to the provisions of section 16(2), the functions of the joint pastoral committee, and the powers exercisable in pursuance of their proposals under section 36, may be limited by the instrument aforesaid or any subsequent instrument sealed by the bishops of the dioceses concerned to a specified section or sections of the boundaries of the dioceses concerned or to an area or areas so specified, or to the consideration of proposals or questions so specified relating to those boundaries or areas, but any such limitation may be revoked or varied by a subsequent instrument sealed by the bishops of the dioceses concerned.
(4)Paragraphs 7 to 12 of Schedule 1 shall apply to a joint pastoral committee in like manner as they apply to the pastoral committee of a diocese, with the omission of the reference in paragraph 12 to the directions of the diocesan synod.
(5)Any recommendations made by the joint pastoral committee shall be made to the bishops of the dioceses concerned, and section 3 shall apply to any such recommendations and their formulation and submission in draft proposals in like manner as it applies to the recommendations and draft proposals of the pastoral committee of a diocese, and the like proceedings may be taken on such proposals under sections 3 to 10 as may be taken on proposals formulated and submitted by a pastoral committee, subject to the following modifications:—
(a)anything required or authorised to be done by or to the bishop or registrar of the diocese shall be required or authorised to be done by or to the bishops or registrars of the dioceses concerned;
(b)the words in section 5(4) “(other than section 36)” shall be omitted and so much of that sub-section as relates to the preparation of a draft order shall not apply.
(6)If it appears to the bishops of the dioceses concerned that the purposes for which a joint pastoral committee was appointed have been sufficiently fulfilled, either by the making of a scheme or by a report or otherwise, or are unlikely to be fulfilled, they may by instrument sealed by them dissolve the committee.