(1)The diocesan education committee for each diocese shall have the right, power, duty and obligation from time to time:—
(i)to take such steps as may appear to the committee to be conducive to the promotion of religious education according to the faith and practice of the Church of England and to watch the interests of church schools;
(ii)to take such action as may appear desirable to secure the provision of new schools;
(iii)to promote, and co-operate with other religious bodies and with local education authorities in promoting, religious education within the diocese;
(iv)to give advice as and when the committee thinks fit to trustees or owners, and managers or governors, of church schools and others concerned as to any matters affecting church schools within the diocese and also to the governing bodies of church educational endowments as to any matters affecting church educational endowments within the diocese;
(v)to make plans calculated in the opinion of the committee to further the development and organisation of religious education in the diocese and, in particular, of instruction in religious knowledge according to the faith and practice of the Church of England after consultation with such trustees or owners, and managers or governors, of church schools, within the diocese and with such other persons as in the opinion of the committee are interested or as may be in any way affected thereby.
(2)The trustees or owners and managers or governors of every church school in a diocese shall be bound to consult the diocesan education committee for the diocese and to have regard to its representations in any negotiations for, and before making, any agreement or arrangement with the Minister, the Charity Commissioners or the local education authority for or with respect to the restoration, rearrangement, continuance, discontinuance, closing, sale or lease of, or other dealing with such church school, or for or with respect to the amalgamation thereof with any other school.
(3)In this section references to church schools shall (unless the context otherwise requires) be deemed to include the sites, properties and endowments thereof.
(4)The governing body of every church educational endowment in a diocese shall be bound to inform the diocesan education committee for the diocese before any change in the use of such endowment is made, whether by scheme or otherwise, and to have regard to any advice given under subsection (1) of this section.