Overview

This bill proposes to remove all bishops of the Church of England from the House of Lords, ending their automatic right to sit and vote. It also repeals related legislation that grants bishops their seats and addresses consequential changes to parliamentary procedure and related acts.

Description

The core aim of the House of Lords (Removal of Bishops) Bill is to eliminate the automatic membership of bishops in the House of Lords. This means no bishop or Archbishop will be a member of the House of Lords simply by virtue of their religious office.

The bill includes:

• Exclusion of Bishops: Explicitly states that bishops will no longer be members of the House of Lords.
• Removal of Writs of Summons: Bishops will no longer automatically receive writs of summons to attend the House of Lords.
• Life Peerages: The bill clarifies that former bishops may still be granted life peerages and sit in the House of Lords as peers.
• Leading Prayers: Allows for the possibility of bishops leading prayers in the House of Lords, but strictly prohibits them from voting or participating in any other capacity as members.
• Consequential Provisions: The bill repeals several related acts that address the seats of bishops in the House of Lords including, for example, the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 and makes amendments to the wording of the enactment formula for Acts passed after its enactment.
• Extent and Commencement: The act extends to the whole of the UK and comes into force two months after it is passed.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to have a significant direct impact on UK government spending. Any potential savings would likely be minimal and related to the elimination of allowances or expenses associated with bishops' seats in the House of Lords. Specific figures are not available in the provided text.

Groups Affected

• Bishops of the Church of England: Lose their automatic right to sit and vote in the House of Lords. They may still be appointed to the House of Lords through the standard peerage process.
• House of Lords: Composition of the House of Lords will change. The impact on legislative processes may vary.
• Church of England: The Church’s direct influence on parliamentary proceedings will be significantly reduced.
• The UK Government: Will need to amend processes and potentially legislation relating to parliamentary procedures following the removal of bishops

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