Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee
23 June 2026
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Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee House of Commons
00:04 - 00:21
Speaker 1
The Clergy Conduct Measure HC 221. I call the Second Church Estates Commissioner to move the motion and members may remove their jackets because I'm going to remove mine, it's too hot.
00:21 - 03:29
Speaker 3
Thank you, I beg to move that the committee has considered the Clergy Conduct Measure and can I say Ms Lawley it is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, there we go. Right, I know that for many colleagues across the House the prospect of being at a delegated legislation committee considering a Church of England legislation is not always the true highlight of their parliamentary week. But, and the weather as well guys, I'm so sorry. But while our setting today might be routine, the legislation before us is anything but. The measure is a cornerstone of the Church of England's ongoing vital reform of the clergy discipline and safeguarding.
During the passage of this measure through the General Synod, the Church acknowledged that the current system had not served complainants who have had far too often found the process to be retraumatising, opaque and painfully slow. And equally it has not served clergy well, leaving many in a state of prolonged anxiety and limbo. Ms But, this new measure is the result of six years of detailed work to address this situation. To that end, the Clergy Conduct Measure will replace the Clergy Discipline Measure of 2003 in its entirety. And it is clear the system was not fit for purpose and it was outdated and in need of reform so as to so as we could better protect and support individuals.
Now Chair, before turning to the detail of the measure, members will see from the report of the Ecclesiastical Committee that the committee initially found the measure to not be expedient on the basis that clause 31 3 provided that the tribunal hearings hearings were to be held by default in private. Now I'm pleased that the Church then withdrew the measure and the General Synod looked again at this issue and in February this year the measure was amended for hearings to be in public by default. Now concerns were also raised about working relationship with the Church and the Church have assured me that it recognises the need to work collaboratively with the Ecclesiastical Committee and with Parliament and they should know that robust parliamentary scrutiny is not a hurdle to be cleared but an essential part of ensuring our legislation is fair, transparent and commands public confidence. We are in fact legislators. So as the measure itself at the heart of this new system is is proportional, the measure introduces three different tracks to allocate complaints to, either as a grievance, as misconduct or as serious misconduct.
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