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Ordinands

19. Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): How many (a) women and (b) men are in training for ordination. [187916]

Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Stuart Bell): For the year 2003–04, there were 641 women and 659 men in training for ordination.

Chris Bryant: Bearing in mind the fact that the number of women in ordination training is now almost catching up with the number of men, is it not about time that the Church of England woke up to the fact that there are women who are performing very good jobs in cathedrals and parishes up and down the land, and that it is time we had some on the Bench of Bishops as well?

Sir Stuart Bell: I am always grateful to my hon. Friend for his questions, and I did, of course, anticipate that one. He will be happy to know that I recently enjoyed a midday service at the Trinity church in New York and an eventide service at Westminster abbey—both were officiated at by women priests, and I enjoyed them both immensely.

On my hon. Friend's latter point, he will be aware that a working group, chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, has been giving serious consideration to the question of women in the
 
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episcopate and to the theology behind such a question. We must wait for the group to report to the General Synod before drawing conclusions, but my hon. Friend's voice will be heard.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

The hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, was asked—

General Election Turnout

21. Mr. Graham Allen (Nottingham, North) (Lab): What steps the Electoral Commission is taking to improve turnout at general elections; and if he will make a statement. [187918]

Mr. Viggers: Under section 13 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Electoral Commission is responsible for promoting public awareness of electoral and democratic systems. It does so through programmes of education and information. The commission aims, through that activity, to contribute to increased electoral participation over time.

Mr. Allen: Will the hon. Gentleman pass on to the Electoral Commission the congratulations of many hon. Members on the campaign that it mounted before the European elections to publicise people's rights to get involved in politics and participate in elections? Many of us have a sense of embarrassment at the number of people who failed to vote, even in our own constituencies. Will he request the Electoral Commission to consider the possibility of running pilot schemes in the constituencies of Members of all parties to try to discover why people do not vote and what steps we can all take to improve participation in our democracy?

Mr. Viggers: Indeed, evidence seems to indicate that the Electoral Commission's campaigns have had considerable effect, and the hon. Gentleman has taken a keen interest in the subject—and indeed met the chairman of the Electoral Commission this morning.

You know, Mr. Speaker, that the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission has no direct responsibility in these fields, and to that extent, as the spokesman of the Speaker's Committee, I am merely the drone target against whom hon. Members can essay their flights of wit and wisdom. However, hon. Members who have a view on postal voting and other matters have two opportunities to contribute this week: first, the Minister for Local and Regional Government hopes to catch your eye to make a statement later this afternoon, Mr. Speaker; and secondly, on Thursday in Westminster Hall there will be a debate on the report from the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on postal voting, which will give an opportunity to all hon. Members to contribute to the discussion.

Mr. Simon Thomas (Ceredigion) (PC): Is the Electoral Commission considering the issue of Thursdays? We in
 
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the United Kingdom have a tradition of voting only on Thursdays and for one day only. Many other countries achieve higher participation in their general elections by voting on more than one day, and in particular at weekends. What consideration is being given to those moves?

Mr. Viggers: I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Electoral Commission has an open mind on the issue and believes that it requires further study.

Mr. David Kidney (Stafford) (Lab): Regarding what the hon. Gentleman said about links with education, does he know—if not, will he arrange for a letter to be
 
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sent to me afterwards—whether the Electoral Commission has links with curriculum co-ordinators who are responsible for delivering the citizenship curriculum in schools? One role of citizenship lessons in schools is to develop political literacy among young people, and of course young voters are the ones who stay at home the most.

Mr. Viggers: I have no doubt that that is exactly the kind of matter on which the Electoral Commission is active. Rather than attempting to respond at this point, I am sure that the commission would welcome the opportunity to write to the hon. Gentleman with further information.

 
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Business of the House

3.30 pm

The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Phil Woolas): With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a short business statement.

The business for Thursday 16 September will now be consideration of Lords amendments to the Employment Relations Bill, followed by a debate on HIV/AIDS in the developing world on a motion for the Adjournment of the House. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will of course make his usual business statement on Thursday.

Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire) (Con): I thank the Deputy Leader of the House for the business statement, but does he recall that last Thursday I asked for extra time to be allowed so that hon. Members on both sides of the House could put forward motions under section 2 of the Parliament Act to accompany the Hunting Bill to the other place? It is most unsatisfactory that we have a highly draconian procedural motion on the Order Paper today that will not only guillotine the business of this House, but provide for the Parliament Act to be used on the other place. Given that the two outstanding issues of compensation and the breadth of the offence were never properly debated or tackled in this House and that the business on Thursday has now gone, surely it would be possible for us to deal with the Hunting Bill properly on Thursday.

Mr. Woolas: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. It might assist the House if I explain the background to the statement. As hon. Members will know, last Thursday my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House announced that the Second Reading of the Civil Partnership Bill was due to take place this Thursday. Since then, hon. Members have asked for that date to be changed to accommodate the needs of those who wish to participate in the Northern Ireland talks that are due to take place at Leeds castle in Kent this Thursday—I am sure that the whole House agrees that we want those talks and negotiations to be successful. As ever, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House wishes to ensure that all views in the House are protected and that all hon. Members with strong points of view on matters of principle and conscience regarding the Civil Partnership Bill have the opportunity to raise them in the debate.

On the Hunting Bill, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has ensured that the moment of interruption will be put back. The House has debated the matter on five occasions and we have been generous in allocating time for the business motion. [Hon. Members: "Too generous."] My hon. Friends say that we have been too generous in allocating time for the motion, Second Reading and the amendments. I am sure that hon. Members on both sides of the House will ensure that there is sufficient good debate on Wednesday for us to take a decision.

Mr. Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD): I thank the hon. Gentleman for the amplification of his statement, which makes it clear that the change was due to a request from those who will participate in the Leeds castle
 
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talks—we certainly would not want to stand in the way of that. Does he accept that it is a constant puzzle to hon. Members that business is immutable and inflexible on occasions when the Government do not want it to be flexible, and highly flexible when they do want that? Will he convey to the Leader of the House the concern among Liberal Democrats that such flexibility should not be shown exclusively in favour of the Government?

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