National Institutions Measure 1998

Part IConstitution and membership

1(1)The Council shall consist of—

(a)the Archbishops of Canterbury and York;

(b)the Prolocutors of the Convocations of Canterbury and York;

(c)the chairman and vice-chairman of the House of Laity;

(d)two bishops elected by the House of Bishops from among its members;

(e)two clerks in Holy Orders elected by the House of Clergy from among its members;

(f)two lay persons elected by the House of Laity from among its members;

(g)such persons as may be appointed under sub-paragraph (2) below;

(h)one of the Church Estates Commissioners appointed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York acting jointly.

(2)Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, acting jointly, may appoint not more than six persons as members of the Council.

(3)No appointment under sub-paragraph (2) above shall be made without the approval of the General Synod; and in considering the making of any such appointment (except on the first occasion when the power to appoint is exercised) the Archbishops of Canterbury and York shall consult the Council and the Appointments Committee of the Church of England.

2The Archbishops of Canterbury and York shall be joint Presidents of the Council.

3The Archbishop of Canterbury shall preside at meetings of the Council unless he determines otherwise, in which case the Archbishop of York or one of the other members of the Council appointed by the Council after consultation with the Archbishops, either generally for the purposes of this paragraph or on a particular occasion, shall preside.

4(1)Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, a member of the Council shall hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of his appointment.

(2)Members of the Council elected under paragraph 1(1)(d), (e) or (f) above or appointed under paragraph 1(2) above shall serve for such number of years, being not less than three and not more than five, as may be determined in each case by the General Synod.

(3)In this paragraph “year” means a period of twelve months.

5(1)A member of the Council may, by notice in writing addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, resign his membership.

(2)Where a member of the Council fails throughout a period of six consecutive months from his last attendance to attend any meeting of the Council he shall be deemed to have resigned his membership unless the Archbishop of Canterbury determines that he had reasonable cause for not attending.

6A member of the Council who ceases to be a member shall be eligible for re-election or re-appointment:

Provided that a member elected under paragraph 1(1)(d), (e) or (f) above or appointed under paragraph 1(2) above shall not be eligible for re-election or re-appointment as such if he has served as a member for a period amounting in the aggregate to ten years unless an interval of five years has elapsed since he last ceased to be a member.

7The quorum of the Council shall be ten.