The government has introduced a bill aimed at ending long-standing laws that prevent Roman Catholic or Jewish prime ministers from participating in the process of making Church of England appointments. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is Catholic, has described these existing laws as "unacceptable."
Under current legislation, when bishops and archbishops are appointed, the Church presents a candidate to the prime minister, who then advises the monarch on the installation. Although this role has become largely formal, laws specifically bar Roman Catholics and Jews from exercising this responsibility.
Earlier this month, Mr Burnham, the first Catholic prime minister, transferred the responsibility of advising the King on Church appointments to the Lord Chancellor. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and the Jews Relief Act 1858 are the laws in question, which stipulate that prime ministers of those faiths cannot be involved, directly or indirectly, in advising on Church appointments.
The bill introduced on Tuesday seeks to remove these discriminatory laws. For the change to come into practice, the bill must first be approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.