As there are 42 dioceses of the Church of England, there are 42 bishops diocesan (including vacancies).
Of the 42: both archbishops and the Bishops of London, of Durham and of Winchester, sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual ex officio; a further 21 sit there by seniority (of whom five had their seniority accelerated); the Bishop of Sodor and Man sits ex officio in the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man and also in Tynwald Court; fourteen diocesans are not currently Lords Spiritual; and the Bishop in Europe is ineligible to be a Lord Spiritual.
Since women became eligible as bishops in 2015, female diocesan bishops take precedence over male ones whenever a new vacancy in the Lords arises, in accordance with the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (originally in force until 17 May 2025,[11][12] extended in 2025 by five more years until 18 May 2030).
The membership of the General Synod's House of Bishops is:[239] Acting diocesan bishops (commissaries) also attend but do not vote (unless they happen to hold a vote as an elected representative suffragan) at meetings of the House.
[244] The four "provincial episcopal visitors" (the Bishops suffragan of Richborough, of Ebbsfleet, of Oswestry and of Beverley) may attend and speak, but are not members and may not vote — unless they are elected as representative suffragans[239][245] (as Beverley is).