Convocations of Canterbury and York. Membership The synod is tricameral, consisting of the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity. There are currently 467 members in total. The House of Bishops is made up of the 30 diocesan bishops in the Province of Canterbury, the 12 diocesan bishops of the Province of York, the Bishop of Dover (who functions as diocesan bishop of Canterbury, in the Province of Canterbury), and seven other suffragan bishops (four from Canterbury and three from York) elected by all suffragan bishops. The House of Clergy comprises clergy elected by the following: 128 elected from the dioceses of the Province of Canterbury, 54 elected from the dioceses of the Province of York, 4 elected from among clergy teaching in universities or theological colleges. One must be from the Province of York (this arrangement replaced seats for specific universities as of the 2015 election), 6 deans elected from Cathedrals, plus either the Dean of Jersey or the Dean of Guernsey, the 3 Principal Anglican Chaplains (and Archdeacons) of the Armed Services, plus the Chaplain-General of Prisons (and Archdeacon), and 2 members of religious communities. Members of the House of Laity are elected by lay members of the Deanery Synod in each Diocese every five years by a system of single transferable vote. There are: up to 170 members elected by the laity of the Province of Canterbury, up to 80 members elected by the laity of the Province of York, the Dean of the Arches, the Vicars-General of the Provinces of Canterbury and York, the three Church Estate Commissioners, the Chairman of the Central Board of Finance, the Chairman of the Church of England Pensions Board, the members of the Archbishops' Council who are communicants of the Church of England. There are two or three synodical sessions per year (4–5 days each), one or two in Church House, Westminster, the other at the University of York, and each session is officially opened by the monarch. Meetings are presided over by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York as joint presidents. Functions The functions of the synod are: legislation: to pass measures dealing with the government of the church and its institutions, to pass canons, determining doctrine and the form of worship, to approve the liturgy and make other rules and regulations through Acts of Synod, to regulate relations with other churches, to consider