See how new sessional orders relating to debate in the House are being used in Part 2 of our sessional orders update.
In Part 1 we looked at how new rules relating to Questions were being used. This week we check in to see how the new sessional orders relating to debate in the House are being implemented.
📏 A member, prior to moving the motion, may move that the item of private members business be considered in a short form format
This rule allows the House to decide that a debate which can take up to 2 hours to debate can be conducted in 30 minutes, with members speaking for 3 minutes each.
Since this sessional order was adopted on 8 May, 39 items of private members business have been considered in the short form format. This has led to a large increase in the number of issues dealt with by the House on Private Members’ days.
📝 For 30 minutes immediately after questions on Thursdays, private members may make statements … provided that a member shall not speak for more than 3 minutes
This rule allows members to raise in no more than 3 minutes any matter important to them or their constituents. A total of 43 Private Members’ statements have been given over the four days on which private members’ business has precedence since the beginning of the year.
🕰️ Proceedings must be interrupted at 10.00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, to permit a motion for the adjournment to be moved to terminate the sitting if a Minister thinks fit
Under the new sessional order, the interruption for adjournment on Thursdays is for 10.00pm, whereas previously the interruption was set for 30 minutes after the end of Question Time, at approximately 4.00pm.
This means that more private members business can be dealt with as observed last Thursday when the House agreed to a list of 20 items to be considered.
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