HC Deb 14 May 1985 vol 79 cc87-9W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will set out in the Official Report the average length of day, excluding Fridays, the number of private Members' days, the total number of parliamentary Bills introduced and the daily average of starred questions, for each parliamentary Session since 7 June 1955 and to date.

Mr. Biffen

Information on the average length of days and on the daily average of starred and unstarred questions could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The remaining information requested is given in the tables.

The number of private Members' days in each parliamentary Session since 7 June 1955 and in this Session (up to and including Friday 10 May) is as follows:

Session Days Half-days
1955–56 20
1956–57 20
1957–58 20
1958–59 20
1959–60 20
1960–61 20 4
1961–62 20 4
1962–63 20 4
1963–64 20 4
1964–65 20 4
*1965–66 6 1
1966–67 24 4
1967–68 20 4
1968–69 20 4
*1969–70 18 3
1970–71 20 4
1971–72 20 4
1972–73 20 4
*1973–74 6 1
*1974 9 3
1974–75 20 4
1975–76 20 4
1976–77 20 4
1977–78 20 4
*1978–79 13 2
1979–80 23 4
1980–81 20 4
1981–82 20 4
*1982–83 18 2
1983–84 22 4
1984–85 18 2
* Denotes short Session

Number of Parliamentary Bills
Session Private Bills Public Bills(inc. Provisional Order Bills) * Total
1955–56 76 126 202
1956–57 35 93 128
1957–58 40 112 152
1958–59 45 113 158
1959–60 45 103 148
1960–61 33 117 150
1961–62 40 108 148
1962–63 31 105 136
1963–64 37 155 192
1964–65 35 158 193
1965–66 (S) 17 79 96
1966–67 (L) 31 227 258
1967–68 40 146 186
1968–69 51 158 209
1969–70 (S) 77 152 229
1970–71 (L) 111 164 275
1971–72 48 149 197

Session Private Bills Public Bills (inc. Provisional Order Bills) * Total
1972–73 31 153 184
1973–74 (S) 34 77 111
1974 (S) 29 86 115
1974–75 30 183 213
1975–76 32 174 206
1976–77 22 141 163
1977–78 22 143 165
1978–79 (S) 20 121 141
1979–80 (L) 50 217 267
1980–81 31 145 176
1981–82 33 143 176
1982–83 (S) 25 134 159
1983–84 (L) 56 181 237
1984–85 (to 7.5.85) 119
* Also includes Hybrid Bills