1991 — 22nd January

Whenever it is necessary to proceed forthwith to the choice of a new Speaker in consequence of Mr. Speaker having ceased for any reason to be a Member of this House, the chair shall be taken by that Member, present in the House and not being a Minister of the Crown, who has served for the longest period continuously as a Member of this House.

Whenever it is necessary to proceed to the choice of a new Speaker in consequence of an intimation to Her Majesty by Mr. Speaker of his wish to relinquish that office, then Mr. Speaker shall continue to take the chair and shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker until a new Speaker has been chosen, whereupon he shall leave the chair and shall cease to perform those duties and to exercise that authority and Mr. Speaker Elect shall take the chair accordingly:

Provided that, if when this House proceeds to choose a new Speaker the unavoidable absence of Mr. Speaker has been announced, Mr. Deputy Speaker shall forthwith leave the chair and the chair shall be taken in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (1) of this order.

A Member taking the chair under the provisions of paragraph (1) of this order shall enjoy all those powers which may be exercised by Mr. Speaker during proceedings under paragraph (2) thereof.

When a motion has been made, in accordance with the provisions of this order, that a certain Member do take the chair of this House as Speaker, a question shall be proposed on that motion and the question on any further such motion shall be put as an amendment thereto.

At the commencement of every Parliament, or from time to time, as necessity may arise, the House may appoint two Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means, who shall be known respectively as the First and the Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, and who shall be entitled to exercise all the powers vested in the Chairman of Ways and Means, including his powers as Deputy Speaker.

The Chairman of Ways and Means or a Deputy Chairman shall take the chair as Deputy Speaker, when requested so to do by Mr. Speaker, without any formal communication to the House.

Whenever the House shall be informed by the Clerk at the Table of the unavoidable absence or the absence by leave of the House of Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of Ways and Means shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of Mr. Speaker in relation to all proceedings of this House, as Deputy Speaker, until Mr. Speaker resumes the chair or, if he does not resume the chair during the course of the sitting, until the next meeting of the House, and so on from day to day, on the like information being given to the House, until the House shall otherwise order:

Provided that if the House shall adjourn for more than twenty-four hours the Chairman of Ways and Means shall continue to perform the duties and exercise the authority of Speaker, as Deputy Speaker, for twenty-four hours only after such adjournment.

Whenever the House has been informed by the Clerk at the Table of the unavoidable absence or the absence by leave of the House both of Mr. Speaker, and of the Chairman of Ways and Means, the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of the Speaker in accordance with paragraph (2) of this order; and if the House should be so informed of the unavoidable absence or the absence by leave of the House of the First Deputy Chairman also, the Second Deputy Chairman shall perform those duties and exercise that authority.

Mr. Speaker shall nominate, at the commencement of every session, not fewer than ten Members to act as temporary chairmen of committees when requested by the Chairman of Ways and Means.

The Members nominated in accordance with the preceding paragraph together with the Chairman of Ways and Means and the Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means shall constitute the Chairmen's Panel.

Every person returned as a Member of this House may make and subscribe a solemn affirmation in the form prescribed by statute instead of taking an oath.

Members may take and subscribe the oath required by law at any time during the sitting of the House, before the orders of the day and notices of motions have been entered upon, or after they have been disposed of; but no debate or business shall be interrupted for that purpose.

No Member's name shall be affixed to any seat in the House before the hour of prayers; and Mr. Speaker shall give directions to the doorkeepers accordingly.

Any Member having secured a seat at prayers shall be entitled to retain the same until the rising of the House.

The House shall meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at half-past two o'clock and will first proceed with private business, motions for unopposed returns, questions and ballots for notices of motions.

No motion for the adjournment of the House shall be made on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday until all the questions asked at the commencement of public business shall have been disposed of, and, save as provided in paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration), no Member other than a Minister of the Crown may make such a motion on any day before the orders of the day or notices of motions shall have been entered upon.

At ten o'clock on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the proceedings on any business then under consideration shall, save as otherwise provided in paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business), be interrupted; and, if the House be in committee, the chairman shall leave the chair, and report progress and ask leave to sit again; and if a motion has been made for the adjournment of the House (unless that motion is included in a motion to be made after the interruption of business under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business)), or of the debate, or in committee that the chairman do report progress, or do leave the chair, every such motion shall lapse.

On the interruption of business the closure may be claimed; and if moved, or if proceedings under Standing Order No. 35 (Closure of debate) be then in progress, Mr. Speaker or the chairman shall not leave the chair until the questions consequent thereon and any further question, as provided in Standing Order No. 35 (Closure of debate), have been decided.

An order of the day not disposed of before the termination of a sitting shall be deferred to such day being a day on which the House ordinarily sits as the Member in charge of that order may appoint and any order of the day not reached before the termination of a sitting shall, unless the Member in charge of the order has given other instructions to the Clerk at the Table, stand over until the next sitting.

After the business under consideration at ten o'clock has been disposed of, no opposed business shall be taken, save as provided in Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business).

The House shall not be adjourned except in pursuance of a resolution or by Mr. Speaker in pursuance of paragraph (3) of Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings of the House (suspended sittings)) or Standing Order No. 45 (Power of Mr. Speaker to adjourn House or suspend sitting): Provided that, when a substantive motion for the adjournment of the House has been made at or after ten o'clock, Mr. Speaker shall, after the expiration of half an hour after that motion has been made, adjourn the House without putting any question.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a motion may be made after ten o'clock by a Minister of the Crown, 'That the proceedings of this day's sitting be suspended', and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if the question be agreed to in the House, a motion may immediately thereafter be made, 'That this House do now adjourn', and at the conclusion of the debate on that motion and in no case later than half an hour after the motion has been made, the motion shall lapse, and Mr. Speaker shall suspend the sitting till ten o'clock on the following morning, or, if it be after midnight, till ten o'clock in the morning of the same day.

If the question on a motion, made likewise in a committee of the whole House, 'That the proceedings of the committee be suspended', be so decided in the affirmative, the chairman shall leave the chair and make a report to that effect, whereupon Mr. Speaker shall forthwith put the question, 'That the proceedings of this day's sitting be suspended', and the House shall proceed thereon in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (1) of this order, and, if the question be agreed to, a motion for the adjournment of the House may be made and the sitting shall afterwards be suspended as aforesaid; but, if that question be negatived, the House shall immediately again resolve itself into the committee.

On the resumption of the sitting the House shall forthwith resume the suspended proceedings and may afterwards proceed with the remaining business of the sitting which has been suspended: Provided that-

on a motion being made by a Minister of the Crown, 'That this House do now adjourn', Mr. Speaker shall put the question thereon forthwith; or

on the conclusion of the business Mr. Speaker shall adjourn the House without putting any question; or

if the business has not been concluded before two o'clock, Mr. Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings at that hour and the debate or further consideration of the bill shall stand adjourned, or, if the House be in committee, the chairman shall leave the chair and report progress and ask leave to sit again, and Mr. Speaker shall thereafter adjourn the House without putting any question.

The House shall meet on Fridays at half-past nine o'clock, and will first proceed with private business, petitions, and motions for unopposed returns.

Standing Orders No. 9 (Sittings of the House) and No. 14 (Exempted business) shall apply to the sittings on Fridays with the omission of paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House) and with the substitution of references to half-past two o'clock, a quarter past three o'clock and four o'clock for references to ten o'clock, a quarter to eleven o'clock and half-past eleven o'clock respectively.

In the application of Standing Order No. 15 (Prayers against statutory instruments, &c. (negative procedure)) to the sittings on Fridays there shall be substituted references to four o'clock for references to half-past eleven o'clock.

At eleven o'clock Mr. Speaker may interrupt the proceedings in order to permit questions to be asked which are in his opinion of an urgent character and relate either to matters of public importance or to the arrangement of business, statements to be made by Ministers, or personal explanations to be made by Members.

If the House is in Committee at eleven o'clock, on an occasion when Mr. Speaker's intention to permit such questions, statements or explanations has been made known, the Chairman shall leave the Chair without putting any question, and report that the Committee have made progress and ask leave to sit again.

The House, when it meets on Friday, shall, at its rising, stand adjourned until the following Monday without any question being put.

Whenever the House stands adjourned and it is represented to Mr. Speaker by Her Majesty's Ministers that the public interest requires that the House should meet at a time earlier than that to which the House stands adjourned, Mr. Speaker, if he is satisfied that the public interest does so require, may give notice that, being so satisfied, he appoints a time for the House to meet, and the House shall accordingly meet at the time stated in such notice.

The government business to be transacted on the day on which the House shall so meet shall, subject to the publication of notice thereof in the order paper to be circulated on the day on which the House shall so meet, be such as the government may appoint, but subject as aforesaid the House shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to the day on which it shall so meet, and any government order of the day and government notices of motions that may stand on the order book for any day shall be appointed for the day on which the House shall so meet.

In the event of Mr. Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Chairman of Ways and Means, or either Deputy Chairman, shall act in his stead for the purposes of this order.

Save as provided in this order, government business shall have precedence at every sitting.

Twenty days shall be allotted in each session for proceedings on opposition business, seventeen of which shall be at the disposal of the Leader of the Opposition and three of which shall be at the disposal of the leader of the second largest opposition party; and matters selected on those days shall have precedence over government business provided that-

two Friday sittings shall be deemed equivalent to a single sitting on any other day;

on any day other than Friday, not more than two of the days at the disposal of the Leader of the Opposition may be taken in the form of four half days, and one of the days at the disposal of the leader of the second largest opposition party may be taken in the form of two half days; and

on any such half day proceedings under this paragraph shall either-

lapse at seven o'clock if not previously concluded, or

be set down for consideration at seven o'clock and, except on days on which private business has been set down for consideration under the provisions of paragraph (5) of Standing Order No. 16 (Time for taking private business), shall be entered upon at that time:

Provided that on days on which business stands over until seven o'clock under the provisions of Standing Order No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) proceedings under this sub-paragraph shall not be entered upon until such business has been disposed of, and may then be proceeded with for three hours, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House).

For the purposes of this order 'the second largest opposition party' shall be that party, of those not represented in Her Majesty's Government, which has the second largest number of Members elected to the House as members of that party.

Private Members' bills shall have precedence over government business on ten Fridays in each session to be appointed by the House.

On and after the seventh Friday on which private Members' bills have precedence, such bills shall be arranged on the order paper in the following order: consideration of Lords amendments, third readings, consideration of reports not already entered upon, adjourned proceedings on consideration, bills in progress in committee, bills appointed for committee, and second readings.

The ballot for private Members' bills shall be held on the second Thursday on which the House shall sit during the session under arrangements to be made by Mr. Speaker, and each bill shall be presented by the Member who has given notice of presentation or by another Member named by him in writing to the Clerks at the Table, at the commencement of public business on the fifth Wednesday on which the House shall sit during the session.

Private Members' notices of motions and private Members' bills shall have precedence, in that order, over government business on ten Fridays in each session to be appointed by the House.

On four days other than Fridays in each session to be appointed by the House private Members' notices of motions shall have precedence until seven o'clock and, if not previously concluded, the proceedings thereon shall lapse at that hour and the House shall then proceed with government business.

Ballots for private Members' notices of motions shall be held after questions on such Wednesdays as may be appointed by the House in respect of motions having precedence on Fridays; and on such days as may be appointed by the House in respect of motions having precedence on days other than Fridays. Notice of a subject to be raised on any motion for which a ballot is held in pursuance of this paragraph may be given at the Table or in the Table Office not less than nine days before the day on which the notice of motion is to have precedence.

Until after the fifth Wednesday on which the House shall sit during the session, no private Member shall give notice of a motion for leave to bring in a bill under Standing Order No. 19 (Motions for leave to bring in bills and nomination of select committees at commencement of public business) or for presenting a bill under Standing Order No. 58 (Presentation and first reading).

Unless the House otherwise orders, private Members' notices of motions shall not be received for any day other than an early day, if-

with respect to any private Member's bill, they would have an effect similar to that of motions of which notice may be given under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business);

they would have the effect of varying the practice of the House or the provisions of Standing Order No. 11 (Friday sittings) or Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business) so far as concerns the precedence, arrangement or timing of business;

they would have the effect of allocating time to any proceedings;

they would have the effect of amending or varying any Standing Order; or

they would have the effect, whether by amendment or by the making of a new Order, of dispensing with or varying the effect of, this Order.

The following business may be proceeded with at any hour though opposed, shall not, save for the purpose of moving a motion pursuant to paragraph (2) of this order, be interrupted at ten o'clock, and if under discussion when business is postponed under the provisions of any standing order may be resumed, though opposed, after the interruption of business:

proceedings on a bill brought in upon a ways and means resolution or any Consolidated Fund Bill or Appropriation Bill;

proceedings in pursuance of any Act of Parliament, save in so far as Standing Order No. 15 (Prayers against statutory instruments, &c. (negative procedure)) otherwise provides, and proceedings on European Community documents (other than in pursuance of paragraph (9) of Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees)), but Mr. Speaker shall put any questions necessary to dispose of such proceedings not later than half-past eleven o'clock or one and a half hours after the commencement of those proceedings, whichever is the later: Provided that, if Mr. Speaker shall be of opinion that, because of the importance of the subject matter of the motion, the time for debate has not been adequate, he shall, instead of putting the question as aforesaid, interrupt the business, and the debate shall stand adjourned till the next sitting (other than a Friday);

proceedings in pursuance of any standing order of this House which provides that proceedings though opposed may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business;

proceedings on a motion authorising expenditure in connection with a bill: Provided that any questions necessary to dispose of the proceedings on such a motion shall be put at a quarter to eleven o'clock or three quarters of an hour after the commencement of those proceedings, whichever is the later.

In this paragraph, and in Standing Orders No. 89 (Procedure in standing committees) and No. 102 (European Standing Committees) "European Community documents" shall be as defined in Standing Order No. 127 (Select Committee on European Legislation).

If a notice of motion in the name of a Minister of the Crown stands upon the order paper at the commencement of public business to the effect that any specified business may be proceeded with at this day's sitting though opposed-

until any hour;

until a specified hour; or

until either a specified hour or the end of a specified period after it has been entered upon, whichever is the later,

or in a form combining any or all of these effects in respect of different items of business, the motion shall stand over and may not be made until after the interruption of business and shall then be proceeded with, though opposed, in accordance with the following paragraphs of this order provided that on any day on which Mr. Speaker is directed to put questions at ten o'clock pursuant to paragraph (5) of Standing Order No. 52 (Consideration of estimates), any such motion shall stand over until those questions have been decided.

If the business interrupted is included in the business specified in the motion or in paragraph (1) of this order, Mr. Speaker shall, immediately after the interruption of business, or if the House has been in committee, before any day is named for the House again to resolve itself into that committee, call upon the Minister to move his motion and the question thereon shall be put forthwith, and after that question has been decided the consideration of the business interrupted shall be resumed if such business is included in the business specified in paragraph (1) of this order or if the question be resolved in the affirmative.

If the business interrupted is not included in the business specified in the motion or in paragraph (1) of this order, Mr. Speaker shall call upon the Minister to move his motion at the conclusion of any proceedings arising on the interruption of business under the provisions of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House) but before the resumption of any proceedings postponed under Standing Order No. 16 (Time for taking private business) or No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration).

If a motion made under either of the two preceding paragraphs be agreed to, the business so specified shall be proceeded with as if it were included in the business specified in paragraph (1) of this order, save that-

business which may be proceeded with until a specified hour may not if opposed be entered upon or resumed after that hour and the proceedings thereon if not previously concluded shall be interrupted at that hour;

when proceedings on such business have been postponed under the provisions of Standing Order No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration), such business may be proceeded with after the specified hour for a further period of time equal to the duration of the proceedings upon the motion under the said Standing Order No. 20; and

the proceedings upon business which may be proceeded with until either a specified hour or the end of a specified period after it has been entered upon, whichever is the later, shall if not previously concluded be interrupted at that hour or at the end of that period, as the case may be.

Not more than one motion under paragraph (2) of this order may be made at any one sitting and after any business proceeding under the provisions of this order is disposed of after ten o'clock, the remaining business of the sitting shall be dealt with according to the provisions of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House) applicable to business taken after ten o'clock.

No proceedings on a motion to which this order applies shall be entered upon at or after half-past eleven o'clock.

If such a motion is under consideration at half-past eleven o'clock, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith put any question which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed from the chair: Provided that, if he shall be of opinion that-

owing to the lateness of the hour at which consideration of the motion was entered upon, or

because of the importance of the subject matter of the motion,

the time for debate has not been adequate, he shall interrupt the business and the debate shall stand adjourned till the next sitting (other than a Friday).

A debate which has been adjourned under paragraph (2) of this order shall not be resumed later than eleven o'clock, but shall stand further adjourned till the next sitting (other than a Friday), and the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall apply to any debate which has been further adjourned under this paragraph as if the further adjournment were an adjournment under paragraph (2) of the order.

The motions to which this order applies are-

any motion for an humble address to Her Majesty praying that a statutory instrument be annulled, and any motion that a draft of an Order in Council be not submitted to Her Majesty in Council, or that a statutory instrument be not made,

any motion that, or for an humble address to Her Majesty praying that, any other document which may be subject to proceedings in the House in pursuance of a statute be annulled, or cease to be in force, or be not made.

If a Motion to the effect that Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new writ for the electing of a Member is proposed to be made or is made after prayers on any day on which private Members' bills or notices of motion have precedence, and is opposed, proceedings thereon shall lapse.

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the time for private business shall end not later than a quarter to three o'clock and business entered upon and not disposed of at that hour shall be deferred to such time as the Chairman of Ways and Means may appoint. Business not reached shall stand over to the next sitting, or in the case of opposed business until the next sitting other than a Friday.

During the time of private business, opposed business shall not be proceeded with but shall be deferred to such time, other than a Friday, as the Chairman of Ways and Means may appoint.

Opposed business shall include any proceedings on a private bill or a confirming bill which have been deferred under paragraph (2) of this order, so long as a notice of an amendment stands upon the order paper in the form of a notice of motion (other than a notice of motion in the name of the Chairman of Ways and Means) on second reading, consideration or third reading of such bill: Provided that no such notice of motion shall stand on the order paper for more than seven days unless renewed.

No opposed business shall be taken on a Friday.

Business deferred under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this order shall be considered at the time of private business on the day appointed unless the Chairman of Ways and Means directs that such business shall be set down for seven o'clock on any specified Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and business so set down (including any motion contingent directly or otherwise upon any item of such business) shall be taken in such order as the Chairman of Ways and Means may determine: Provided that business so set down shall be distributed as nearly as may be proportionately between the sittings on which government business has precedence and other sittings.

On any day specified under paragraph (5) of this order at seven o'clock or as soon thereafter as any motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) has been disposed of, the business set down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means shall be entered upon and may be proceeded with subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House).

Questions shall be taken on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, after private business has been disposed of.

No question shall be taken after half-past three o'clock, except questions which have not appeared on the paper but which are in Mr Speaker's opinion of an urgent character and relate either to matters of public importance or to the arrangement of business.

Any questions tabled for written answer on a day on which the House does not sit by reason of the continuance of a previous sitting shall be deemed to be questions for written answer on the next sitting day and shall appear on the Order Paper for that day.

Notices of questions shall be given by Members in writing to the Table Office.

A notice of a question, or of an amendment to a motion standing on the Order Paper for which no day has been fixed or of the addition of a name in support of such a motion or amendment, which is given after half-past ten o'clock in the evening shall be treated for all purposes as if it were a notice handed in after the rising of the House.

A Member shall indicate on the notice of any question whether it is for oral, written or priority written answer.

Where a Member has indicated that a question is for priority answer the Minister shall cause an answer to be given to the Member on the date for which notice has been given, provided that the requirement of notice shall be the same for such questions as that prescribed in this order for questions for oral answer.

Notice of a question for oral answer may not be given on a day earlier than ten sitting days before the day for answer, provided that, where that earliest day would otherwise fall on a Friday, the earliest day on which such notice may be given will instead be the previous sitting day.

Notice of any question for oral answer must appear at latest on the notice paper circulated two days (excluding Saturday and Sunday) before that on which an answer is desired.

When it is proposed that the House shall adjourn for a period of less than four days, any day during that period (other than a Saturday or Sunday) shall be counted as a sitting day for the purpose of calculating the period in paragraph (5) of this order.

When notice shall have been given of a Motion for the adjournment of the House for more than three days Mr. Speaker may cause to have printed and circulated with the Vote a memorandum superseding the provisions of paragraphs (5) and (6) of this order and instead setting out the earliest day on which notice of questions for oral answer may be given for each of the first ten sitting days after that adjournment, provided that each such day shall as far as practicable fall on the same day of the week as that on which the question is to be answered and shall not be fewer than fourteen days before the day for answer; and also setting out the latest day for notice of questions for oral answer on each of the first two sitting days following that adjournment, provided that each such day shall not be fewer than two days (excluding Saturday and Sunday) before the day for answer.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and if given by a Minister of the Crown, on Mondays and Thursdays, notices of motions for leave to bring in bills, and for the nomination of select committees, may be set down for consideration at the commencement of public business. Mr. Speaker, after permitting, if he thinks fit, a brief explanatory statement from the Member who makes and from a Member who opposes any such motion respectively, shall put either the question thereon, or the question, 'That the debate be now adjourned'.

With respect to a private Member's motion for leave to bring in a bill under this order-

notice shall be given in the Public Bill Office by the Member in person or by another Member on his behalf, but on any one day not more than one notice shall be accepted from any one Member;

no notice shall be given for a day on which a notice of motion under this order already stands on the paper;

no notice shall be given for a day earlier than the fifth or later than the fifteenth sitting day after the day on which it is given;

not more than one such notice shall stand on the paper in the name of any one Member for a day within any period of fifteen sitting days.

No notice may be given under Standing Order No. 19 (Motions for leave to bring in bills and nomination of select committees at commencement of public business) for a day on which Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer has declared his intention of opening his Budget; but

notices proposed to be given for such day, and

notices so given for a day in respect of which such intention is subsequently declared,

shall be treated as having been given for the first Monday on which the House shall sit after the Budget is opened, and may be proceeded with on that day as though it were a Tuesday or a Wednesday.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday a Member rising in his place at the commencement of public business may propose, in an application lasting not more than three minutes, to move the adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration. If Mr. Speaker is satisfied that the matter is proper to be so discussed, the Member shall either obtain the leave of the House, or, if such leave be refused, the assent of not fewer than forty Members who shall thereupon rise in their places to support the motion, or, if fewer than forty Members and not fewer than ten shall thereupon rise in their places, the House shall, on a division, upon question put forthwith, determine whether such motion shall be made.

If leave is given or the motion is so supported or the House so determines that it shall be made the motion shall stand over until the commencement of public business on the following day (or, on Thursdays, until the commencement of public business on the following Monday) when proceedings upon it shall be interrupted after three hours, or, if Mr. Speaker directs that the urgency of the matter so requires, until seven o'clock on the same day.

A Member intending to propose to move the adjournment of the House under the provisions of this order shall give notice to Mr. Speaker by twelve o'clock, if the urgency of the matter is known at that hour. If the urgency is not so known he shall give notice as soon thereafter as is practicable. If Mr. Speaker so desires he may defer giving his decision upon whether the matter is proper to be discussed until a named hour, when he may interrupt the proceedings of the House for the purpose.

In determining whether a matter is proper to be discussed Mr. Speaker shall have regard to the extent to which it concerns the administrative responsibilities of Ministers of the Crown or could come within the scope of ministerial action. In determining whether a matter is urgent Mr. Speaker shall have regard to the probability of the matter being brought before the House in time by other means.

Mr. Speaker shall state whether or not he is satisfied that the matter is proper to be discussed without giving the reasons for his decision to the House.

Debate on motions made under this order may include reference to any matter that would be in order on a motion to take note of the subject under discussion, and a motion may be made under this order notwithstanding the fact that a motion for the adjournment is already before the House or is proposed to be made.

Proceedings on any business postponed at seven o'clock under this order may be resumed at the conclusion of proceedings on the aforesaid motion for the adjournment of the House unless such motion is agreed to, shall not be interrupted, except as provided in paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business), may be proceeded with for such further period of time as would have been permissible under any orders of the House at seven o'clock had no such motion then been made, and shall not be subject to the provisions of any such orders with regard to the disposal of the business until the conclusion of the said period.

In order to facilitate the business of select or of standing committees a motion may, after two days' notice, be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, in either of the following forms:

' That this House do now adjourn ' (in which case, if the question thereon be not previously agreed to, Mr. Speaker shall put the question half an hour after it has been proposed), or

' That this House do now adjourn till seven o'clock this day ' (in which case the question thereon shall be put forthwith):

Provided that if, on a day on which notice of a motion in the terms of paragraph (a) of this order stands on the paper, leave has been given to move the adjournment of the House at seven o'clock for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, or opposed private business has been set down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means, the motion shall be made in the terms and subject to the procedure prescribed by paragraph (b) of this order.

Whenever a motion shall have been made by a Minister of the Crown for the adjournment of the House for a specified period or periods, any questions necessary to dispose of proceedings shall be put three hours after they have been entered upon, if not previously concluded.

Upon Mr. Speaker's direction, the Clerk shall read the orders of the day, without any question being put.

The orders of the day shall be disposed of in the order in which they stand upon the paper, the right being reserved to Her Majesty's Ministers of arranging government business whether orders of the day or notices of motion in such order as they think fit.

Whenever an order of the day is read for the House to resolve itself into a committee other than a committee on a bill, Mr. Speaker shall leave the chair without putting any question, and the House shall thereupon resolve itself into such committee.

In determining whether a discussion is out of order on the ground of anticipation, regard shall be had by Mr. Speaker to the probability of the matter anticipated being brought before the House within a reasonable time.

No motion or amendment shall require to be seconded before the question thereon is proposed from the chair.

When a Member is in the course of making a motion or moving an amendment at any stage of proceedings on a bill, a Member rising in his place may claim to move, 'That the question be now proposed', and, unless it shall appear to the chair that such motion is an abuse of the rules of the House, the question, 'That the question be now proposed', shall be put forthwith.

This order shall apply in committee only when the Chairman of Ways and Means or either Deputy Chairman is in the chair.

Notwithstanding the practice of the House which prohibits in a debate on a motion for the adjournment of the House any reference to matters requiring legislative remedy, Mr. Speaker may permit such incidental reference to legislative action as he may consider relevant to any matter of administration then under debate when enforcement of the prohibition would, in his opinion, unduly restrict the discussion of such matter.

When an amendment has been moved, the question to be proposed thereon shall be, 'That the amendment be made', except that-

when to the question 'That a bill be now read a second time (or the third time)' an amendment has been moved to leave out the word 'now', the question shall be, 'That the word "now" stand part of the question'; and

on the twenty days allotted under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business),

where to any substantive motion an amendment has been moved by a Minister of the Crown to leave out a word or words and insert (or add) others, the question shall be, 'That the original words stand part of the question', and, if that question be passed in the negative, the question 'That the proposed words be there inserted (or added)' shall be put forthwith;

if such amendment involves leaving out all the effective words of the motion Mr. Speaker shall, after the amendment has been disposed of, forthwith declare the main question (as amended or not as the case may be) to be agreed to.

In respect of any motion or any bill under consideration on report or any Lords amendment to a bill, Mr. Speaker shall have power to select the amendments, new clauses or new schedules to be proposed thereto.

In committee of the whole House, the Chairman of Ways and Means and either Deputy Chairman shall have the like power to select the amendments, new clauses or new schedules to be proposed.

Mr. Speaker, or in a committee of the whole House, the Chairman of Ways and Means or either Deputy Chairman, may, if he think fit, call upon any Member who has given notice of an amendment, new clause or new schedule to give such explanation of the object thereof as may enable him to form a judgement upon it.

For the purposes of this order, motions for instructions to committees on bills, motions to commit or re-commit bills and motions relating to the proceedings on bills shall be treated as if they were amendments under paragraph (1) of this order.

The powers conferred on Mr. Speaker by this order shall not be exercised by the Deputy Speaker save during the consideration of the estimates.

If on the last day on which the motion for an address in answer to Her Majesty's Speech is debated in the House an amendment proposed to the said motion shall have been disposed of at or after the expiration of the time for opposed business, a further amendment selected by Mr. Speaker may thereupon be moved, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

When a motion is made for the adjournment of a debate or of the House during any debate or of further consideration of a bill or of the Lords amendments to a bill or that the chairman do report progress, or do leave the chair, the debate thereupon shall be confined to the matter of such motion; and no Member, having made any such motion, shall be entitled to make any similar motion during the same debate.

If Mr. Speaker, or the chairman, shall be of opinion that a dilatory motion is an abuse of the rules of the House, he may forthwith put the question thereupon from the chair, or he may decline to propose the question thereupon to the House or the committee.

For the purposes of this order the expression 'dilatory motion' shall include a motion for the adjournment of a debate, or of the House, during any debate, or of further consideration of a bill or of the Lords amendments to a bill, or that the chairman do report progress or do leave the chair.

After a question has been proposed a Member rising in his place may claim to move, 'That the question be now put,' and, unless it shall appear to the chair that such motion is an abuse of the rules of the House, or an infringement of the rights of the minority, the question 'That the question be now put,' shall be put forthwith.

When a question 'That the question be now put' has been decided in the affirmative, and the question consequent thereon has been decided, a Member may claim that any further question be put which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed from the chair, and if the assent of the chair, as aforesaid, be not withheld, any question so claimed shall be put forthwith.

This order shall apply in committee only when the Chairman of Ways and Means or either Deputy Chairman is in the chair.

If a division be held upon a question for the closure of debate under Standing Order No. 35 (Closure of debate) or for the proposal of the question under Standing Order No. 28 (Powers of chair to propose question), that question shall not be decided in the affirmative unless it appears by the numbers declared from the chair that not fewer than one hundred Members voted in the majority in support of the motion.

If the opinion of Mr. Speaker or the chairman as to the decision of a question is challenged he shall direct that the lobby be cleared.

After the lapse of two minutes from this direction he shall put the question again, and, if his opinion is again challenged, he shall announce the names of tellers.

After the lapse of at least six minutes from this direction he shall direct that the doors giving access to the division lobbies be locked.

A Member may vote in a division although he did not hear the question put.

A Member is not obliged to vote.

Mr. Speaker or the chairman may, after the lapse of two minutes, if in his opinion the division is unnecessarily claimed, take the vote of the House, or committee, by calling upon the Members who support, and who challenge his decision, successively to rise in their places; and he shall thereupon, as he thinks fit, either declare the determination of the House or committee, or name tellers for a division.

If it should appear that fewer than forty Members (including the occupant of the chair and the tellers) have taken part in a division, the business under consideration shall stand over until the next sitting of the House and the next business shall be taken.

The House shall not be counted at any time.

Mr. Speaker or the chairman, after having called the attention of the House, or of the committee, to the conduct of a Member, who persists in irrelevance, or tedious repetition either of his own argument or of the arguments used by other Members in debate, may direct him to discontinue his speech.

Mr. Speaker or the chairman shall order any Member or Members whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the House during the remainder of that day's sitting; and the Serjeant at Arms shall act on such orders as he may receive from the chair in pursuance of this order. But if on any occasion Mr. Speaker or the chairman deems that his powers under the previous provisions of this order are inadequate, he may name such Member or Members, in which event the same procedure shall be followed as is prescribed by Standing Order No. 43 (Order in debate).

Whenever a Member shall have been named by Mr. Speaker, or by the chairman, immediately after the commission of the offence of disregarding the authority of the chair, or of persistently and wilfully obstructing the business of the House by abusing the rules of the House or otherwise, then, if the offence has been committed by such Member in the House, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith put the question, on a motion being made, ' That such Member be suspended from the service of the House'; and, if the offence has been committed in a committee of the whole House, the chairman shall forthwith suspend the proceedings of the committee and report the circumstances to the House; and Mr. Speaker shall on a motion being made forthwith put the same question, as if the offence had been committed in the House itself. Proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

If any Member be suspended under paragraph (1) of this order, his suspension on the first occasion shall continue for five sitting days, and on the second occasion for twenty sitting days, including in either case the day on which he was suspended, but, on any subsequent occasion, until the House shall resolve that the suspension of such Member do terminate.

Not more than one Member shall be named at the same time, unless two or more Members, present together, have jointly disregarded the authority of the chair.

If a Member, or two or more Members acting jointly, who have been suspended under this order from the service of the House, shall refuse to obey the direction of Mr. Speaker, when severally summoned under Mr. Speaker's orders by the Serjeant at Arms to obey such direction, Mr. Speaker shall call the attention of the House to the fact that recourse to force is necessary in order to compel obedience to his direction, and the Member or Members named by him as having refused to obey his direction shall thereupon and without any further question being put be suspended from the service of the House during the remainder of the session.

Suspension from the service of the House shall not exempt the Member so suspended from serving on any committee for the consideration of a private bill to which he may have been appointed before his suspension.

Nothing in this order shall be taken to deprive the House of the power of proceeding against any Member according to ancient usages.

Members who are ordered to withdraw under Standing Order No. 42 (Disorderly conduct) or who are suspended from the service of the House under Standing Order No. 43 (Order in debate) shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House, subject, however, in the case of such suspended Members, to the provisions of paragraph (5) of Standing Order No. 43 (Order in debate).

In the case of grave disorder arising in the House Mr. Speaker may, if he thinks it necessary to do so, adjourn the House without putting any question, or suspend the sitting for a time to be named by him.

Mr. Speaker may announce at the commencement of public business that, because of the number of Members wishing to speak in a debate on one of the matters specified in paragraph (2) of this order, he will call Members either between six o'clock and ten minutes before eight o'clock or between seven o'clock and ten minutes before nine o'clock on Monday to Thursday sittings, and between half-past eleven o'clock and one o'clock on Friday sittings, to speak for not more than ten minutes; and whenever Mr. Speaker has made such an announcement he may, between those hours, direct any Member who has spoken for ten minutes in such a debate to resume his seat forthwith.

This order shall apply to debates on:

the second reading of public bills;

matters selected under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business) for consideration on allotted opposition days;

motions in the name of a Minister of the Crown; and

motions for an address in answer to Her Majesty's Speech.

This House will receive no petition for any sum relating to public service or proceed upon any motion for a grant or charge upon the public revenue, whether payable out of the Consolidated Fund or the National Loans Fund or out of money to be provided by Parliament, or for releasing or compounding any sum of money owing to the Crown, unless recommended from the Crown.

Any charge upon the public revenue whether payable out of the Consolidated Fund or the National Loans Fund or out of money to be provided by Parliament including any provision for releasing or compounding any sum of money owing to the Crown shall be authorised by resolution of the House.

A bill (other than a bill which is required to be brought in upon a ways and means resolution) the main object of which is the creation of a public charge may either be presented, or brought in upon an order of the House, by a Minister of the Crown, and, in the case of a bill so presented or brought in, the creation of the charge shall not require to be authorised by a resolution of the House until the bill has been read a second time, and after the charge has been so authorised the bill shall be proceeded with in the same manner as a bill which involves a charge that is subsidiary to its main purpose.

The provisions of paragraph (1) of this order shall apply to any bill brought from the Lords, of which a Minister of the Crown has informed the Clerks at the Table of his intention to take charge.

This House will not receive any petition for compounding any sum of money owing to the Crown, upon any branch of the revenue, without a certificate from the proper officer or officers annexed to the said petition, stating the debt, what prosecutions have been made for the recovery of such debt, and setting forth how much the petitioner and his security are able to satisfy thereof.

A ways and means motion may be made in the House without notice on any day as soon as an address has been agreed to in answer to Her Majesty's speech.

A Minister of the Crown may without notice make a motion for giving provisional statutory effect to any proposals in pursuance of section 5 of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968; and the question on such a motion shall be put forthwith.

When the question has been decided on the first of several motions upon which a bill is to be brought in for imposing, renewing, varying or repealing any charge upon the people, the question on each such further motion shall be put forthwith; and proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

In relation to private bills, provisional order bills and bills introduced under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936, or the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act 1945, the standing orders relating to public money shall have effect subject to any exceptions prescribed by the standing orders of this House relating to private business.

Three days, other than Fridays, before 5th August, shall be allotted in each session for the consideration of estimates set down under the provisions of paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 131 (Liaison Committee); and not more than one day so allotted may be taken in the form of two half days, not being Fridays.

On any such day-

consideration of estimates or reports of the Liaison Committee relating thereto shall stand as first business; and

other business may be taken before ten o'clock only if the consideration of estimates has been concluded.

On any such half day-

proceedings on consideration of estimates or reports of the Liaison Committee relating thereto, standing as first business, shall be interrupted at seven o'clock; or

notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2) of this order, consideration of estimates or reports of the Liaison Committee relating thereto may be set down for consideration at seven o'clock and shall be entered upon at that time:

Provided that on days on which business stands over until seven o'clock under the provisions of Standing Order No. 20 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) or has been set down for that hour under the provisions of Standing Order No. 16 (Time for taking private business) proceedings under this sub-paragraph shall not be entered upon until such business has been disposed of and may then be proceeded with for three hours, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House).

On any day or half day allotted under this order, questions necessary to dispose of proceedings (other than a dilatory motion) on the estimates on which debate has been concluded shall be deferred until the hour prescribed under paragraph (5) of this order.

At ten o'clock on an allotted day or half day, or as soon thereafter as proceedings under the proviso to paragraph (3)(b) of this order have been disposed of, Mr. Speaker shall put, successively, any questions deferred under paragraph (4) of this order, and any questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on all other estimates appointed for consideration on that day.

On any day to which the provisions of paragraphs (2), (3) or (4) of this order apply Mr. Speaker shall at ten o'clock put the questions on-

any outstanding vote relating to numbers for defence services for the coming financial year;

the total amount outstanding in respect of each financial year to be granted out of the Consolidated Fund for the purposes defined in the related votes.

The provisions of paragraph (1) of this order shall apply on a day not later than 6th February, if any of the following total amounts have been put down for consideration:

votes on account for the coming financial year;

supplementary estimates for the current financial year which have been presented at least seven clear days previously.

The provisions of paragraph (1) of this order shall apply on a day not later than 18th March, if any of the following numbers or total amounts have been put down for consideration:

votes relating to numbers for defence services for the coming financial year;

supplementary estimates for the current financial year which have been presented at least seven clear days previously;

excess votes, provided that the Committee of Public Accounts has reported that it sees no objection to the sums necessary being provided by excess vote.

The provisions of paragraph (1) of this order shall apply on a day not later than 5th August, if the total amount of estimates which are still outstanding has been put down for consideration.

At least two days' notice shall be given of the votes which are to be put down for consideration under paragraphs (2), (3) or (4) of this order.

The provisions of this order shall not apply to any vote of credit or votes for supplementary or additional estimates for war expenditure.

On any day on which the second reading of a Consolidated Fund or an Appropriation Bill stands as the first order of the day, the question thereon shall be put forthwith upon the reading of that order, no order shall be made for the committal of the bill and the question for third reading shall be put forthwith.

At the conclusion of proceedings on a Consolidated Fund or an Appropriation Bill, a member of the Government may move 'That this House do now adjourn', the motion shall not lapse at ten o'clock, or be interrupted at that hour save for the purpose of moving a motion pursuant to paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business), may be proceeded with at any hour, though opposed, and if proceedings have not been concluded by nine o'clock in the morning at that sitting, the motion shall lapse at that hour: Provided that if the sitting shall have commenced on a Thursday, the motion shall lapse at eight o'clock in the morning.

In all contracts extending over a period of years, and creating a public charge, actual or prospective, entered into by the government for the conveyance of mails by sea, or for the purpose of communications beyond sea, there shall be inserted the condition that the contract shall not be binding until it has been approved of by a resolution of the House. Proceedings in pursuance of this order, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

Every such contract, when executed, shall forthwith, if Parliament be then sitting, or, if Parliament be not then sitting, within fourteen days after it assembles, be laid upon the Table of the House, accompanied by a minute of the Lords of the Treasury, setting forth the grounds on which they have proceeded in authorising it.

In cases where any such contract requires to be confirmed by Act of Parliament, the bill for that purpose shall not be introduced and dealt with as a private bill, and power to the government to enter into agreements by which obligations at the public charge shall be undertaken shall not be given in any private Act.

A Member may, after notice, present a bill without previously obtaining leave from the House to bring in the same.

When a bill is presented either in pursuance of an order of the House or under the provisions of paragraph (1) of this order, the bill shall be read the first time without any question being put, shall be ordered to be read a second time on such day as the Member presenting it shall appoint, and shall be ordered to be printed.

If a Member informs the Clerks at the Table of his intention to take charge of a bill which has been brought from the Lords, the bill shall be deemed to have been read the first time on the day on which the Member so informs the Clerks, and to have been ordered to be read a second time on such day as he shall appoint, and shall be recorded in the Journal of the House as having been read the first time and ordered to be read a second time on the day so appointed, and shall be ordered to be printed.

Where a public bill (not being a bill to confirm a provisional order or certificate) is ordered to be read a second time on a future day, and it appears that the standing orders relating to private business may be applicable to the bill, the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills shall be ordered to examine the bill and they shall proceed and report with all convenient speed whether the said standing orders are applicable thereto. If they find that the standing orders are applicable, they shall further report whether they have been complied with.

If the Examiners report that any standing order applicable to the bill has not been complied with, and the Standing Orders Committee report that such standing order ought not to be dispensed with, the order of the day relating to the bill shall be discharged.

If on an amendment to the question 'That a bill be now read a second time (or the third time)' it is decided that the word 'now' stand part of the question, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith declare the bill to be read a second or the third time as the case may be.

When the question has been proposed 'That a bill be now read a second (or the third) time' and the question on any amendment to leave out all the words after 'That' and insert other words has passed in the negative, the main question shall be put forthwith.

When a public bill (other than a Consolidated Fund or an Appropriation Bill, or a bill for confirming a provisional order) has been read a second time, it shall stand committed to a standing committee unless the House otherwise order.

A motion to commit a bill to a committee of the whole House or to a select committee or to a special standing committee, or a motion that it is expedient that a bill be committed to a joint committee of Lords and Commons, may be made by any Member and if made immediately after the bill has been read a second time shall not require notice, and, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

A motion to commit a bill to a standing committee in respect of some of its provisions and to a committee of the whole House in respect of other provisions may be made by the Member in charge of the bill and, if made immediately after the bill has been read a second time, shall not require notice, and may, though opposed, be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business. If such a motion is opposed, Mr. Speaker after permitting, if he thinks fit, a brief explanatory statement from the Member who makes and from a Member who opposes the motion shall, without permitting any further debate, put the question thereon.

If the question on a motion made under paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) of this order is negatived, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith declare that the bill stands committed to a standing committee.

Whenever the House is adjourned for more than one day, notices of amendments to bills, new clauses or new schedules or of amendments to Lords amendments received in the Public Bill Office at any time not later than half-past four o'clock on the last day on which the House is not sitting (excluding any Saturday, Sunday, bank holiday or public holiday in England) may be accepted as if the House were sitting.

All committees to which bills may be committed or referred for consideration on report shall have power to make such amendments therein as they shall think fit, provided they be relevant to the subject matter of the bill: but if any such amendments shall not be within the long title of the bill, they shall amend the long title accordingly, and report the same specially to the House.

Whenever an order of the day is read for the House to resolve itself into a committee on a bill, Mr. Speaker shall leave the chair without putting any question, and the House shall thereupon resolve itself into such committee, unless notice of an instruction to such committee has been given, when such instruction shall be first disposed of.

In a committee on a bill the preamble shall stand postponed until after the consideration of the clauses and of any schedules.

In a committee on a bill no questions shall be put for inserting words already printed in italics.

If, during the consideration of a bill in a committee of the whole House, the chairman is of opinion that the principle of a clause or schedule and any matters arising thereon have been adequately discussed in the course of debate on the amendments proposed thereto, he may, after the last amendment to be selected has been disposed of, state that he is of this opinion and shall then forthwith put the question 'That the clause (or, the clause, as amended) stand part of the bill' or 'That this schedule (or this schedule, as amended) be the schedule to the bill', as the case may be.

When a Member has brought up a clause in committee on a bill or on consideration of a bill on report, it shall be read the first time without any question being put, but no clause shall be offered on consideration of a bill on report without notice.

At the close of the proceedings of a committee of the whole House on a bill the chairman shall report the bill forthwith to the House, and when amendments shall have been made thereto, a day shall be appointed for taking the bill as amended into consideration, unless the House shall order it to be taken into consideration forthwith.

When the order of the day for the consideration of a bill, as amended in a committee of the whole House, has been read, the House shall proceed to consider the same without question put, unless the Member in charge thereof nominates a future day for its consideration or a motion shall be made to re-commit the bill in whole or in part.

Save as provided in Standing Order No. 92 (Consideration on report of certain bills by a standing committee) every bill committed to and reported from a standing committee, whether amended or not, shall be considered on report by the House, and the provisions of Standing Order No. 70 (Consideration of bill as amended in committee of whole House) shall apply to such consideration.

If a motion to re-commit a bill as a whole be made, Mr. Speaker shall permit a brief explanatory statement of the reasons for such re-committal from the Member who makes, and a brief statement from a Member who opposes, any such motion, and shall then put the question thereon.

Upon the consideration of a bill on report no amendment which could not have been proposed in committee without an instruction from the House may be proposed unless it has been authorised by a resolution of the House.

When a bill has been committed to a standing committee, or has been so committed in respect of some of its provisions, then, on consideration on report of the bill or such of its provisions as were so committed, the rule against speaking more than once shall not apply to the Member in charge of the bill or to the mover of any amendment or new clause in respect of that amendment or clause.

No amendments, not being merely verbal, shall be made to any bill on the third reading.

Lords amendments to public bills shall be appointed to be considered on a future day, unless the House shall order them to be considered forthwith.

When the order of the day for the consideration of Lords amendments to a public bill has been read, the House shall proceed to consider the same without question put, unless the Member in charge thereof nominates a future day for their consideration.

If Mr. Speaker is satisfied that a Lords amendment imposes a charge upon the public revenue such as is required to be authorised by resolution of the House under Standing Order No. 47 (Certain proceedings relating to public money) and that such charge has not been so authorised, on reaching that amendment, Mr. Speaker shall declare that he is so satisfied and the amendment shall be deemed to have been disagreed to and shall be so recorded in the Journal.

With respect to any bill brought to this House from the House of Lords, or returned by the House of Lords to this House, with amendments, whereby any pecuniary penalty, forfeiture, or fee shall be authorised, imposed, appropriated, regulated, varied, or extinguished, this House will not insist on its ancient and undoubted privileges in the following cases:

when the object of such pecuniary penalty or forfeiture is to secure the execution of the Act, or the punishment or prevention of offences;

where such fees are imposed in respect of benefit taken or service rendered under the Act, and in order to the execution of the Act, and are not made payable into the Consolidated Fund, or in aid of the public revenue, and do not form the ground of public accounting by the parties receiving the same, either in respect of deficit or surplus;

when such bill shall be a private bill for a local or personal Act.

The House may proceed with any public bill brought from the Lords except a bill of aids and supplies provided that-

it is so framed that no charge upon the people or upon public funds, unless it be such a charge as is defined in Standing Order No. 77 (Pecuniary penalties), is imposed or altered; and

in the case of a bill which, if it were not so framed, would have as its main object the imposition or alteration of such a charge, a Minister of the Crown has informed the Clerk at the Table of his intention to take charge of it.

The precise duration of every temporary law or enactment shall be expressed in a distinct clause or subsection of the bill.

There shall be a committee, to be called the Business Committee, consisting of the Chairman of Ways and Means, who shall be chairman of the committee, and not more than eight other Members to be nominated by Mr. Speaker in respect of each bill to which this order applies. The quorum of the committee shall be four. The committee-

shall, in the case of any bill in respect of which an order has been made by the House, allotting a specified number of days or portions of days to the consideration of the bill in committee of the whole House or on report, divide the bill into such parts as it may see fit and allot to each part so many days or portions of a day so allotted as it may consider appropriate; and

shall report its resolution (or resolutions) to the House, and on a motion being made for the consideration of such report the question thereon shall be put forthwith and on consideration of the said report the question 'That this House doth agree with the committee in its resolution (or resolutions)' shall be put forthwith and, if that question be agreed to, any such resolution shall have effect as if it were an order of the House.

Proceedings in pursuance of this sub-paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

If a motion be made by a Minister of the Crown providing for an allocation of time to any proceedings on a bill Mr. Speaker shall, not more than three hours after the commencement of the proceedings on such a motion, put any question necessary to dispose of those proceedings.

When the chairman of a committee of the whole House has been ordered to make a report to the House, he shall leave the chair without putting any question. Every such report shall be brought up without any question being put.

When the chairman of a committee of the whole House has been directed to report progress, or has left the chair to report progress in pursuance of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House), he shall, if the committee has come to any resolution, so acquaint the House before reporting progress.

Subject to the provisions of paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees), as many standing committees shall be appointed as may be necessary for the consideration of bills or other business committed or referred to a standing committee.

Subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 95 (Scottish Standing Committees), the bills committed and statutory instruments or draft statutory instruments or measures under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and instruments made under such measures referred to a standing committee shall be distributed among the committees by Mr. Speaker.

In all but one of the standing committees to which bills other than bills provided for in Standing Order No. 95 (Scottish Standing Committees) are committed or referred government bills shall have precedence.

Government bills allocated to a particular standing committee shall be considered in whatever order Her Majesty's Ministers may decide.

The chairman or chairmen of each standing committee shall be appointed by Mr. Speaker from the Chairmen's Panel.

Mr. Speaker may change the chairmen so appointed from time to time.

When more than one chairman is appointed to a standing committee any of the chairmen so appointed may exercise the powers conferred by paragraph (3) of Standing Order No. 89 (Procedure in standing committees).

The Chairmen's Panel, of which three shall be a quorum, shall have power to consider matters of procedure relating to standing committees and to report its opinion thereupon to the House from time to time.

Any Member of a standing committee may, at the request of the chairman of the committee, act as chairman for not more than a quarter of an hour on any one occasion: Provided that such Member shall not exercise the powers conferred on the chairman of a standing committee by paragraph (3) of Standing Order No. 89 (Procedure in standing committees).

Save in the case of-

the Scottish Grand Committee,

the Welsh Grand Committee,

a standing committee for the consideration of a bill on report, and

a European Standing Committee,

the Committee of Selection shall nominate not fewer than sixteen nor more than fifty Members to serve on each standing committee for the consideration of each bill allocated or referred to it, or for the consideration of statutory instruments or draft statutory instruments or measures under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and instruments made under such measures referred to it.

In nominating such Members the Committee of Selection shall have regard to the qualifications of those Members nominated and to the composition of the House, and shall have power to discharge Members from time to time and appoint others in substitution for those discharged: Provided that-

for the consideration of any public bill certified by Mr. Speaker as relating exclusively to Scotland or of a public bill (or part of a public bill) ordered to be considered by a Scottish standing committee, the committee shall be so constituted as to include not fewer than sixteen Members representing Scottish constituencies;

for the consideration of any public bill relating exclusively to Wales, the committee shall be so constituted as to include all Members sitting for constituencies in Wales.

Mr. Attorney General, the Lord Advocate, Mr. Solicitor General and Mr. Solicitor General for Scotland, or any of them, being Members of the House, though not members of a standing committee, may take part in the deliberations of the committee, but shall not vote or make any motion or move any amendment other than a motion or an amendment in a European Standing Committee under Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees) or be counted in the quorum.

In a standing committee which is to consider a bill brought in upon a ways and means resolution any Minister of the Crown, being a Member of the House, though not a member of the standing committee, may take part in the deliberations of the committee, but shall not vote or make any motion or move any amendment or be counted in the quorum.

A standing committee to which a bill or other business has been or stands committed shall meet to consider such business on the day and at the hour named by the Member appointed chairman of the committee in respect of that business. If the consideration of the business is not completed at that sitting the committee shall meet further to consider the business on such days of the week (being days on which the House sits) as may be appointed by the committee at half-past ten o'clock, unless the committee otherwise determines:

Provided that no standing committee shall sit between the hours of one o'clock and half-past three o'clock in the afternoon, except as hereinafter provided.

If a standing committee is not previously adjourned, the chairman shall adjourn the committee without putting any question at one o'clock: Provided that-

if, in the opinion of the chairman, the proceedings on a bill or other business could be brought to a final conclusion by a short extension of the sitting, he may defer adjourning the committee until a quarter past one o'clock;

if proceedings under Standing Order No. 35 (Closure of debate) be in progress at the time when the chairman is required to adjourn the committee under this paragraph, he shall not adjourn the committee until the question for the closure of debate, the question or questions consequent thereon and on any further motion as provided in that standing order, have been decided.

Except as provided in Standing Order No. 94 (Scottish Grand Committee) and Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees) the quorum of a standing committee shall be seventeen or one third of the number of its members excluding the chairman, whichever is the less; and in calculating the quorum fractions shall be counted as one.

Strangers shall be admitted to a standing committee unless the committee otherwise orders.

Any notice of an amendment to a bill which has been committed or referred to a standing committee, or of a motion relative to a European Community document or documents or an amendment thereto given under Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees) shall stand referred to the committee, and the chairman shall have the like powers as are given to Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of Ways and Means and either Deputy Chairman respectively by Standing Order No. 31 (Selection of amendments).

Standing Orders No. 28 (Powers of chair to propose question), No. 35 (Closure of debate) and No. 36 (Majority for closure or for proposal of question) shall apply to standing committees, except that the number necessary to render the majority effective for the closure or for the proposal of the question shall be the number prescribed as the quorum by paragraph (1) of this order or (in the case of European Standing Committees) by paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees).

The chairman of a standing committee shall have the like powers as are given to a chairman of a committee of the whole House under the following standing orders: No. 34 (Dilatory motion in abuse of rules of House) No. 41 (Irrelevance or repetition) No. 67 (Debate on clause or schedule standing part).

The following standing orders shall apply to standing committees: No. 107 (Quorum of select committee) No. 110 (Entry on minutes of proceedings of select committee) No. 111 (Minutes of proceedings to be laid on the Table).

On a division being called in the House or a committee of the whole House the chairman of a standing committee shall suspend the proceedings of the committee for such time as will, in his opinion, enable Members to vote in the division and return to the committee.

All standing committees shall have leave to print and circulate their proceedings with the Vote.

A motion, of which at least ten days' notice has been given, may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, that a public bill be referred to a second reading committee, and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it: Provided that no such notice shall be given until the bill has been printed and delivered to the Vote Office.

A motion, of which at least ten days' notice has been given, may with the leave of the House be made by the Member in charge of a private Member's bill at the commencement of public business on any day when private Members' bills or notices of motions have precedence under the provisions of Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business), that the said bill be referred to a second reading committee, and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith. If such a motion be agreed to, any order that the said bill be read a second time which stands on the paper for that or any subsequent day shall be discharged. No such motion shall be made before the seventh Friday on which private Members' bills have precedence and no such notice shall be given until the bill has been printed and delivered to the Vote Office.

A second reading committee shall be a standing committee.

A second reading committee shall report to the House either that it recommends that the bill ought to be read a second time or that it recommends that the bill ought not to be read a second time, and in the latter case it shall have power to state its reasons for so recommending.

When a second reading committee shall have made a report to the House in respect of a bill referred to it under paragraph (2) above, the bill shall be ordered to be read a second time upon a future day.

Upon a motion being made for the second reading of a bill reported from a second reading committee, the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

A special standing committee to which a bill has been committed shall have power, during a period not exceeding 28 days (excluding periods when the House is adjourned for more than two days) from the committal of the bill, to send for persons, papers and records, and, for this purpose, to hold up to four morning sittings of not more than three hours each. At not more than three sittings oral evidence may be given and, unless the committee otherwise orders, all such evidence shall be given in public. Oral evidence shall be printed in the Official Report of the committee's debates together with such written evidence as the committee may order to be so printed.

For the sittings referred to in paragraph (1) of this order, and notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 85 (Chairmen of standing committees), Mr Speaker may appoint any Member other than a Minister of the Crown as chairman of a special standing committee.

Except as provided in the foregoing paragraphs, the standing orders relating to standing committees and Standing Orders No. 109 (Withdrawal of documents before select committee), No. 113 (Entry of questions asked), No. 117 (Witnesses and evidence (select committees)) and No. 118 (Publication of evidence (select committees)) shall apply to any special standing committee.

The question on any motion made by a Minister of the Crown to extend the period of 28 days mentioned in paragraph (1) of this order may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

A bill which has been considered by a second reading committee or by the Scottish Grand Committee in relation to the principle of the bill may be referred for consideration on report to a standing committee or to the Scottish Grand Committee, as the case may be, upon a motion made after notice by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, and the question on such motion shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.

A standing committee to consider bills on report shall consist of not fewer than twenty nor more than eighty Members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection to serve on the committee for the consideration of each bill referred to it; and in the nomination of such Members, the Committee of Selection shall have regard to their qualifications and to the composition of the House:

Provided that, for the consideration of all public bills relating exclusively to Wales, the committee shall be so constituted as to include all Members sitting for constituencies in Wales.

Any committee to which a bill is referred under this order shall report to the House that it has considered the bill and has made amendments or has made no amendment thereunto, as the case may be; and the bill so reported shall be ordered to be read the third time upon a future day.

If, after any public bill has been printed, whether introduced in this House or brought from the House of Lords, Mr. Speaker is of opinion that its provisions relate exclusively to Scotland, he shall give a certificate to that effect: Provided that a certificate shall not be withheld by reason only that a provision of that bill amends Schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 or Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.

On the order for the second reading of any such bill being read, a motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown, ' That the bill be referred to the Scottish Grand Committee', and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith; and if, on that question being put, not fewer than ten Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.

A bill so referred to the Scottish Grand Committee shall be considered in relation to the principle of the bill, and shall be reported as having been so considered to the House and shall be ordered to be read a second time upon a future day.

On the order for the second reading of any such bill being read, a motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown, 'That the bill be committed to a Scottish Standing Committee (or a special standing committee)', and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith: Provided that this paragraph shall not apply in the case of any bill to the second reading of which notice of an amendment has been given by not fewer than six Members.

If such a motion shall have been agreed to, the bill shall be deemed to have been read a second time, and shall be committed to a Scottish Standing Committee (or a special standing committee).

Proceedings in pursuance of paragraphs (2) and (4) of this order, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

There shall be a standing committee to be called the Scottish Grand Committee which shall consider-

bills referred to it for consideration in relation to their principle under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 93 (Public bills relating exclusively to Scotland);

bills referred to it under Standing Order No. 92 (Consideration on report of certain bills by a standing committee);

Scottish estimates referred to it under Standing Order No. 96 (Scottish estimates); and

specified matters referred to it under Standing Order No. 97 (Matters relating exclusively to Scotland).

The Scottish Grand Committee shall consist of all the Members representing Scottish constituencies, of whom a quorum shall be ten.

Whenever any bill, estimate or matter has been referred to the Scottish Grand Committee, a motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown that, in the course of its consideration thereof, the Committee may meet in Edinburgh on any specified Monday at half-past ten o'clock, and the question on that motion shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it: Provided that nothing in this order shall prevent the committee from considering the same bill, estimate or matter on other days at Westminster.

For the consideration of bills certified by Mr. Speaker as relating exclusively to Scotland and committed to a standing committee or bills committed to a Scottish Standing Committee not more than two standing committees may be appointed.

Government bills shall have precedence in one such standing committee.

A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that the estimates or any part of the estimates for which the Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible be referred to the Scottish Grand Committee, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if such motion be agreed to, the Committee shall consider the estimates so referred to it in any session on at least six days in that session and shall from time to time report only that it has considered the said estimates or any of them.

A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that a specified matter or matters relating exclusively to Scotland be referred to the Scottish Grand Committee for its consideration, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if, on that question being put, not fewer than ten Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.

If such a motion be agreed to, the Scottish Grand Committee shall consider the matter or matters to it referred on not more than six days in a session, and shall report only that it has considered the said matter or matters.

There shall be a standing committee to be called the Welsh Grand Committee, which shall consider-

bills referred to it; and

such specified matters relating exclusively to Wales as may be referred to it;

and shall consist of all Members sitting for constituencies in Wales, together with not more than five other Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, which shall have power from time to time to discharge the Members so nominated by it and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged.

A motion, of which at least ten days' notice has been given, may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, that a public bill be referred to the Welsh Grand Committee, and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it:

Provided that no such notice shall be given until the bill has been printed and delivered to the Vote Office.

The Committee shall report to the House either that it recommends that the bill ought to be read a second time or that it recommends that the bill ought not to be read a second time, and in the latter case it shall have power to state its reasons for so recommending.

Upon a motion being made for the second reading of a bill reported from the Committee, the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that a specified matter or matters relating exclusively to Wales be referred to the Welsh Grand Committee for its consideration, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

If such a motion be agreed to, the Committee shall consider the matter or matters to it referred and shall report only that it has considered the said matter or matters.

There shall be a standing committee to be called the Northern Ireland Committee which shall consider such specified matters relating exclusively to Northern Ireland as may be referred to it and shall consist of all Members sitting for constituencies in Northern Ireland, together with not more than twenty-five other Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, which shall have power from time to time to discharge the Members so nominated by it and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged.

A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that a specified matter or matters relating exclusively to Northern Ireland be referred to the Northern Ireland Committee for its consideration and the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

If such a motion be agreed to, the Committee shall consider the matter or matters referred to it and shall report only that it has considered the said matter or matters.

There shall be a standing committee to be called the Standing Committee on Regional Affairs which shall consider any matter or matters relating to regional affairs in England which may be referred to it.

All Members sitting for constituencies in England shall be members of the standing committee, together with not more than five other Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, which shall have power from time to time to discharge the Members so nominated by it and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged, and the provisions of Standing Order No. 87 (Attendance of law officers and ministers in standing committees) shall not apply.

A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that a specified matter or matters relating to regional affairs in England be referred to the standing committee for its consideration, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.

The Committee shall consider the matter or matters referred to it on a motion 'That the Committee has considered the matter or matters'; and the Chairman shall put any question necessary to dispose of the proceedings on such a motion, if not previously concluded, when the Committee has sat for two and a half hours after the commencement of those proceedings; and the Committee shall thereupon report to the House that it has considered the matter or matters without any further question being put.

Six shall be the quorum of the Committee.

There shall be one or more standing committees, to be called Standing Committees on Statutory Instruments, &c., for the consideration of statutory instruments or draft statutory instruments referred to them.

Any Member, not being a member of such a standing committee, may take part in the deliberations of the committee, but shall not vote or make any motion or move any amendment or be counted in the quorum.

Where-

a Member has given notice of a motion for an humble address to Her Majesty praying that a statutory instrument be annulled, or of a motion that a draft of an Order in Council be not submitted to Her Majesty in Council, or that a statutory instrument be not made, or that the House takes note of a statutory instrument, or

A Minister of the Crown has given notice of a motion to the effect that a statutory instrument or draft statutory instrument be approved,

a motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, that the said instrument or draft instrument be referred to such a committee, and the question thereupon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, Mr. Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.

Each committee shall consider each instrument or draft instrument referred to it on a motion, 'That the committee has considered the instrument (or draft instrument)'; and the chairman shall put any question necessary to dispose of the proceedings on such a motion, if not previously concluded, when the committee shall have sat for one and a half hours (or, in the case of an instrument or draft instrument relating exclusively to Northern Ireland, two and a half hours) after the commencement of those proceedings; and the committee shall thereupon report the instrument or draft instrument to the House without any further question being put.

If any motion is made in the House of the kind specified in paragraph 3(i) or 3(ii) of this order, in relation to any instrument or draft instrument reported to the House in accordance with paragraph (4) of this order, Mr. Speaker shall put forthwith the question thereon and proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

The provisions of this order shall apply to measures under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and instruments made under such measures as if such measures and such instruments were statutory instruments; and the notice referred to in paragraph 3(ii) of this order may, in respect of such measures and instruments, have been given by any Member.

There shall be two standing committees, called European Standing Committees, to which shall stand referred for consideration on motion, unless the House otherwise orders, such European Community documents as defined in Standing Order No. 127 (Select Committee on European Legislation) as may be recommended by the Select Committee on European Legislation for further consideration.

If a motion that specified European Community documents as aforesaid shall not stand referred to a European Standing Committee is made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, the question thereon shall be put forthwith.

Each European Standing Committee shall consist of thirteen Members nominated for the duration of a Session by the Committee of Selection; and in nominating such Members, the Committee of Selection shall-

have regard to the qualifications of the Members nominated and to the composition of the House; and

have power to discharge Members from time to time, and to appoint others in substitution.

The quorum of a European Standing Committee shall be three, excluding the chairman.

Any Member, though not nominated to a European Standing Committee, may take part in the committee's proceedings, but such Member shall not make any motion, vote or be counted in the quorum; provided that a Minister of the Crown who is a Member of this House but not nominated to the committee may make a motion as provided in paragraphs (7) and (8) below; and the Government may appoint the precedence of notices of motion to be considered in each committee.

The European Standing Committees, and the principal subject matter of the European Community documents to be referred to each, shall be as set out below; and in making recommendations for further consideration, the Select Committee on European Legislation shall specify the committee to which in its opinion the documents ought to be referred; and subject to paragraph (2) of this Order, the documents shall be referred to that Committee accordingly.

The chairman may permit a Minister of the Crown to make a statement and to answer questions thereon put by Members, in respect of each motion relative to a European Community document or documents referred to a European Standing Committee of which a Minister shall have given notice; but no question shall be taken after the expiry of a period of one hour from the commencement of the said statement.

Following the conclusion of the proceedings under the previous paragraph, the motion referred to therein may be made, to which amendments may be moved; and, if proceedings thereon have not been previously concluded, the chairman shall interrupt the consideration of such motion and amendments when the committee shall have sat for a period of two and a half hours, and shall then put forthwith successively:

the question on any amendment already proposed from the chair; and

the main question (or the main question, as amended).

The committee shall thereupon report to the House any resolution to which it has come, without any further question being put.

If any motion is made in the House in relation to any European Community document in respect of which a resolution has been reported to the House in accordance with paragraph (8) of this Order, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith put successively-

the question on any amendment selected by him which may be moved;

the main question (or the main question, as amended);

and proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

With the modifications provided in this Order, the following Standing Orders shall apply to European Standing Committees: No. 85 (Chairman of standing committees); No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees); and No. 89 (Procedure in standing committees).

Whenever an order has been made by the House allocating time to the proceedings of a standing committee on any bill which has been allocated or committed to it, the order shall stand referred to that committee, and shall be considered by a sub-committee thereof to be called the business sub-committee.

A business sub-committee shall consist of the chairman or one of the chairmen of the committee (who shall be chairman of the sub-committee) and seven members of the committee, to be nominated by Mr. Speaker as soon as may be after such an order has been made; the quorum of the sub-committee shall be four, of whom the chairman so nominated shall be one; and the sub-committee shall have power to report from time to time to the committee.

A sub-committee shall report to the committee its resolutions upon-

the number of sittings to be allotted to the consideration of the bill;

the allocation of the proceedings to each sitting; and

the time at which any proceedings, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion.

All such resolutions shall be reported to the committee at the commencement of the next sitting of the committee and shall be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of the committee.

Whenever a sub-committee has made a report to the committee, the Member in charge of the bill may forthwith move 'That this committee do agree with the business sub-committee in its resolution (or resolutions)'; and the question on such a motion shall be put forthwith.

If the question is agreed to, the resolution (or resolutions) shall have effect as though included in the order aforesaid, but if it is negatived the resolution (or resolutions) shall stand re-committed to the business sub-committee.

Any Member intending to propose that certain Members be members of a select committee, or be discharged from a select committee, shall give notice of the names of Members whom he intends so to propose, shall endeavour to ascertain previously whether each such Member will give his attendance on the committee, and shall endeavour to give notice to any Member whom he proposes to be discharged from the committee.

No motion shall be made for the nomination of members of select committees appointed under Standing Order No. 130 (Select committees related to government departments), or for their discharge, unless-

notice of the motion has been given at least two sitting days previously, and

the motion is made on behalf of the Committee of Selection by the chairman or another member of the committee.

Lists shall be fixed in some conspicuous place in the Committee Office and in the lobby of the House of all Members serving on each select committee.

All committees, other than committees of the whole House, shall have leave to sit at any time on any day on which the House sits, but may not otherwise sit during any adjournment of the House, without the leave of the House, and such leave shall not be moved for without notice.

A select committee may not proceed to business unless a quorum be present; and if at any time during the sitting of a select committee a quorum shall not be present, the clerk of the committee shall bring this fact to the notice of the chairman, who shall thereupon suspend the proceedings of the committee until a quorum be present, or adjourn the committee.

In determining whether the requisite number of Members is present to form the quorum the chairman shall be counted.

A select committee shall have power, if it so orders, to admit strangers during the examination of witnesses.

A sub-committee appointed by such a select committee shall have a like power except as that committee otherwise orders.

No document received by the clerk of a select committee shall be withdrawn or altered without the knowledge and approval of the committee.

The names of the Members present at each sitting of a select committee and, if a division takes place, the name of the proposer of the motion or amendment, the question put, and the respective votes thereupon of the Members present shall be entered on the minutes of the proceedings of the committee.

The minutes of the proceedings of a select committee shall be laid on the Table of the House during the session to which they relate, unless the committee proposes to bring them up with a report in a following session of the same Parliament.

The names of Members present at each sitting of a select committee shall be entered on the minutes of evidence, if any.

To every question or series of questions asked of a witness under examination in the proceedings of a select committee, and at the beginning of each page of the minutes of evidence, there shall be prefixed the name of the inquiring Member.

Any oath taken or affirmation made by any witness before a select committee may be administered by the chairman, or by the clerk attending such committee.

Every select committee shall have leave to report to the House its opinion and observations upon any matters referred to it for its consideration, together with the minutes of the evidence taken before it, and also to make a special report of any matters which it may think fit to bring to the notice of the House.

All select committees shall have power to authorise the Clerk of the House to supply copies of their reports to officers of government departments, to such witnesses who have given evidence to committees or to their sub-committees as those committees consider appropriate, to lobby journalists, and to such other press representatives as the committee thinks fit, after those reports have been laid upon the Table but not more than forty-eight hours before the intended time of publication of such reports.

All select committees having power to send for persons, papers and records shall have power to publish the names of persons who have appeared as witnesses before them, and to authorise the publication by the witnesses concerned or otherwise of memoranda of evidence submitted by them.

Mr. Speaker shall have power to authorise such publication in the case of any such select committee which is no longer in existence.

When evidence has been given before a select committee meeting in public, no complaint of privilege will be entertained on the ground that it has been published before having been reported to the House.

Whenever the House stands adjourned for more than two days, and any select committee having power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House shall have agreed to a report, or shall have resolved that its minutes of proceedings should be printed or that the minutes of evidence taken before it or before any sub-committee appointed by it or any papers laid before it should be reported to the House and printed, it shall have power to direct the printing of such report, minutes or papers, and such printing shall be under the authority of the House; and any such reports, minutes or papers shall be deemed to have been reported to the House and shall be laid upon the Table when the House next sits.

Any Member requested by a committee appointed by the Lords to attend as a witness before it or before any sub-committee appointed by it shall have the leave of this House so to attend, if the Member think fit.

There shall be a Committee of Privileges.

The Committee of Privileges shall consist of seventeen Members.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records.

The quorum of the committee shall be six.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee to be called the Committee of Public Accounts for the examination of the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before Parliament as the committee may think fit, to consist of not more than fifteen Members, of whom four shall be a quorum. The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to report from time to time, and to adjourn from place to place.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee, to consist of twelve Members, to join with the committee appointed by the Lords as the Joint Committee on Consolidation, &c., Bills to consider-

consolidation bills, whether public or private;

Statute Law Revision Bills;

bills prepared pursuant to the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949, together with any memoranda laid pursuant to that Act and any representations made with respect thereto;

bills to consolidate any enactments with amendments to give effect to recommendations made by one or both of the Law Commissions, together with any report containing such recommendations;

bills prepared by one or both of the Law Commissions to promote the reform of the statute law by the repeal, in accordance with Law Commission recommendations, of certain enactments which (except in so far as their effect is preserved) are no longer of practical utility, whether or not they make other provision in connection with the repeal of those enactments, together with any Law Commission report on any such bill; and

any Order in Council laid or laid in draft before the House where an affirmative resolution is required before it is made, or is a condition of its continuance in operation, and which but for the provisions of the Northern Ireland Act 1974 would, in the opinion of the Committee, have been enacted by a consolidation bill, whether public or private, or by a Statute Law Revision Bill.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; and to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House.

Two shall be the quorum of the committee.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

A select committee shall be appointed to join with a committee appointed by the Lords to consider-

every instrument which is laid before each House of Parliament and upon which proceedings may be or might have been taken in either House of Parliament, in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, being-

a statutory instrument, or a draft statutory instrument;

a scheme, or an amendment of a scheme, or a draft thereof, requiring approval by statutory instrument;

any other instrument (whether or not in draft), where the proceedings in pursuance of an Act of Parliament are proceedings by way of an affirmative resolution; or

an order subject to special parliamentary procedure;

but excluding any Order in Council or draft Order in Council made or proposed to be made under paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974;

every general statutory instrument not within the foregoing classes, and not required to be laid before or to be subject to proceedings in this House only, but not including measures under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and instruments made under such measures:

with a view to determining whether the special attention of the House should be drawn to it on any of the following grounds:

that it imposes a charge on the public revenues or contains provisions requiring payments to be made to the Exchequer or any government department or to any local or public authority in consideration of any licence or consent or of any services to be rendered, or prescribes the amount of any such charge or payment;

that it is made in pursuance of any enactment containing specific provisions excluding it from challenge in the courts, either at all times or after the expiration of a specific period;

that it purports to have retrospective effect where the parent statute confers no express authority so to provide;

that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay in the publication or in the laying of it before Parliament;

that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay in sending a notification under the proviso to section 4(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946, where an instrument has come into operation before it has been laid before Parliament;

that there appears to be a doubt whether it is intra vires or that it appears to make some unusual or unexpected use of the powers conferred by the statute under which it is made;

that for any special reason its form or purport calls for elucidation;

that its drafting appears to be defective;

or on any other ground which does not impinge on its merits or on the policy behind it; and to report its decision with the reasons thereof in any particular case.

The quorum of the committee shall be two.

The committee shall have power to appoint one or more sub-committees severally to join with any sub-committee or sub-committees appointed by the committee appointed by the Lords; and to refer to such sub-committee or sub-committees any of the matters referred to the committee.

The committee and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have the assistance of the Counsel to Mr. Speaker and, if their Lordships think fit, of the Counsel to the Lord Chairman of Committees.

The committee shall have power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House and to report from time to time, and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House.

The committee and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have power to require any government department concerned to submit a memorandum explaining any instrument which may be under its consideration or to depute a representative to appear before it as a witness for the purpose of explaining any such instrument.

The committee and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have power to take evidence, written or oral, from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, relating to the printing and publication of any instrument.

The committee shall have power to report to the House from time to time any memorandum submitted to it or other evidence taken before it or any sub-committee appointed by it from any government department in explanation of any instruments.

It shall be an instruction to the committee that before reporting that the special attention of the House be drawn to any instrument the committee do afford to any government department concerned therewith an opportunity of furnishing orally or in writing to it or to any sub-committee appointed by it such explanations as the department think fit.

It shall be an instruction to the committee that it shall consider any instrument which is directed by Act of Parliament to be laid before and to be subject to proceedings in this House only, being-

a statutory instrument, or a draft of a statutory instrument;

a scheme, or an amendment to a scheme, or a draft thereof, requiring approval by statutory instrument; or

any other instrument (whether or not in draft), where the proceedings in pursuance of an Act of Parliament are proceedings by way of an affirmative resolution;

and that it have power to draw such instruments to the special attention of the House on any of the grounds on which the Joint Committee is empowered so to draw the special attention of the House; and that in considering any such instrument the committee do not join with the committee appointed by the Lords.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee to advise Mr. Speaker on the control of the accommodation and services in that part of the Palace of Westminster and its precincts occupied by or on behalf of the House of Commons, and to report thereon to the House.

The committee shall consist of twenty Members.

The quorum of the committee shall be five.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place and to report from time to time.

The committee shall have power to invite any specially qualified person, whom it may select, to attend any of its meetings in an advisory capacity on any architectural or related matters.

The committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer to such sub-committees any of the matters referred to the committee.

The quorum of every such sub-committee shall be two.

Every such sub-committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, subject to the approval of the committee, and to report to the committee from time to time.

The committee shall have power to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken before sub-committees.

Any sub-committee which may be appointed to deal with the organisation of, and the provision of services in, the Library shall have the assistance of the Librarian.

Any sub-committee which may be appointed to consider the organisation of the services in the Refreshment Department shall have power to appoint specialist advisers for the purpose of particular inquiries, either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the sub-committee's order of reference.

Any sub-committee on computers that may be appointed shall have power to join with any sub-committee thereon that may be appointed by the Select Committee of the House of Lords on House of Lords Offices and to appoint specialist advisers either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity relating to the matter referred to it.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee to examine the reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, of the Health Service Commissioners for England, Scotland and Wales and of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration for Northern Ireland, which are laid before this House, and matters in connection therewith; and the committee shall consist of nine Members of whom the quorum shall be three.

The committee shall have power-

to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, and to report from time to time; and

to appoint specialist advisers to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the committee's order of reference.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee, to be called the Select Committee on European Legislation, to examine European Community documents and-

to report its opinion on the legal and political importance of each such document and, where it considers appropriate, to report also on the reasons for its opinion and on any matters of principle, policy or law which may be affected;

to make recommendations for the further consideration of any such document pursuant to Standing Order No. 102 (European Standing Committees); and

to consider any issue arising upon any such document or group of documents.

The expression 'European Community documents' means-

any proposal under the Community Treaties for legislation by the Council of Ministers;

any document which is published for submission to the European Council or the Council of Ministers

any document (not falling within (ii) above) which is published by one Community institution for or with a view to submission to another Community institution and which does not relate exclusively to consideration of any proposal for legislation;

any other document relating to European Community matters deposited in the House by a Minister of the Crown.

The committee shall consist of sixteen Members.

The committee and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have the assistance of the Counsel to Mr. Speaker.

The committee shall have the power to appoint specialist advisers for the purpose of particular inquiries, either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the committee's order of reference.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House; to adjourn from place to place; and to report from time to time.

The quorum of the committee shall be five.

The committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer to such sub-committees any of the matters referred to the committee.

Every such sub-committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House; to adjourn from place to place; and to report to the committee from time to time.

The committee shall have power to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken before such sub-committees.

The quorum of every such sub-committee shall be two.

The committee or any sub-committee appointed by it shall have leave to confer and to meet concurrently with any committee of the Lords on the European Communities or any sub-committee of that committee for the purposes of deliberating and of examining witnesses.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

There shall be a select committee to examine the arrangements made for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests; to consider any proposals made by Members or others as to the form and contents of the Register; to consider any specific complaints made in relation to the registering or declaring of interests; to consider what classes of person (if any) other than Members ought to be required to register; and to make recommendations upon these and other matters which are relevant.

The committee shall consist of thirteen Members.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House; and to report from time to time.

The quorum of the committee shall be five.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

Select committees shall be appointed to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the principal government departments set out in paragraph (2) of this order and associated public bodies, and similar matters within the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The committees appointed under paragraph (1) of this order, the principal departments of government with which they are concerned, the maximum numbers of each committee and the quorum in each case shall be as follows:

The Foreign Affairs Committee, the Home Affairs Committee and the Treasury and Civil Service Committee shall each have the power to appoint one sub-committee.

There may be a sub-committee, drawn from the membership of two or more of the Energy, Environment, Trade and Industry, Scottish Affairs, Transport, and Treasury and Civil Service Committees, set up from time to time to consider any matter affecting two or more nationalised industries.

Select committees appointed under this order shall have power-

to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, and to report from time to time;

to appoint specialist advisers either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the committee's order of reference;

to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken before sub-committees;

to communicate to any other such committee its evidence and any other documents relating to matters of common interest; and

to meet concurrently with any other such committee for the purposes of deliberating, taking evidence, or considering draft reports;

and the sub-committees appointed under this order shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, and to adjourn from place to place, and shall have a quorum of three.

Unless the House otherwise orders, all Members nominated to a committee appointed under this order shall continue to be members of that committee for the remainder of the Parliament.

A select committee shall be appointed, to be called the Liaison Committee-

to consider general matters relating to the work of select committees, and

to give such advice relating to the work of select committees as may be sought by the House of Commons Commission.

The committee shall report its recommendations as to the allocation of time for consideration by the House of the estimates on any day or half day which may be allotted for that purpose; and upon a motion being made that the House do agree with any such report the question shall be put forthwith and, if that question is agreed to, the recommendations shall have effect as if they were orders of the House:

Proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.

The committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, and to report from time to time.

Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

The quorum of the committee shall be six.

Every Member offering to present a petition to the House, not being a petition for a private bill, or relating to a private bill before the House, shall confine himself to a statement of the parties from whom it comes, the number of signatures attached to it, and the material allegations contained in it, and to reading the prayer of such petition.

Every petition presented under Standing Order No. 132 (Presentation of petitions) not containing matter in breach of the privileges of this House, and which according to the rules or usual practice of this House can be received, shall be brought to the Table-

on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, after a member of the government shall have signified his intention to move 'That this House do now adjourn', for the purpose of bringing the sitting to a conclusion, or after a Minister of the Crown shall have signified his intention to move, pursuant to Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings of the House (suspending sittings)) 'That the proceedings of this day's sitting be suspended', and

on Fridays, at the commencement of public business, provided that petitions remaining to be presented at ten o'clock on a Friday on which private Members' bills or Motions have precedence under Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business) shall stand over and may be brought to the Table after a member of the government shall have signified his intention to move 'That this House do now adjourn', for the purpose of bringing the sitting to a conclusion.

Proceedings under paragraph (1)(a) and (1)(b) of this Order shall not be interrupted at ten o'clock or at half past two o'clock respectively.

Mr Speaker shall not allow any debate, or any Member to speak upon, or in relation to, such petition; but it may be read by the Clerk if required.

In the case of a petition presented under Standing Order No. 132 (Presentation of petitions) and complaining of some present personal grievance, for which there may be an urgent necessity for providing an immediate remedy, the matter contained in such petition may be brought into discussion on the presentation thereof and proceedings under this order shall not be interrupted at ten o'clock and may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour.

All petitions presented under Standing Order No. 132 (Presentation of petitions), and not proceeded with under Standing Order No. 134 (Petition as to present personal grievance), shall be ordered to lie upon the Table and to be printed, and the Clerk of the House shall transmit all such petitions to a Minister of the Crown and any observations made by a Minister or Ministers in reply to such petitions shall be laid upon the Table by the Clerk of the House and shall be ordered to be printed.

Petitions against any resolution or bill imposing a tax or duty for the current service of the year shall be henceforth received, and the usage under which the House has refused to entertain such petitions shall be discontinued.

If, during the existence of a Parliament, papers are commanded by Her Majesty to be presented to this House at any time, the delivery of such papers to the Votes and Proceedings Office shall be deemed to be for all purposes the presentation of them to this House.

Where, under any Act of Parliament, a statutory instrument is required to be laid before Parliament, or before this House, the delivery of a copy of such instrument to the Votes and Proceedings Office on any day during the existence of a Parliament shall be deemed to be for all purposes the laying of it before the House: Provided that nothing in this order shall apply to any statutory instrument being an order which is subject to special parliamentary procedure or to any other instrument which is required to be laid before Parliament, or before this House, for any period before it comes into operation.

When any communication has been received by Mr. Speaker, drawing attention to the fact that copies of any statutory instrument have yet to be laid before Parliament, and explaining why such copies have not been so laid before the instrument came into operation, Mr. Speaker shall thereupon lay such communication upon the Table of the House.

Any oath taken or affirmation made by any witness before the House, or a committee of the whole House, may be administered by the Clerk.

The Serjeant at Arms attending this House shall take into his custody any stranger whom he may see, or who may be reported to him to be, in any part of the House or gallery appropriated to the Members of this House, and also any stranger who, having been admitted into any other part of the House or gallery, shall misconduct himself, or shall not withdraw when strangers are directed to withdraw, while the House, or any committee of the whole House, is sitting.

The power conferred upon the Serjeant at Arms by paragraph (1) of this order may, if the chairman so directs, be exercised in respect of strangers present at sittings of select and standing committees.

No Member of this House shall presume to bring any stranger into any part of the House or gallery appropriated to the Members of this House while the House, or a committee of the whole House, is sitting.

If at any sitting of the House, or in a committee of the whole House, any Member shall take notice that strangers are present, Mr. Speaker, or the chairman (as the case may be), shall forthwith put the question, 'That strangers do withdraw,' and such question, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business: Provided that Mr. Speaker or the chairman may, whenever he thinks fit, order the withdrawal of strangers from any part of the House.

An order that strangers do withdraw shall not apply to members of the House of Lords.

To prevent the intercepting or losing of letters directed to Members of this House, the postmaster of the House or other persons appointed by the Post Office shall attend daily (Sundays excepted) for the delivery and redirection of all letters arriving in course of post and shall take care, during their stay there, to deliver the same to the several Members to whom they shall be directed, or to their known servant or servants, or other persons bringing notes under the hands of the Members sending for the same.

The said officers shall, upon their going away, lock up such letters as shall remain undelivered.

When any letter or packet directed to this House shall come to Mr. Speaker, he shall open the same; and acquaint the House, at its next sitting, with the contents thereof, if proper to be communicated to this House.