Glossary

Abstain: To abstain is to refuse to vote either for or against a motion. In the House of Commons and the House of Lords no official record is kept of those who choose to abstain when there is a division.; See also: Motions
Acts of Parliament: An Act of Parliament (also called a statute) is a law made by the UK Parliament. All Acts start as bills introduced in either the Commons or the Lords. When a bill has been agreed by both Houses of Parliament and has been given Royal Assent by the Monarch, it becomes an Act. Acts are known as ‘primary legislation’ because they do not depend on other legislative authority.; See also: Bills, Primary legislation, Statute
Adjournment debates: Adjournment debates are held on the motion 'that the House (or sitting) do now adjourn'. The term refers to the short, half-hour debate that takes place at the end of each day's sitting in the House of Commons.; See also: Adjournment motions
Adjournment motions: An adjournment motion is literally a motion: 'That this House (or sitting) do now adjourn'. In the Commons, however, debates on adjournment motions have covered almost every imaginable topic. This is because they have conventionally been used as a device to enable the House to discuss a particular issue in general terms and without needing to make a specific decision at the end. Nowadays these general debates often take place on the motion: 'That this House has considered [a specific issue]'. In the House of Lords, general debates can take place on a 'motion to take note' of a particular matter, or by tabling a Question for Short Debate.
Affirmation: Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are required to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown before they take their seats in Parliament after a general election or by-election and after the death of the monarch. Any MP or Member of the House of Lords who objects to swearing an oath can make a solemn Affirmation, which omits the religious references, instead. This process is known as swearing in.
Affirmative procedure: Affirmative procedure is a type of parliamentary procedure that applies to statutory instruments (SIs). Its name describes the form of scrutiny that the SI receives from Parliament. An SI laid under the affirmative procedure must be actively approved by both Houses of Parliament. Certain SIs on financial matters are only considered by the Commons.; See also: Negative procedure, Statutory Instruments
Allocation of time motions: Allocation of time or 'guillotine' motions have been used by governments to limit the amount of time that MPs can spend debating a particular stage of a Bill in the House of Commons. In recent years these have been replaced by Programme motions which set out a more detailed timetable for each stage of a Government Bill in the Commons and are moved as soon as a Bill has passed its Second reading. There is no equivalent in the House of Lords where the government cannot limit debating time.; See also: Programme motion
Allowances: Allowances are sums of money paid by the House of Lords to its members in place of a salary, to help cover their work-related costs. Until 2010, members of the House of Commons could also claim some work-related allowances. MPs' business costs and expenses are now reimbursed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
All-party parliamentary groups
APPGs: All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country. While they are not official parliamentary committees these groups can sometimes be influential because of their non-partisan, bicameral approach to an issue.
Amendments: An amendment is a change to the wording of a Bill or a motion that is proposed by an MP or member of the House of Lords. Consideration of Amendments is the name for what is often the final stage of Bill. When a Bill has been passed by one House but then is amended by the other House, those amendments must be considered by the first House. There may be some to-ing and fro-ing between the Houses before a final version of the Bill is agreed.; See also: Table (tabling), Manuscript amendments
Another place: Another place (or the other place) is a term used to describe the other House in Parliament. By convention, members of the Lords do not mention the Commons by name - and MPs do not refer directly to the House of Lords - when they are speaking in the Chamber.
Aye and No Lobbies
Content and Not Content Lobbies: The corridors to the left and right of the Chamber in both Houses are used as division lobbies when either House divides for a vote. Members cast their vote by walking through either one lobby or the other and are counted as they do so. The lobby to the right of each Chamber - from the perspective of where the Speakers of either House sit - is always used for those voting in favour; the lobby to the left for those voting against. These corridors are known as the Aye and No Lobbies in the Commons and the Content and Not Content Lobbies in the Lords, due to the different terms used by each House.
Backbench (backbenchers): Backbenchers are MPs or members of the House of Lords that are neither government ministers nor opposition Shadow spokespeople . They are so called because, in the Chamber, they sit in the rows of benches behind their parties' spokespeople who are known as frontbenchers. In the Commons, the Backbench Business Committee chooses the subjects that are debated in the time set aside for topics raised by backbench MPs.; See also: Frontbench (frontbenchers)
Ballot Bills: Ballot Bills are a type of Private Members' Bill used in the House of Commons. At the start of each new parliamentary year, backbench MPs are invited to enter their names into a ballot. The few MPs who are lucky in the draw may each bring in a Bill of their choosing, known as a Ballot Bill. Ballot Bills take priority over other Private Members' Bills when time is allocated for debates and so have a better chance of becoming law. In the Lords, a Private Members' Bill ballot takes place at the start of a session to decide the order in which the first 25 Private Members' Bills will be introduced.; See also: Bills, Backbench (backbenchers)
Bar of the House: The Bar of the House marks the boundary of the Chamber beyond which guests and visitors may not pass when either House is at work. In the House of Commons the Bar of the House is represented now by a white line on the floor across the width of the Chamber. In the House of Lords it is marked by a railing.
Baron: The British Peerage has five ranks or grades. Baron is the fifth and lowest of the ranks. Baron is a title that was created and first given to John Beauchamp de Holt in 1387.; See also: Hereditary Peers
Baroness: A Baroness is a female member of the House of Lords, equivalent in rank to Baron.; See also: Baron
Bicameral system: Bicameral literally means 'two-Chamber'. A bicameral parliament is one that contains two separate assemblies who must both agree when new laws are made. The UK Parliament is bicameral because both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are involved in making legislation. Parliaments with only one Chamber are described as unicameral.
Bills: A bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to significantly change an existing law. A bill may start in either the Commons or the Lords and must pass a series of stages in each Houses. Once the bill has been agreed by both Houses, it receives Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament.; See also: Acts of Parliament
Bishops: As senior members of the Church of England, which is the established church, some bishops are entitled to sit in the House of Lords. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester and 21 other bishops in order of seniority together form the Lords Spiritual.
Black Rod: The Lady or Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod is known as Black Rod. He or she is a senior official in the House of Lords, responsible for controlling access to the House of Lords and organising major ceremonial occasions. Black Rod’s deputy is the Yeoman Usher.; See also: Yeoman Usher
Budget (Finance Bill): The Budget is the statement (and supporting documents) delivered to the House of Commons each year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer which sets out the state of the nation's finances and any planned changes to taxation and spending. The proposals announced in the Budget then form the basis of the annual Finance Bill.; See also: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Business motions: A business motion is a proposal to change the order or timing of events in either House.; See also: Motions
Business Questions: Business Questions are the oral questions to the Leader of the House that MPs are allowed to ask, directly after the Leader has announced the forthcoming business in the House of Commons, each week on a Thursday. They are often used by MPs to ask the Government to make time for a debate on a specific issue.; See also: Questions (Parliamentary)
By-elections: A by-election is an election that takes place if a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant between one General Election and the next. If, for example, an MP dies, is recalled or becomes ineligible to sit during a Parliament, an election is held in the affected constituency to choose a replacement. This is known as a by-election.
Cabinet: The Cabinet is the team of 20 or so most senior ministers in the Government who are chosen by the Prime Minister to lead on specific policy areas such as Health, Transport, Foreign Affairs or Defence.
Carry-over motions/Bills: A carry-over motion allows a Public Bill to continue its progress from one parliamentary year (session) into the next. Public Bills that have not been passed by the end of the session in which they were introduced will otherwise fail.
Catching the Speaker's eye: Catching the Speaker's eye describes the way in which MPs let the Speaker know that they want to speak during a debate or question time in the House of Commons. MPs may speak only if they are called to do so by the Speaker. MPs attract the attention of the Speaker by standing up briefly every time the next MP is about to be called.; See also: Speaker (The)
Censure motion: A 'motion of censure' is one that seeks to criticise the behaviour of the government: typically, the motion is critical of a specific government policy, or of the conduct of particular government minister.; See also: Motions, Confidence motion
Chairman of Ways and Means: The Chairman of Ways and Means is the principal Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons. As well as deputising for the Speaker they have specific responsibilities such as chairing Committees of the whole House, coordinating the sittings in Westminster Hall and oversight of all matters connected with Private Bills.; See also: Committee of the whole House, Private Bills, Speaker (The)
Chamber: The Chamber is where the main business of the day takes place in each House. It is where all members meet to hear important announcements and to take decisions as a whole House.
Chancellor of the Exchequer: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the government's chief finance minister and one of the most senior members of the Cabinet. They are responsible for setting levels of taxation and public spending across the UK and announce changes to these each year in the annual Budget statement. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has overall responsibility for HM Treasury.; See also: Budget (Finance Bill)
Chiltern Hundreds and the Manor of Northstead: The Steward and Bailiffs of the Chiltern Hundreds and of the Manor of Northstead were positions traditionally paid for by the Crown. In modern times they are unpaid, formal titles that are applied for when an MP needs to disqualify themselves from the Commons. An elected MP has no right to resign: unless they die or are expelled they must become disqualified if they wish to retire before the end of a Parliament. By law, taking on one of these titles immediately bars a person from being an MP.
Church of England measures: Church of England measures are laws with the same force and effect as Acts of Parliament, but which relate to the administration and organisation of the Church. They are made by the General Synod and require Parliament’s approval to come into force. Draft measures are considered by the Ecclesiastical Committee, formed of MPs and members of the House of Lords. If the Committee approves a draft, the measure is presented to both Houses for approval and then – if approval is granted – to the monarch for Royal Assent.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Royal Assent
Clauses: A clause is part of a Bill. A Bill is made up of individual clauses which may be debated separately in Parliament. Any clause can be removed or amended - and new clauses may be added - before a Bill is passed. If a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament its clauses become the sections of the Act.; See also: Amendments, Acts of Parliament
Clerk of the House: The Clerk of the House is the most senior official of the Commons and advises the House on its practice and procedure. The Clerk is politically impartial and sits at the Table of the House between the Government and Opposition frontbenches.
Clerk of the Parliaments: The Clerk of the Parliaments is the most senior official in the House of Lords. The position is like that of a Chief Executive and is responsible for employing staff in the House of Lords, advising the Lord Speaker and the Leader of the House and on the accuracy of the text of Acts.
Closure motions: A closure motion is a proposal that the Commons or Lords should stop debating and make a decision on the matter being discussed. It may be moved at any time during proceedings.; See also: Motions
Coalition government: A coalition government is a government formed jointly by more than one political party. Parties may decide to form a coalition government if there is a hung parliament where no single party has a clear working majority in the House of Commons following a General Election.; See also: Minority government
Code of Conduct for Members of the Lords: Members of the Lords are required to sign up to the Code of Conduct as part of the introduction on joining the House of Lords and the swearing-in process at the start of a new Parliament. The Code of Conduct provides guidance to Members of the House of Lords on the standards of conduct expected of them in their parliamentary and public duties. The Code requires Members to register all relevant financial and non-financial interests. The interests are published in the regularly updated Register of Lords Interests.
Code of Conduct for MPs: The Code of Conduct for MPs sets out the standards of behaviour expected of Members of Parliament as they carry out their work. The Code also contains the rules concerning the additional income, gifts and personal interests that must be declared by MPs and published in the Register of Members' Interests.
Coming into force: Although a bill, draft measure or statutory instrument may become law on a particular day, it may not have legal effect until sometime later. In these cases, the law does not operate in practice until it ‘comes into force’ (also called ‘coming into effect’). This may happen automatically on a date identified in the legislation, or the law may be brought into force by ministers (or others to whom Parliament have given this power) at their discretion, using secondary legislation.; See also: Commencement regulations, Statutory Instruments
Command Papers: Command Papers are Government publications that are presented to Parliament "by command of His/Her Majesty" and are numbered in sequence.
Commencement regulations: Commencement regulations are statutory instruments that brings into force part or all of another piece of legislation at a date later than the date it became law. Formerly ‘commencement orders’.; See also: Coming into force, Statutory Instruments
Committal motions: A Committal motion is a proposal that a Bill should next be considered by a committee.
Committee of Selection: In the Commons the Committee of Selection chooses which MPs will serve on most of the committees of the House, including all public and private bill committees and delegated legislation committees. Their nominations must be approved by the Commons as a whole, and may be challenged. The membership is chosen on a Wednesday and published on a Thursday in Votes and Proceedings. Votes and Proceedings form part of the daily business papers. The Committee of Selection in the House of Lords has a similar role but only selects members for Private Bill Committees.
Committee of the whole House: A Committee of the whole House is sometimes used instead of a Public Bill Committee for some or all of a Bill's committee stage in the Commons. It takes place in the main chamber and allows all MPs to take part in the debate and to vote on the Bill's contents. When the House sits as a committee it is chaired by the Deputy Speaker from a seat at the Table of the House. Committees of the whole House are favoured for Bills of constitutional or ethical importance and for parts of the annual Finance Bill.; See also: Committee stage
Committee stage: Committee stage is where a Bill is considered line-by-line and is normally the next stage after a Bill's second reading. It is an opportunity for changes to be made to the wording or for new clauses to be added. In the Commons this task is normally done by a small number of MPs in a Public Bill Committee. Occasionally it is done in the Chamber by a Committee of the whole House, as is usual in the Lords.; See also: Committee of the whole House
Confidence motion: A motion of no confidence is a motion moved in the House of Commons expressing lack of confidence in the government or a specific minister. Having the confidence of the House of Commons has been seen as central to a government's authority to govern in the UK. Traditionally, governments that have lost a confidence vote have either resigned in favour of an alternative administration, or the Prime Minister has requested a dissolution from the Queen, triggering a general election.; See also: Motions
Consolidated Fund: The Consolidated Fund is the Government's general bank account at the Bank of England. Payments from this account must be authorised in advance by the House of Commons. The Government presents its 'requests' to use this money in the form of Consolidated Fund Bills.
Consolidation Bills: Consolidation Bills bring together a number of existing Acts of Parliament on the same subject into one Act without changing the law in any way. They are used as a way of tidying-up areas of statute law that have become fragmented over time. For this reason Consolidation Bills are normally passed by Parliament with little or no debate.
Constituencies (Constituents): A constituency is the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP in the House of Commons. People who live in an MP's constituency are known as their constituents.
Constitution: A constitution is the set of principles and rules by which a country is organised and it is usually contained in one document. In the UK a constitution has never been codified in this way; instead, the various statutes, conventions, judicial decisions and treaties which, taken together, govern how the UK is run are referred to collectively as the British Constitution.
Consultation paper: Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government. The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to give the department feedback on its policy or legislative proposals. Copies of consultation documents such as Green Papers are available on the related departmental websites.; See also: White Papers
Contempt: Contempt of privilege is a term used to describe any act - or failure to act - that may prevent or hinder the work of either House of Parliament. A more specific offence against parliamentary privilege is known as a breach of privilege.; See also: Parliamentary privilege
Conventions: A convention is an unwritten understanding about how something in Parliament should be done which, although not legally enforceable, is almost universally observed. Occasionally a new convention is agreed in order to resolve a specific procedural issue that has arisen.; See also: Sewel Convention, Salisbury Doctrine
Cranborne money: Short money is the common name given to the financial assistance for Opposition parties in the House of Commons. It is named after Edward Short who first proposed the payments. Cranborne money is a similar scheme in the House of Lords, named after former Leader of the House of Lords, Viscount Cranborne.
Crossbench Convenor: In the House of Lords, the Crossbench Convener is a Member of the Crossbenchers elected to act on behalf of the Crossbench Peers, ie to call their weekly meetings, attend other meetings on their behalf and provide information on Parliamentary business.; See also: Crossbench Peers
Crossbench Peers: Crossbench Peers are non-party political and by tradition sit on the benches that cross the chamber of the House of Lords.; See also: Peer (member of the House of Lords)
Crossing the floor: To cross the floor in Parliament means to change sides: to leave one political party and join another. The expression comes from the seating arrangements in the Chamber where the Government party sit together on the right and the Opposition sit together to the left. A change of party allegiance can literally mean crossing the floor of the House from one side of the Chamber to the other.; See also: Floor of the House
Crown appointments: Crown appointments are positions that may only be filled with the approval of the Monarch. Certain office-holders in Parliament are Crown appointments; in these cases, when a new person is selected for a post, the Speaker or Lord Speaker must put their name forward for royal approval before the appointment may be made.
Crown Prerogative: Crown Prerogative is the term used to describe powers held by the Monarch or by Government ministers that may be used without the consent of the Commons or Lords.
Debate on the Address: The Debate on the Address (or Loyal Address) is the formal name for the Queen's Speech debates that are held over several days in both Houses at the start of a new session of Parliament. The debates takes place on the motion: 'That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty' thanking her for the speech, but they are also an opportunity to discuss what the Speech contained: the Government's programme for the year ahead.; See also: Queen's Speech
Debates: A debate is a formal discussion of a specific proposal (motion) in the House of Commons or House of Lords. Members take it in turns to speak and there are rules and conventions that are followed. Debates can be read in the Official Report (Hansard) and viewed on-line via Parliament TV.
Deferred divisions: In the Commons, MPs sometimes vote on a series of motions (proposals) using ballot papers at a convenient time (currently between 11.30am and 2pm on Wednesdays) instead of holding each division immediately at the end of a debate. These are known as deferred divisions. The result of a deferred division can be found in the Votes and Proceedings for the day it took place.; See also: Divisions
Delegated legislation: Secondary legislation is law created by ministers (or other bodies) under powers given to them by an Act of Parliament (primary legislation). Secondary legislation is also known as 'delegated' or ‘subordinate’ legislation and often takes the form of a statutory instrument.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments
Deposited Papers: When a government minister or the Speaker says that they are placing a copy of a document in the Library of either House for the information of Members, the documents are added to a numbered series called Deposited Papers. The vast majority of Deposited Papers are placed by ministers in response to parliamentary questions.
Deputy Speakers: In the House of Commons there are three Deputy Speakers who are elected by MPs to assist the Speaker in chairing debates in the Chamber and to perform a range of other duties. Like the Speaker they must be politically impartial. In the House of Lords a panel of 20 to 25 Deputy Speakers assist the Lord Speaker in presiding over debates when the Lord Speaker is not present. Unlike the Lord Speaker, Deputy Speakers may continue to participate in debates and vote in divisions, even when they are sitting on the Woolsack.; See also: Lord Speaker, Woolsack
Despatch boxes: In the Chamber of each House there are two wooden boxes called despatch boxes. The despatch boxes are situated on either side of the Table and ministers and shadow ministers stand at the despatch boxes to speak. Despite their name, the despatch boxes are not used to contain documents or despatches but hold bibles and other items used when Members take the oath.; See also: Oath of Allegiance
Devolution: Devolution is the decentralisation of governmental power. Examples of devolution are the powers granted to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and to the Greater London and Local Authorities.
Devolved and reserved matters: Devolved matters are those areas of government where decision-making has been delegated by Parliament to the devolved institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, the Assemblies of Wales, Northern Ireland and London or to Local Authorities. Reserved matters are decisions that are still taken by the UK Parliament at Westminster even though they have effect in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the regions of England.
Dilatory motion: A dilatory motion interrupts the business under discussion and can only be introduced by the Member who is speaking. The motion (proposal) normally follows the style 'that this House do now adjourn' and is moved (introduced) to interrupt and supersede the business. If agreed to, all business for the day ends and the House must immediately adjourn.; See also: Motions
Dissolution: Dissolution is the official term for the end of a Parliament before a general election. When Parliament is dissolved every seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant. MPs immediately revert to being members of the general public and those who wish to become MPs again must stand for election as candidates.; See also: General elections
Division lobbies: Division lobbies are the corridors that run along either side of the Chamber in both Houses. They are used to record the votes of members when there is a division. In the House of Commons the division lobbies are called the Aye Lobby and the No Lobby. In the House of Lords they are known as the Content Lobby and the Not Content Lobby.; See also: Aye and No Lobbies
Divisions: Divisions are used for counting those in favour or against a motion when there is a vote in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. The House literally divides, with members choosing to file through one of two lobbies on either side of the Chamber where they are counted and their names recorded.; See also: Aye and No Lobbies, Tellers
Double insistence: A double insistence is when the Commons and the Lords cannot reach agreement on part of a Bill. If neither House will back down and no compromise can be found, it is likely that the entire Bill will be lost. Rarely, the Commons has used the Parliament Acts to ensure such a Bill is passed, without the consent of the Lords, the following year.
Double majority votes: A double majority vote is a House of Commons division where the agreement of both a majority of all MPs and a majority of all MPs representing constituencies in England and/or England and Wales is needed for the motion to be passed. This condition applies to certain types of legislation and reports under the English Votes for English Laws procedures.; See also: Divisions
Draft affirmative: Draft affirmative is the term used to describe an SI that is laid in draft, but cannot be made into law (signed by the minister) unless the draft is approved by both Houses following a debate (or the Commons alone for financial SIs). This is the most common type of affirmative instrument.; See also: Draft negative, Made affirmative, Made negative, Statutory Instruments
Draft Bills: Draft Bills are Government Bills that are issued first in a draft form to allow them to be looked at in detail before they are introduced. They are usually examined either by a Commons or Lords select committee or by a specially created joint committee of both Houses of Parliament. This process is known as 'pre-legislative scrutiny'.
Draft negative: Draft negative is the term used to describe an SI that is laid before Parliament in draft and cannot be made into law (signed by the minister) if the draft is stopped by either House within 40 sitting days.; See also: Draft affirmative, Made affirmative, Made negative, Statutory Instruments
Dropped Bill/Order: A Bill or Order is considered to have been 'dropped' if no date has been named for its next stage by the MP who has been responsible for it. The term is also used for Bills which cannot progress due to a lack of parliamentary time.
Dummy Bills: A dummy Bill, consisting of the short and long titles of the Bill and the names of up to 12 supporters, is all that needs to be presented by a backbench MP in order to introduce a Private Members' Bill. However, the bill must be printed in full in time for its Second Reading.; See also: Private Members' Bills
Earl: The British Peerage has five ranks within it. Earl is the third of the ranks or grades. The title dates from Saxon times and was the highest rank until the title of Duke was created.; See also: Hereditary Peers
Early Day Motions
EDMs: Early Day Motions (EDMs) are used by MPs in the Commons to draw the attention of the House to a particular issue, event or campaign. Other MPs may show their support for an EDM by adding their own signature to it. A prayer motion is a particular type of EDM that is used when MPs want to stop a negative statutory instrument.; See also: Prayer motion
Ecclesiastical Committee: The Ecclesiastical Committee is made up of 15 MPs and 15 members of the House of Lords that are nominated by the Speaker and Lord Speaker respectively. The Committee's role is to consider the merits of any draft Measures issued by the Church of England's General Synod and advise on whether or not they should be approved by Parliament.
Effective Orders: 'Effective orders' are those items listed in the Future Business that have been set down for a particular date, as opposed to 'remaining orders' for which a date has still to be decided.
Emergency debates: An emergency debate is a debate called at short notice in the House of Commons when a matter needs to be discussed urgently. An MP may apply to the Speaker for an emergency debate under the rules of Standing Order No. 24.; See also: Debates
English Votes for English Laws
EVEL: The EVEL process operated in the House of Commons from 2015 until its suspension in 2020. The standing orders relating to EVEL procedures were rescinded following a decision of the House on 13 July 2021. While in use, EVEL was designed to ensure that legislation that affected only England, or England and Wales, was approved by a majority of MPs representing English constituencies, or English and Welsh constituencies. It also applied to legislation introducing a tax measure that affected only England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which had to be approved by a majority of MPs representing constituencies in those areas. EVEL could be applied to a whole bill, specific clauses or schedules, Lords amendments, a statutory instrument, or specific Budget resolutions. There were two tests that had be met for EVEL to apply: * The first test was that the bill (or clause or schedule of the bill), statutory instrument or Budget resolution related exclusively to England (or England and Wales, or England, Wales and Northern Ireland). * The second test was that it was “within devolved legislative competence”. In other words, that the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales or the Northern Ireland Assembly could legislate in their territories on the same matter.; See also: Statutory Instruments
Equality of votes: An equality of votes describes a division of either House where the numbers voting for and against are exactly equal. In this circumstance the Chair must decide the question by using a casting vote. In the Commons, the Speaker or chair is guided by precedent and convention in so doing; in the Lords, Standing Order 57 determines how a casting vote should be used.; See also: Divisions
Erskine May: Thomas Erskine May's guide to parliamentary practice is properly entitled 'A treatise on the law, privileges, proceedings and usage of Parliament' but it is commonly referred to as Erskine May (or simply 'May'). It is generally held to be the most authoritative reference book on parliamentary procedure. First published in 1844, when Thomas Erskine May was Assistant Librarian, it is now in its 25th edition.
Estimates days: The House of Commons sets aside three 'estimates days' each year on which to consider the estimates of public spending by government departments. The topic of debate on these days is chosen by the Liaison Committee. Usually the subject of a recent report by a departmental select committee is chosen, which in turn relates to a particular estimate.
Examiner of Petitions: Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills are appointed in both Houses to examine each petition against a Bill and to certify that the standing orders relating to private business have been complied with in each case.
Explanatory Memoranda: Explanatory memoranda are provided by the relevant government department with all instruments subject to procedure. They provide a clear explanation of what part of the law the instrument is changing and why. Explanatory memoranda must be issued by the UK Government to accompany each EU document within 10 days of its deposit in Parliament. The memorandum describes the general effect of the EU document, its financial, legal and policy implications, and whether the document is awaiting further consideration by other European Community bodies.; See also: Statutory Instruments
Explanatory Notes (to Bills): Explanatory Notes are documents that explain the purpose of a Bill. All Government Bills and some Private Members' Bills have an accompanying Explanatory Note. They can be found among the 'Bill documents' on the relevant Bill page.
Father of the House: In the Commons, the title Father of the House is given to the MP who has the longest record of continuous service.
Filibustering: Filibustering is to deliberately waste time during a debate by making overlong speeches or raising unnecessary procedural points. In this way a Bill or a motion may be 'talked out': stopped from making progress within the time allowed.
Financial Privilege: Financial privilege refers to the special right of the House of Commons to decide public taxes and public spending. It may be used by the Commons as grounds for overruling any House of Lords proposal that has cost implications.
First Past the Post: First-past-the-post is a type of electoral system. In the UK it is the system used for the election of MPs to the House of Commons and for some local government elections.; See also: Proportional representation
First reading: First Reading is the formal introduction of a Bill to the House of Commons or the House of Lords. The Bill is not debated at this stage, but a date for its Second Reading in that House is set, a bill number is allocated and an order is made for it to be printed.; See also: Bills
Floor of the House: The Floor of the House refers to the main Chamber in each House. Business that is taken on the floor of the House is dealt with in the Chamber as opposed to being debated in a committee room.
Free votes: A free vote - or unwhipped vote - in Parliament is one in which MPs or members of the Lords are not put under pressure to vote a certain way by their party leaders. Free votes have traditionally been allowed on ethical issues that are seen as a matter of conscience.
Frontbench (frontbenchers): A frontbencher is either a Government minister or an Opposition shadow spokesperson. They are so-called because they occupy the front benches on either side of the Chamber when the House is in session, with other party members - backbenchers - sitting behind them.; See also: Backbench (backbenchers)
General elections: A general election is when the voters of the country cast their votes to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons.
Give way: To 'give way' or 'giving way' are the terms used by MPs who want to interrupt an MP who is speaking in the House of Commons. An MP cannot intervene when another MP is speaking to the House unless that MP allows it by giving way. There is no equivalent phrase in the House of Lords although some former MPs occasionally still use the term.
Government: The Government runs the country and has responsibility for developing and implementing policy and for drafting laws. It is also known as the Executive. The Government is usually formed by the party that gains the most seats in the House of Commons at a general election. It is headed by the Prime Minister who appoints government ministers. Members of the Government sit in Parliament and are accountable to it. Government departments and their agencies are responsible for putting government policy into practice.; See also: Opposition (The)
Government Bills: A Government Bill is a formal proposal for a new law, or a change in the law, that is put forward by the Government for consideration by Parliament. The Queen's Speech normally lists the Bills that the Government are intending to put forward during the parliamentary year. Government Bills are normally Public Bills.; See also: Queen's Speech, Public Bills
Government defeat: A Government defeat is when the Government fails to persuade a majority of MPs or members of the House of Lords to support them in a division (vote). The term is usually used only to describe occasions where the Government have been defeated in a whipped vote. Government defeats are more common in the House of Lords where the Government do not have an in-built majority of their own party members.; See also: Government, Divisions, Whips
Grand Committees: In the House of Commons, Grand Committees are a forum for all the MPs who represent a particular nation within the UK to meet together and consider matters that relate only to Wales or only to Scotland or Northern Ireland. Since 2015, Legislative Grand Committees for English or English and Welsh only MPs have also been used under the 'English votes for English laws' procedures. In the House of Lords, debates on statutory instrument (SIs) can be held in either the Chamber or in Grand Committee. Decisions can be made in Grand Committee but divisions (votes) only take place in the Chamber. If the SI is debated (considered) in Grand Committee, it must be approved by a separate motion in the Lords Chamber at a later date (although this is usually done without further comment). If the debate takes place in the Chamber both discussion and approval can happen at the same time. All members of the Lords can attend and speak in Grand Committee, it refers to the location rather than a specific committee with a limited membership.; See also: Divisions, Statutory Instruments
Green Papers: Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government. The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to give the department feedback on its policy or legislative proposals. Copies of consultation documents such as Green Papers are available on the related departmental websites.; See also: White Papers
Guillotine motions: Allocation of time or 'guillotine' motions have been used by governments to limit the amount of time that MPs can spend debating a particular stage of a Bill in the House of Commons. In recent years these have been replaced by Programme motions which set out a more detailed timetable for each stage of a Government Bill in the Commons and are moved as soon as a Bill has passed its Second reading. There is no equivalent in the House of Lords where the government cannot limit debating time.; See also: Programme motion
Hand-out Bill: A hand-out Bill is a Bill offered by the Government to a backbench MP to take forward as a Private Members' Bill. These are usually Bills which the Government has not been able to find time in its programme, or for some other reason does not want to present to the House itself. As a hand-out Bill will have support from the relevant government department it can stand a good chance of becoming law.
Hansard (Official Report): Hansard (the Official Report) is the edited verbatim report of proceedings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It is published daily when Parliament is sitting and records what is said in the main Chambers of both Houses, as well as proceedings in Westminster Hall, Public Bill Committees and other general committees.
Henry VIII clauses: ‘Henry VIII clauses’ are clauses in a bill that enable ministers to amend or repeal provisions in an Act of Parliament using secondary legislation, which is subject to varying degrees of parliamentary scrutiny. The Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee pays particular attention to any proposal in a bill to use a Henry VIII clause because of the way it shifts power to the executive. The expression is a reference to King Henry VIII's supposed preference for legislating directly by proclamation rather than through Parliament.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Clauses, Primary legislation, Secondary legislation, Statute
Hereditary Peers: The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the entitlement of most of the hereditary Peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords and of the 92 hereditary Peers who retain their seat in the Lords, 75 were elected by their fellow hereditary Peers.; See also: Peer (member of the House of Lords)
House of Commons Commission: The House of Commons Commission is the overall supervisory body of the House of Commons Administration. It prepares and lays before the House the Estimates for the House of Commons Service; it decides most matters of policy; and it appoints staff of the House, and determines their pay, pensions and other conditions of service. The House of Commons Commission was established by the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978, which provides that the Commission should have six members: the Speaker as Chairman; the Leader of the House; a Member of the House nominated by the Leader of the Opposition (normally the Shadow Leader of the House); and three other Members appointed by the House, none of whom may be a Minister. One Member of the Commission acts as its spokesperson in the House (for example in answering Parliamentary Questions).
Hung Parliament: When a general election results in no single political party winning a majority of MPs in the House of Commons, the situation is known as a hung Parliament.
Hybrid Bills: A Bill with characteristics of both a Public Bill and a Private Bill. Such Bills are examined in Parliament by a combination of both Public Bill and Private Bill procedures.
Hybrid Instruments: Some statutory instruments (SIs) which need to be approved by both Houses (affirmative instruments) are ruled to be hybrid instruments because they affect some members of a group (be it individuals or bodies) more than others in the same group. Hybrid instruments are subject to a special procedure which gives those who are negatively affected by them the chance to present their arguments against the SI to the Lords Hybrid Instruments Committee and then, possibly, to a Select Committee charged with reporting on its merits. The hybrid instrument procedure is unique to the House of Lords and the process must be completed before the SI can be approved by both Houses.; See also: Affirmative procedure, Statutory Instruments
Impeachment: Impeachment is when a peer or commoner is accused of ‘high crimes and misdemeanours, beyond the reach of the law or which no other authority in the state will prosecute.’ It is a procedure that is ‘directed in particular against Ministers of the Crown’. The first recorded impeachment was in 1376 and the last in 1806. This procedure is considered obsolete.
Introduction: A ceremony of introduction takes place in the House of Lords before each Peer is able to take his or her seat in the House. It is a short ceremony lasting about five minutes at the beginning of business in the Lords. An introduction is also the formal start of a Bill's progress through Parliament when the Bill is given its first reading and ordered to be printed.; See also: Writ of summons
Joint committees: A Joint Committee is a select committee with membership drawn from both the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Journal: The Journal is the legal record of the proceedings of Parliament (events and decisions). Both the House of Lords and the House of Commons produce a Journal for each session. In the House of Commons, the Votes and Proceedings are consolidated into the Journals. In the House of Lords, the Journals are compiled from the Minutes of Proceedings.
Law Lords: As highly qualified, full-time judges, the Law Lords carried out the judicial work of the House of Lords until 30 July 2009. From 1 October 2009, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom assumed jurisdiction on points of law for all civil law cases in the UK and all criminal cases in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The 12 Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the Law Lords) were appointed the first justices of the 12-member Supreme Court and were disqualified from sitting or voting in the House of Lords. When they retire they can return to the House of Lords.
Leader of the House: The Leader of the House of Commons is the member of the Government who is responsible for organising government business in the Commons. The Leader of the House makes a weekly statement announcing the business for the week ahead. The Leader of the House of Lords is responsible for looking after the organisation of government business and procedure in the House of Lords. He or she is appointed by the Prime Minister and is a member of the Cabinet. Since the Lord Speaker has no powers to rule on matters of procedure, the Leader advises the House on matters of procedure and order. The Leader also expresses the feelings of the House on formal occasions, such as motions of thanks or congratulation. The Leader and his or her private office are also available to assist and advise all Lords, irrespective of party.; See also: Business Questions
Leader of the Opposition (Commons): The Leader of the Opposition is the title given to the leader of the political party in Parliament that has formed the Official Opposition.; See also: Opposition (The)
Legislation: Legislation is a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament. The word is also used to describe the act of making a new law.
Legislative consent motion: A legislative consent motion is the means by which a devolved legislature indicates that it is content for the UK Parliament to pass a law on a devolved matter. Sometimes referred to as Sewel motions, they arise out of the convention that the UK Parliament will not normally legislate on a devolved matter without the consent of the relevant devolved legislature.; See also: Devolved and reserved matters, English Votes for English Laws, Sewel Convention
Legislative Reform Orders
LROs: Legislative Reform Orders (LROs) are a specific type of delegated legislation that the Government can use to remove or reduce burdens that result directly or indirectly from legislation, or to promote principles of better regulation. They are made under terms set out in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 and are subject to scrutiny by a special committee in each House.; See also: Secondary legislation
Life Peers: The Life Peerages Act 1958 introduced more people from different professions, and more women. Before the Act, the House of Lords had been made up exclusively of hereditary Peers. A life Peer cannot pass their title on to his or her children. Although life Peers are appointed by the Crown, it is the Prime Minister who nominates them. By convention the Leader of the Opposition and other party leaders can propose a certain number.; See also: Peer (member of the House of Lords)
Lobby (a Lobby): A lobby is a type of room in the Palace of Westminster that serves as a waiting area or meeting place.; See also: Lobbying
Lobbying: To lobby is to make the case for a particular policy, cause or group directly to a government minister or a member of either House with the aim of influencing their decisions.
Long title of a Bill: The long title of a Bill is the wording at the start of a Bill that begins ‘A Bill to...’ and then lists its purposes, sometimes at great length. The content of the Bill must be covered by the long title and if the content of the Bill changes before it is passed the long title may also need to be changed. Bills also have a short title which is the more convenient name by which the Bill will usually be known.
Lord Chancellor: The Lord Chancellor is one of the most ancient offices of state, dating back many centuries. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister and is a senior member of the Cabinet. They head the Ministry of Justice as the Secretary of State for Justice. Previously the Lord Chancellor also acted as Speaker of the House of Lords and therefore sat on the Woolsack. The Lord Chancellor was also head of the judiciary and the senior judge of the House of Lords in its judicial capacity. However, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lord Chancellor ceased to be the Speaker of the Lords, and was replaced by the Lord Speaker. In addition, the Lord Chief Justice is now head of the judiciary, and the Lord Chancellor may no longer sit as a judge.; See also: Lord Speaker, Lord Chief Justice
Lord Chief Justice: The Lord Chief Justice is the Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales. They are also the President of the Courts of England and Wales and responsible for representing the views of the judiciary to Parliament and the Government.
Lord Great Chamberlain: The Lord Great Chamberlain is the hereditary Officer of State to whom the Sovereign entrusts the custody and control of those parts of the Palace of Westminster not assigned to the two Houses, principally, the Robing Room and the Royal Gallery. When the Sovereign opens Parliament the Lord Great Chamberlain is responsible for the arrangements. The Lord Great Chamberlain also has control jointly with the Speakers of the two Houses over Westminster Hall and the Crypt Chapel. The Lord Great Chamberlain sometimes participates in introductions and is responsible for administrative arrangements when the Sovereign is present. Under the House of Lords Act and Standing Orders the Lord Great Chamberlain remains a member of the House despite being an hereditary Peer.
Lord of Parliament: A Lord of Parliament is a member of the lowest rank of Scottish peerage. From 1707 to 1963 they were represented in the House of Lords by representative Peers. From 1963 to 1999 they were all entitled to sit in the Lords. The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the entitlement of hereditary Peers, including Lords of Parliament, to automatically sit in the House of Lords.
Lord Speaker: The post of Lord Speaker was created under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Lord Speaker presides over proceedings from the Woolsack. As the House is self-regulating, the Lord Speaker has no power to call members to order, to decide who speaks next, or to select amendments, but does call for divisions (votes) when necessary.
Lords Spiritual and Temporal: The Lords Spiritual are made up of the Archbishops of Canterbury and of York, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester as well as specific bishops of the Church of England. The Lords Temporal are made up of Life Peers, the Earl Marshal, Lord Great Chamberlain, Hereditary Peers elected under the Standing Orders.
Mace (The): The mace in Parliament is the symbol of royal authority and without it neither House can meet or pass laws. The House of Commons mace is a silver gilt ornamental club of about five feet in length, dating from the reign of Charles II. On each day that the House is sitting the mace is carried to the Chamber at the head of the Speaker's procession by the Serjeant at Arms. It is placed on the table of the House, except when the House is in committee, when it rests on two brackets underneath the table. The Lords uses two maces, one dating from the time of Charles II and another from the reign of William III. One of the maces accompanies the Lord Speaker into the Chamber and is placed on the Woolsack whenever the House meets. The mace is absent from the Lords during the State Opening when the Monarch is in the Chamber in person.; See also: Serjeant at Arms, Woolsack
Made affirmative: Made affirmative is the term used to describe an SI that is made into law (signed by the minister) before Parliament has considered it, but that cannot remain law unless it is approved by Parliament within a certain time period (usually 28 or 40 sitting days). Made affirmatives are less common than draft affirmatives. They are usually used then the Government requires an urgent change to the law.; See also: Draft affirmative, Draft negative, Made negative, Statutory Instruments
Made negative: Made negative is the term used to describe an SI that is laid after it has been made into law (signed by the minister). It will remain law unless a prayer motion is passed by either House (or the Commons only for certain SIs on financial matters) within 40 sitting days. If that happens, the SI is no longer law. Made negatives generally do not come into force for at least 21 days after the SI is laid.; See also: Draft affirmative, Draft negative, Made affirmative, Statutory Instruments
Maiden speech: A maiden speech is the first speech made in the Chamber by a new member of the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
Manifesto: A manifesto is a publication issued by a political party before a General Election. It contains the set of policies that the party stands for and would wish to implement if elected to govern.
Manor of Northstead and the Chiltern Hundreds: The Steward and Bailiffs of the Chiltern Hundreds and of the Manor of Northstead were positions traditionally paid for by the Crown. In modern times they are unpaid, formal titles that are applied for when an MP needs to disqualify themselves from the Commons. An elected MP has no right to resign: unless they die or are expelled they must become disqualified if they wish to retire before the end of a Parliament. By law, taking on one of these titles immediately bars a person from being an MP.
Manuscript amendments: Manuscript amendments are amendments of which no notice has been given until the day itself. For this reason they do not appear on the day's business papers and are rarely selected for debate. If a manuscript amendment is selected for debate by the chair its text is made generally available.; See also: Amendments
Member of Parliament
MP: A Member of Parliament (MP) is the person elected by all those who live in a particular area (constituency) to represent them in the House of Commons.; See also: Constituencies (Constituents)
Ministerial statements: Government Ministers may make oral or written statements to Parliament. Oral statements usually address major incidents, government policies or actions and those made in the Commons are usually repeated in the House of Lords. Written statements are normally used to put the day-to-day business of government on the official record and in the public domain. A weekly Business Statement made by the Leader of the House of Commons sets out the future business of the House. Occasionally, a personal statement may be made by an MP or a member of the House of Lords.
Ministers: Ministers are the MPs and members of the House of Lords who are in the Government. They are appointed by the Prime Minister and each given a specific area of government policy to oversee. Ministers speak on behalf of the Government from the frontbenches during parliamentary debates and must answer questions put to them by other MPs or members of the House of Lords.
Minority government: A minority government is a government formed by a political party that does not have an overall majority of MPs in the House of Commons. A party may decide to govern alone - rather than form a coalition with another party - if there is a hung Parliament, when no single party has a clear majority in the Commons. A minority government needs the support of MPs from other parties in order to pass any legislation.; See also: Coalition government
Modernisation Committee: The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons considers how the practices and procedures of the House should be modernised.
Moment of interruption: The moment of interruption is the time at which the debate must stop and the question be decided either way at the end of the main business in the House of Commons. The timing of the moment of interruption on each weekday is set down in House of Commons Standing Orders. If the Government wants to allow more time for a particular debate it must ask the House to agree to a special business motion to that effect at the start of the day's main business.; See also: Business motions
Money bills: A money bill is a bill that in the opinion of the House of Commons Speaker is concerned only with national taxation, public money or loans. A bill that is certified as a money bill and which has been passed by the Commons will become law after one month, with or without the approval of the House of Lords, under the terms of the Parliament Acts.; See also: Supply bills
Money resolutions: A Money resolution must be agreed to by the House of Commons if a new Bill proposes spending public money on something that hasn't previously been authorised by an Act of Parliament. Money resolutions, like Ways and Means resolutions, are normally put to the House for agreement immediately after the Bill has passed its Second reading in the Commons.; See also: Ways and Means resolution
Motion of no confidence: A motion of no confidence is a motion moved in the House of Commons expressing lack of confidence in the government or a specific minister. Having the confidence of the House of Commons has been seen as central to a government's authority to govern in the UK. Traditionally, governments that have lost a confidence vote have either resigned in favour of an alternative administration, or the Prime Minister has requested a dissolution from the Queen, triggering a general election.; See also: Motions
Motions: A motion is a proposal put forward for debate or decision in the House of Commons or House of Lords. A motion must be proposed (moved) before any debate or vote can take place in Parliament.; See also: Censure motion, Motion to regret, Motion to take note, Non-fatal motion, Prayer motion
Motion to regret: When the Lords considers a statutory instrument (SI), any member can introduce a motion to regret it. The motion usually gives specific reasons for the regret. Even if agreed, the motion cannot stop or amend the SI, but gives members an opportunity to put on record their dissent.; See also: Motion to take note, Prayer motion, Statutory Instruments
Motion to take note: A procedure used in the House of Lords to debate a subject without needing to take a specific decision. Motions to take note always begin “That this House takes note of …” The debate may be on any subject, but the motion must be phrased in neutral terms (although members may give their opinions in the debate).; See also: Motions
Named day questions: Named day questions are written parliamentary question that the Government are required to answer on a specific date. MPs have a fixed daily quota of five named day questions each. The date specified for answer must be at least three days after they are tabled.; See also: Parliamentary Questions
Naming of a Member: Naming of a Member is the term used to describe the disciplining of an MP for breaking the rules of the House of Commons. The only time names are used in the House of Commons chamber are when the Speaker calls MPs to speak or disciplines them. Suspension of a Member who has been named is set out in Standing Order 44.; See also: Standing Orders
Negative procedure: Negative procedure is a type of parliamentary procedure that applies to statutory instruments (SIs). Its name describes the form of scrutiny that the SI receives from Parliament. An SI laid under the negative procedure becomes law on the day the Minister signs it and automatically remains law unless a motion – or ‘prayer’ – to reject it is agreed by either House within 40 sitting days. Certain SIs on financial matters are only considered by the Commons.; See also: Affirmative procedure, Draft negative, Made negative, Prayer motion, Statutory Instruments
Nodding through / On the nod: Nodding through is when an MP is counted as having voted because, although they are present on the parliamentary estate, they are unable to pass through the division lobby because they are physically unwell or they have a small child with them. Decisions made 'on the nod' are decisions made with no debate or division (vote). The Chair simply reads out the question to be decided and takes an oral vote. If there are no objections, the question is recorded as having been agreed to. A decision taken on the nod is generally on a non-contentious question or one whose points of contention have been - or will be - addressed at another time.
Non-fatal motion: A non-fatal motion does not stop a SI being law but may be used by either House to indicate concern. In the Commons, a prayer motion tabled outside the 40 sitting days period is non-fatal as it can only object to the SI, rather than stop it. The most common non-fatal motion in the Lords is a motion to regret.; See also: Motion to regret, Prayer motion, Statutory Instruments
Norman French: Norman French is a language used in Parliament in some of the formal exchanges between the two Houses during a Bill's passage through Parliament. It is also used at Royal Assent. This is because these procedures have barely changed since they began, hundreds of years ago, at a time when Norman French was the official language of Government.
Notices of Questions: Notices of questions are the daily record of oral and written parliamentary questions that are still waiting to be answered which is included in the Business papers: Questions tabled in the House of Commons are printed in the Questions Book. Lords Oral Questions are printed in the House of Lords Business.; See also: Oral Questions, Vote Bundle
Oath of Allegiance: Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are required to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown before they take their seats in Parliament after a general election or by-election and after the death of the monarch. Any MP or Member of the House of Lords who objects to swearing an oath can make a solemn affirmation, which omits the religious references, instead. This process is known as swearing in.
Online voting: A system in the House of Lords that allows Lords members to vote remotely online in any division (vote).; See also: Proxy voting
Opposition days: Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties. There are 20 days allocated for this purpose per session (under Standing Order 14).
Opposition (The): The Opposition, formally known as HM Official Opposition, refers to the largest political party in the House of Commons that is not in government. The leader of this party takes the title Leader of the Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of the Government. More generally, any party that is not a part of the government is described as an opposition party.
Oral Questions: An Oral Question is a parliamentary questions that is put to a government minister in person by an MP or member of the House of Lords in the Chamber of each House. Oral question times to ministers normally take place at the beginning of each sitting day in both Houses on Mondays to Thursdays.; See also: Supplementary questions, Parliamentary Questions, Private notice question
Order Paper: The Order Paper, also known as the Order of Business, in the House of Commons is published each sitting day and lists the business of the House and business for sittings in Westminster Hall. It shows items such as questions, motions, business, notices of committees, announcements and lists of future business. In the House of Lords the business papers, including the Order Paper, are collectively known as 'House of Lords Business'.
Orders in Council: Orders in Council are made by the King acting on the advice of the Privy Council and are approved in person by the monarch. Some, like those that transfer functions between Ministers of the Crown, are made using powers conferred by an Act of Parliament. Others, like those which make appointments to the civil service, are made by virtue of the royal prerogative. Although Orders in Council must be formally approved in person by the monarch, they are drafted and their substance is controlled by the government.; See also: Orders of Council
Orders of Council: Orders of Council are made by the Privy Council itself, acting through its Councillors. Unlike Orders in Council, these do not require personal approval by the monarch.; See also: Privy Counsellors, Orders in Council
Osmotherly Rules: The Osmotherly Rules are guidance for civil servants on giving evidence to parliamentary select committees. They take their name from E.B.C. Osmotherly, the civil servant who drew up the first version of the Rules in 1980.; See also: Select committees
Outlawries Bill: The reading of the Outlawries Bill is a symbolic tradition which preserves the right of the House of Commons to debate a subject of its own choosing before they debate the subjects raised by the King's Speech at the beginning of every new session of Parliament. In practice there is no debate and the Outlawries Bill is read out as a formality. The text has remained the same since Victorian times, but the first recorded instance of the House reading such a Bill before any other business dates back to 1558.
Pairing: Pairing is an arrangement between two MPs of opposing parties to not vote in a particular division. This enables an MP to be absent without affecting the result of the vote as they effectively cancel each other out. Pairing is an informal arrangement which is not recognised by the House of Commons but must be registered with the Whips. Pairing is not allowed in divisions of great political importance.; See also: Proxy voting
Panel of Chairs: The Panel of Chairs is made up of those MPs chosen by the Speaker at the start of each Parliament to chair Public Bill committees and other general committees in the House of Commons. They also chair debates in Westminster Hall and may act as temporary chair during a Committee of the whole House.; See also: Committee of the whole House
Parliament: The United Kingdom Parliament is made up of three parts - the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Parliament's main functions are to conduct debates, to make and change legislation (laws) and to check the work of Government. A Parliament is also the period of parliamentary time between one general election and the next.; See also: Government, Session
Parliament Acts: The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 limit the power of the House of Lords in relation to the House of Commons. They replaced the Lords' right to veto Commons Bills with a right only to delay them and put into law the Commons' exclusive powers to pass Bills on public tax and spending.; See also: Money bills
Parliamentary Agent: Parliamentary Agents are special lawyers who introduce and promote Private Bills through Parliament. As Private Bills affect only a particular group or individual such as a company or a local council it is up to them to petition Parliament to introduce a Bill. Parliamentary Agents can also act for petitioners opposing a Private Bill and they must be registered with the Private Bill Office.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman combines the two statutory roles of Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman) and Health Service Commissioner for England (Health Service Ombudsman). The Ombudsman investigates complaints from members of the public about government departments, the NHS in England and other public organisations. Cases must be referred to the Ombudsman by an MP.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards: The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an independent officer of the House of Commons. His or her job is to oversee the Register of Members' Financial Interests and the Code of Conduct for MPs. The Commissioner also advises the Committee on Standards about issues relating to the Code of Conduct.
Parliamentary Counsel: The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel are experienced barristers and solicitors who assist government departments in preparing Bills. Government departments send their proposals to the Counsel who produce draft versions of the Bill for the department to approve. Sometimes several drafts are needed before the Bill is finally ready.; See also: Bills
Parliamentary Private Secretaries: A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is appointed by a minister to be his or her assistant. He or she is selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the House of Commons. It is an unpaid job but it is useful for an MP to become a PPS to gain experience of working in government.
Parliamentary privilege: Parliamentary privilege grants certain legal immunities for Members of both Houses to allow them to perform their duties without interference from outside of the House. Parliamentary privilege includes freedom of speech and the right of both Houses to regulate their own affairs.
Parliamentary procedure: Parliamentary procedure regulates the proceedings of the House and can be divided up into four main sections. 1. Practice which is the general understanding established over the centuries and does not need to be formally written down. 2. The Standing Orders which are the rules under which Parliament conducts its business and regulates the way Members behave and debates are organised. 3. In the House of Commons Rulings from the Chair relate to decisions on procedure which have been referred to the Speaker for clarification. In the House of Lords, procedure is developed by the House itself through the Procedure Committee which considers any proposals for changes to Standing Orders. 4. Other proceedings are controlled by Acts of Parliament which cover such things as taking the Oath or presenting Bills to Parliament.; See also: Standing Orders
Parliamentary Questions
PQs: A Parliamentary Question (PQ) is a question put formally to a government minister about a matter they are responsible for by an MP or a member of the Lords. PQs may be asked orally - during ministerial question time in either Chamber - or in writing. They are used to seek information or to press for action from the Government.; See also: Oral Questions, Written questions, Business Questions, Private notice question, Urgent Questions
Parliamentary Sovereignty: Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution.
Peer (member of the House of Lords): Members of the House of Lords are sometimes referred to as peers. Most members are Life Peers although 92 sit by virtue of hereditary title. Life Peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister to serve for their life; the title is not transferable.
Petitions: A petition is a formal written request sent in to Parliament by members of the public calling for some form of action by the Government. Paper petitions must be presented on the petitioners' behalf by an MP or member of the Lords. E-petitions can be submitted directly online by the public. Petitions may also be used by groups or individuals who are affected by a Private Bill, under a different procedure.
Ping-pong: 'Ping-pong' refers to the to and fro of amendments to Bills between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Point of order: A point of order is an appeal to the Chair or Speaker for clarification or for a ruling on a matter of procedure in the House of Commons. The MP must explain their reasons for believing the rules of the House have been broken and the Speaker decides whether it is a valid point of order or not.
Portcullis: The crowned portcullis is the official emblem or logo of the UK Parliament. It is an image of a grilled gate of the type found on medieval castles with a crown on top. It has been formally authorised as a royal badge and is subject to terms and conditions of use. The portcullis symbol is used to identify official parliamentary publications and correspondence from MPs and members of the House of Lords.
Post-legislative scrutiny: Post-legislative scrutiny is an inquiry by a parliamentary select committee into how a new law has worked in practice since it came into force.; See also: Select committees
Prayer motion: A prayer motion can be used by members of either House to object to a statutory instrument (SI). A motion to seeking to overturn a negative instrument will include the wording: 'That a humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that [the instrument] be annulled'. In the Commons, such motions are usually tabled as an Early Day Motion. Other wordings can express regret over a particular aspect of the SI but will not stop the law taking effect.; See also: Early Day Motions, Motion to regret, Negative procedure, Non-fatal motion
Prayers: Prayers are read at the start of each day in both the House of Commons and House of Lords chambers. These follow the Christian faith and there is currently no multi-faith element. Attendance is voluntary. In the House of Commons the term 'prayer' is also used to describe a type of Early Day Motion that is used to object to - or 'pray against' - a statutory instrument.; See also: Early Day Motions
Pre-election period (Purdah): The pre-election period (purdah) is the term used to describe the period between the time an election is announced and the date the election is held. Civil servants are given official guidance by the Cabinet Office on the rules they must follow in relation to Government business during this time.
Pre-legislative scrutiny: Pre-legislative scrutiny is the detailed examination of an early draft of a Bill that is done by a parliamentary select committee before the final version is drawn up by the Government.; See also: Scrutiny (parliamentary scrutiny), Select committees
Presentation Bills: A Presentation Bill is a type of Private Members Bill that is introduced without debate in the House of Commons. Advance notice must be given in writing by the sponsoring MP and this must include the short and long titles. Bills are presented in the Chamber just before the start of the main business, after questions and statements.
Press Gallery: The Press Gallery is reserved for journalists accredited by the Serjeant at Arms. The term is also used to describe the members of the Press Gallery. The Parliamentary Press Gallery Committee was formed in 1881 to safeguard the interests of parliamentary reporters and political correspondents at Westminster. The establishment of the Gallery, however, dates back to an Order of the Commons Speaker in 1803.
Primary legislation: Primary legislation is the general term used to describe the main laws passed by the legislative bodies of the UK, including the UK Parliament. For example an Act of Parliament.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Secondary legislation, Statute
Prime Minister: The Prime Minister is the leader of the Government. He or she is the leader of the party that wins the most seats at a general election. After a general election the monarch calls upon the leader of the largest party to form the Government. The Prime Minister chooses the other Members of the Government and has a residence and offices at 10 Downing Street.; See also: Cabinet, Government
Prime Minister's Question Time
PMQ's: The Prime Minister answers questions from MPs in the House of Commons every sitting Wednesday from 12.00pm until the end of Question Time at 12.30pm.
Private Bills: Private Bills are usually promoted by organisations for example local authorities or private companies to give themselves powers beyond, or in conflict with, the general law. Private Bills only change the law as it applies to specific individuals or organisations rather than the general public. Groups or individuals potentially affected by these changes can petition Parliament against the proposed Bill and present their objections to committees of MPs and Lords.
Private Business: Private business describes any item on the agenda of either House that relates to Private Bills.; See also: Private Bills, Public business
Private Members' Bills: Private Members' Bills - or backbench Bills - are introduced by individual MPs or members of the Lords rather than by the Government. As with other Public Bills their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population. Very few Private Members' Bills become law but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.; See also: Ballot Bills, Presentation Bills, Ten Minute Rule Bills, Government Bills
Private notice question
PNQ: A private notice question (PNQ) gives a member of the House of Lords the opportunity to ask an urgent and important question to the government on any sitting day. A member of the Lords can apply to the Lord Speaker for a PNQ. If the Lord Speaker accepts the request, a government minister or spokesperson must come to the House of Lords Chamber and give an immediate answer without prior notice. During hybrid proceedings, the answer must be provided the following sitting day. Questions that are selected must be: * related to a very recent or imminent event or development * important in terms of public policy * have more than a local or temporary significance. PNQs are asked immediately after oral questions on Monday to Thursday, or at an agreed time if on a Friday.; See also: Oral Questions, Prime Minister's Question Time, Urgent Questions, Lord Speaker
Privy Counsellors: Privy Counsellors are members of the Privy Council. Privy Council members include Cabinet members past and present, the Speaker, the leaders of the main political parties, Archbishops, various senior judges as well as other senior public figures. Members of the Privy Council are entitled to use the title: "Right Honourable."
Procedure Committee: The House of Commons Procedure Committee considers and makes recommendations on the practice and procedure of the House in the conduct of public business. The House of Lords Procedure Committee has a similar function, but is appointed in each session rather that at the beginning of a Parliament.
Programme motion: A programme motion can be used by the government to timetable a Bill's progress through the House of Commons by setting out the time allowed for debate at each of its stages. The motion is usually put forward for agreement immediately after a Government Bill has passed its Second Reading. There is no equivalent in the House of Lords where the government cannot limit debating time. Before the introduction of programming in the Commons, governments could only curtail the debate at a particular stage of a Bill by use of an Allocation of Time (or 'guillotine') motion.; See also: Allocation of time motions, Government Bills
Proportional representation: Proportional representation is an electoral system in which the distribution of seats corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party. For example, if a party gained 40% of the total votes, a perfectly proportional system would allow them to gain 40% of the seats.; See also: First Past the Post
Proposed negative statutory instrument: When making regulations under powers in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018, a Minister may choose either the negative or affirmative procedure in most cases. When the Minister proposes to use the negative procedure, the statutory instrument (SI) must be laid in draft for consideration, also known as “sifting”, by the European Statutory Instrument Committee in the Commons and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee in the Lords. At this stage the SI is called a proposed negative statutory instrument. Each Committee will consider if the procedure is appropriate to the content of the instrument and make a recommendation in its weekly report. After committee consideration, the Government will either sign the SI into law (make it) and then lay it as a made negative SI, or lay it as a draft affirmative SI.; See also: Affirmative procedure, Negative procedure, Sifting period, Statutory Instruments
Prorogation: When a parliamentary session comes to an end the House is prorogued until the next session begins. Prorogation is the formal end to the parliamentary year.; See also: Session, Parliament, Carry-over motions/Bills
Proxy voting: A proxy vote is a vote cast by one MP on behalf of another MP in a House of Commons division. Proxy voting has been allowed only in very specific circumstances. Any such arrangement must be certified by the Speaker in advance.; See also: Pairing, Nodding through / On the nod
Public Bill Committees: In the House of Commons, the committee stage of Public Bills is usually carried out by a committee of MPs - known as a Public Bill Committee [PBC] - rather than in the main Chamber. A Public Bill Committee can take evidence from the public as part of its scrutiny of the Bill.; See also: Committee stage
Public Bills: Public Bills are proposed changes to the law as it applies to the population in general. Almost all Public Bills that are successfully passed by Parliament are those introduced by the Government. The vast majority of Public Bills that come before Parliament each year, however, are backbenchers' Bills (known as Private Members' Bills) which are rarely passed but are often used as a method of campaigning for a change in the law by individual MPs and members of the House of Lords.; See also: Government Bills, Private Members' Bills
Public business: Public business describes items on the agenda of either House that are not related to Private Bills. Almost all business conducted in the Chamber and Committees of both Houses is Public business.; See also: Private Business
Public galleries: The Public Galleries are seated areas from which members of the public may watch the proceedings of either House. Galleries exist in the Commons and Lords chambers, committee rooms and for sittings in Westminster Hall. The public gallery in the House of Commons was previously called the Strangers Gallery.; See also: Press Gallery
Queen's Speech: The Queen's Speech is the speech that the Queen reads out in the Lords Chamber on the occasion of the State Opening of Parliament. It sets out the programme of legislation that the Government intend to pursue in the forthcoming parliamentary session.; See also: Legislation, Session
Questions for Short Debate: In the House of Lords a Member may ask a question at the end of the day's business, or during the dinner break, and allow a short debate ending with a government reply. These were called 'unstarred questions' prior to the 2006-07 session.
Questions (Parliamentary): A Parliamentary Question (PQ) is a question put formally to a government minister about a matter they are responsible for by an MP or a member of the Lords. PQs may be asked orally - during ministerial question time in either Chamber - or in writing. They are used to seek information or to press for action from the Government.; See also: Oral Questions, Written questions, Business Questions, Private notice question, Urgent Questions
Quorum: A quorum is the minimum number of MPs or members of the House of Lords needed for a division (vote) to be valid or for a parliamentary committee to function. Quorums for different types of business are set out in the standing orders for each House.
Reasoned amendments: If an MP wishes to record reasons for objecting to the Second Reading, or more rarely the Third Reading, of a Bill they can table a reasoned amendment. The reasoned amendment should offer reasons for rejecting the Bill.; See also: Amendments, Second Reading
Recall of Parliament: If there is an important development during a recess period the House of Commons and House of Lords may be recalled. For example the House was recalled during the first Gulf War and after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.; See also: Recess
Recess: A recess is a break during the parliamentary session (year) in which neither the House of Commons or the House of Lords meets to conduct business. There are usually several recesses throughout a session and usually include Christmas, Easter and Summer. Recess is formally known as a periodic adjournment.; See also: Session
Referendum: A referendum is when a question is decided by putting it to a public vote. Referendums are an example of direct democracy. In the UK, most decisions are made by Parliament on behalf of the public which is known as indirect or representative democracy.
Register of Members' Financial Interests: MPs and members of the House of Lords are required to declare certain financial interests. These are recorded in the Register of Members' Financial Interests and the Register of Lords' Interests respectively. In the House of Commons standards and financial interests are overseen by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Office. The Register of Lords' Interests is overseen by the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards office.
Remaining orders: Remaining orders are items of Commons business that have not yet been scheduled for a specific date. They are normally listed at the end of the future business in the daily Commons business papers.; See also: Effective Orders
Remaining stages: The remaining stages are the Report stage and Third reading of a Bill. They are often described collectively in this way when both stages are taken on the same day, one after the other, which is more usual in the Commons than in the Lords.; See also: Report Stage, Third reading
Remedial Orders: A remedial order is an order made by a minister under the Human Rights Act 1998 to amend legislation which has been found incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Remedial orders can be used to amend both primary and secondary legislation, and they may do anything necessary to fix the incompatibility with the Convention rights. Draft remedial orders are considered by the Joint Committee on Human Rights and then need to be approved by both Houses to become law. Urgent orders may be made without advance scrutiny, but they will stop being law if they are not approved by both Houses within 120 days of being laid before Parliament.; See also: Primary legislation, Secondary legislation
Report Stage: The Report Stage is the next stage of a Bill after its Committee Stage. The whole House, either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, reviews the amended form of the bill and can make further changes.
Retreads: Retreads are former MPs who are re-elected to the House of Commons after having a break in their service for some reason.
Royal Assent: Royal Assent is the Monarch's agreement that is required to make a Bill into an Act of Parliament. While the Monarch has the right to refuse Royal Assent, nowadays this does not happen; the last such occasion was in 1707, and Royal Assent is regarded today as a formality.; See also: Bills
Salisbury Doctrine: The Salisbury Doctrine, or "Convention" as it is sometimes called, emerged from the working arrangements reached during the Labour Government of 1945-51, when the fifth Marquess of Salisbury was the Leader of the Conservative Opposition in the Lords. The Convention ensures that major Government Bills can get through the Lords when the Government of the day has no majority in the Lords. In practice, it means that the Lords does not try to vote down at second or third reading, a Government Bill mentioned in an election manifesto.; See also: Conventions
Schedules: A Schedule is a part of a Bill or a part of an Act. Bills may have a number of Schedules that appear after the main Clauses in the text. They are often used to spell out in more detail how the provisions of the Bill are to work in practice. If a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament, its Schedules become Schedules of that Act.; See also: Bills, Acts of Parliament, Clauses
Scrutiny (parliamentary scrutiny): Parliamentary scrutiny is the close examination and investigation of government policies, actions and spending that is carried out by the House of Commons and the House of Lords and their committees.; See also: Select committees
Secondary legislation: Secondary legislation is law created by ministers (or other bodies) under powers given to them by an Act of Parliament (primary legislation). Secondary legislation is also known as 'delegated' or ‘subordinate’ legislation and often takes the form of a statutory instrument.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments
Second Reading: The Second Reading is normally the first opportunity for a Bill to be debated in either House and is the stage where the overall principles of the Bill are considered. If the Bill passes Second Reading it moves on to the Committee Stage.; See also: Bills, Reasoned amendments
Second Reading Committee: Second Readings of non-controversial Bills can be debated in a committee in the Commons, although this is rare. If a Bill passes through such a committee, its Second Reading and committal motions must still be agreed by the House in the Chamber, but may be decided there without debate.; See also: Second Reading
Secretary of State: The title typically held by Cabinet Ministers in charge of Government Departments. While most departments are run by a Secretary of State there can be some exceptions, for example, the Chancellor of the Exchequer heads HM Treasury.; See also: Cabinet
Select committees: Select committees are small groups of MPs or members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue in detail or to perform a specific scrutiny role. They may call in officials and experts for questioning and can demand information from the government. Select committees publish their findings in a report and the government is expected to respond to any recommendations that are made.; See also: Scrutiny (parliamentary scrutiny)
Serjeant at Arms: The Serjeant at Arms is responsible for the order and security of the House of Commons including maintaining order in the chamber, galleries and committee rooms of the House and controlling access to the parliamentary estate. The Serjeant at Arms also performs ceremonial duties including carrying the mace in the Speaker's Procession each day. The Serjeant at Arms is the only person in the House of Commons allowed to carry a sword.; See also: Black Rod
Session: A session is a parliamentary year. Sessions normally begin in the Spring with the State Opening of Parliament, and run for around 12 months, ending with the prorogation of the session. There are normally five sessions in each Parliament.; See also: Parliament, Prorogation
Sessional Diary: The Sessional Diary sets out the amount of time spent on different items of business on each Parliamentary day in the House of Commons Chamber and in Westminster Hall. The diary is maintained by the Journal Office of the House of Commons and published online at the end of each parliamentary year.; See also: Sessional Return
Sessional Orders: Sessional Orders are orders of either House that have effect only for a single session of Parliament. Traditionally, Sessional Orders were agreed on the day of the State Opening.; See also: Standing Orders
Sessional Return: The Sessional Return is the authoritative source for statistics about the work of the House of Commons and its Committees. Published by the House itself shortly after the end of each parliamentary year, it includes figures for the number and length of all sittings and the time spent on different types of business in the Chamber and Westminster Hall as well as comprehensive data on bills, parliamentary questions, divisions, early day motions and the meetings and reports of Commons committees.; See also: Sessional Diary, Session
Sewel Convention: The Sewel Convention applies when the UK Parliament wants to legislate on a matter within the devolved competence of the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales or Northern Ireland Assembly. Under the terms of the Convention, the UK Parliament will “not normally” do so without the relevant devolved institution having passed a legislative consent motion.; See also: Conventions, Legislative consent motion
Shadow Cabinet: The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior spokespeople chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government. Each member of the shadow cabinet is appointed to lead on a specific policy area for their party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the Cabinet. In this way the Official Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.; See also: Cabinet
Short Money: Short money is the common name given to the financial assistance for Opposition parties in the House of Commons. It is named after Edward Short who first proposed the payments. Cranborne money is a similar scheme in the House of Lords, named after former Leader of the House of Lords, Viscount Cranborne.
Shuffle: The shuffle is the term used for the ballot to decide which oral questions will be asked during Question Time in the House of Commons. At Question Time there is only enough time for 15 to 20 questions to be asked, but many more questions are usually tabled. Questions can be submitted up to a deadline, after which a random computer shuffle takes place. The shuffle also determines the order in which questions will be called.; See also: Oral Questions
Sifting period: The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 created a new procedure for negative statutory instruments (SIs) that relate to exiting the EU. If a Minister proposes to make an SI using negative procedure, they must first lay the draft SI before Parliament so that it can be considered by a committee of each House. The committees have 10 sitting days to recommend whether the draft SI should be subject to negative or affirmative procedure. The Minister is not obliged to follow the recommendation of either committee, but must give reasons for disagreeing with it. If either committee has not made its recommendation within the 10-day sifting period, the Minister may go ahead and make the SI.; See also: Affirmative procedure, Negative procedure, Proposed negative statutory instrument, Statutory Instruments
Sittings: A sitting is a meeting of either House at the end of which the House adjourns. A sitting is also used as a term for a meeting of a committee. You can see when either House is sitting and the business to be considered on the Parliamentary Calendar.
Speaker's rulings: A Speaker's ruling is a judgement made by the Commons Speaker about the way the rules of the House should be applied or interpreted. A ruling may be required, for instance, when a new set of circumstances arises for which there are no clear precedents to follow. Speaker's rulings are seen as authoritative and are recorded in Erskine May.; See also: Speaker (The), Erskine May
Speaker (The): The Speaker is an MP who has been elected by other MPs to act as Chair during debates in the House of Commons. They are responsible for ensuring that the rules are observed and order is maintained in the Chamber. When a Speaker is elected they cease to be involved in party politics and become politically impartial.; See also: Lord Speaker, Chairman of Ways and Means
Special Procedure Order: A Special Procedure Order is a form of secondary legislation to which special parliamentary procedure applies. Part of this procedure gives those people or bodies who are especially affected by the order, to petition against it to either House. If successful, such petitions are heard by a Joint Committee, consisting of Members from both Houses.; See also: Secondary legislation
Standing Orders: Standing Orders are the written rules which regulate the proceedings of each House. There are Standing Orders for both public and private business.; See also: Public business, Private Business
Statements: Government Ministers may make oral or written statements to Parliament. Oral statements usually address major incidents, government policies or actions and those made in the Commons are usually repeated in the House of Lords. Written statements are normally used to put the day-to-day business of government on the official record and in the public domain. A weekly Business Statement made by the Leader of the House of Commons sets out the future business of the House. Occasionally, a personal statement may be made by an MP or a member of the House of Lords.
Statute: An Act of Parliament (also called a statute) is a law made by the UK Parliament. All Acts start as bills introduced in either the Commons or the Lords. When a bill has been agreed by both Houses of Parliament and has been given Royal Assent by the Monarch, it becomes an Act. Acts are known as ‘primary legislation’ because they do not depend on other legislative authority.; See also: Bills, Primary legislation
Statutory Instruments
SIs: Statutory instruments are the most common form of secondary (or delegated) legislation. The power to make a statutory instrument is set out in an Act of Parliament and nearly always conferred on a Minister of the Crown. The Minister is then able to make law on the matters identified in the Act, and using the parliamentary procedure set out in the Act. SIs may follow affirmative or negative procedure, or have no procedure at all, but which to use is fixed by the Act.; See also: Acts of Parliament, Affirmative procedure, Negative procedure, Secondary legislation
Strangers: Stranger was the term used for anyone who was not a member of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It was replaced by 'Members of the Public' in 2004. "I Spy Strangers" was the traditional request for members of the public to leave the galleries of the House of Commons so that the Chamber could sit in private. Following a request from the Modernisation Committee in 1998, the procedure has been abolished and replaced by a simpler one based on the motion 'that the House sit in private.'
Sub judice: The sub judice rule prevents MPs or Lords from referring to a current or impending court case. Although the House is entitled under parliamentary privilege to discuss any subject, sub judice applies to avoid the House from debating a subject and possibly influencing the legal outcome of a case. Detailed information is set out in the Appendix of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons.; See also: Parliamentary privilege
Sunset clause: A provision in a Bill that gives it an expiry date once it is passed into law. Sunset clauses are included in legislation when it is felt that Parliament should have the chance to decide on its merits again after a fixed period.
Supplementary questions: Supplementary questions are the follow-up oral questions that may be asked, without prior notice, during ministerial question sessions in both Houses. After a government minister has given a prepared answer to a question that they have been given notice of in advance, there is normally an opportunity for one or more further questions to be asked on the same topic.; See also: Oral Questions
Supply bills: A supply bill is a bill where the main purpose is taxation or spending (supply). A supply bill can only be introduced in the House of Commons and cannot be amended by the House of Lords. Supply bills include the annual Finance, and Supply and Appropriate Bills. Supply bills may be certified as money bills.; See also: Money bills
Surgeries: Most MPs hold surgeries in their constituency to give people an opportunity to meet them and discuss matters of concern. MPs usually hold surgeries once a week and advertise them locally or online. A MP may take up an issue on a constituent's behalf.
Swearing in: Swearing in is the process of making an oath - or a solemn affirmation - of allegiance to the Crown. Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are required to swear in before they can take their seats in Parliament.; See also: Oath of Allegiance, Affirmation
Table (tabling): Tabling is the act of formally putting forward a question, a motion or an amendment in the Commons or the Lords. Members of either House do this by submitting it to the procedural clerks by hand, by post or, in some circumstances, digitally. The item will then appear in the next day's business papers or be added to the dedicated databases for written questions and EDMs. Each House has a Table Office where parliamentary questions, motions for debate and, in the Commons, EDMs are tabled. Amendments to Bills are often tabled in the Public Bill Offices of each House.; See also: Early Day Motions
Tellers: Tellers are appointed to verify the count when there is a division in the Commons or the Lords and to report the result back to the House. Four tellers are required for a division to take place: two representing those voting for the motion and two representing those voting against. Two tellers - one from each side - are present in each division lobby to ensure a fair count. The result is then reported back to the occupant of the Chair, or the Woolsack, in the Chamber. Tellers are often party whips. In the House of Commons, tellers are not counted in the totals of those voting for or against a motion. They are, however, taken into account when a quorum is required for a division. In the House of Lords, their votes are counted.; See also: Whips
Ten Minute Rule Bills: Ten Minute Rule Bills are a type of Private Members' Bill that are introduced in the House of Commons under Standing Order No 23. The ten minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes. An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.
Test Roll: The Test Roll is a book made of parchment in which new MPs or members of the Lords must sign their names when they take the oath of allegiance (or make the solemn affirmation). This was originally intended to prove - or test -a new member's loyalty the Crown.; See also: Oath of Allegiance
The 1922 Committee
The 22: The 1922 Committee, also known as "the 22", is a committee of all backbench Conservative MPs that meets weekly when the Commons is sitting. Its chair, usually a senior MP, is elected by committee members and has considerable influence within the Parliamentary Party. Despite its name, the 1922 Committee was actually set up in April 1923 following an initiative by new Conservative MPs elected at the 1922 General Election to facilitate cooperation within the party.
Third reading: Third reading is one of the stages that a Bill must pass in each House before it can become law. It is normally the final opportunity for the Commons or the Lords to decide whether to pass or reject a Bill in its entirety.; See also: Bills
Topical questions: Topical questions in the House of Commons are questions that may be asked by MPs during the last 15 minutes of most ministerial question sessions. They allow MPs to ask a minister about anything they have responsibility for without having to give them advance notice of the question. In the House of Lords one topical question is asked at the end of most daily question sessions. Time is also allocated each Thursday for a topical question for short debate in the Lords.; See also: Supplementary questions, Questions for Short Debate
Unparliamentary language: Unparliamentary language breaks the rules of politeness in the House of Commons Chamber. The Speaker will direct an MP who has used unparliamentary language to withdraw it. Refusal to withdraw a comment might lead to an MP being disciplined for example the Speaker could 'name' the Member. Words to which objection has been taken by the Speaker over the years include blackguard, coward, git, guttersnipe, hooligan, rat, swine, stoolpigeon and traitor.; See also: Naming of a Member
Unprinted papers: Unprinted papers are laid before each House but are not ordered to be printed as a House of Commons or a House of Lords Paper. They include a large number of draft statutory instruments, reports of nationalised industries and some accounts. Many of these papers are published by The Stationery Office (TSO) or the organisations concerned and can be consulted in the Parliamentary Archives.
Unwhipped vote: A free vote - or unwhipped vote - in Parliament is one in which MPs or members of the Lords are not put under pressure to vote a certain way by their party leaders. Free votes have traditionally been allowed on ethical issues that are seen as a matter of conscience.
Urgent Questions: An urgent question requires a government minister to come to the House of Commons Chamber and give an immediate answer without prior notice. An MP can apply to the Speaker for an urgent question if they think a matter is urgent and important, and there is unlikely to be another way of raising it in the House. If the Speaker agrees, the question is asked at the end of that day's question time.; See also: Parliamentary Questions, Private notice question
Usual channels: The usual channels describes the working relationship of the whips from the different parties and the leaderships of the Government and Opposition parties. The term refers to arrangements and compromises about the running of parliamentary business that are agreed behind the scenes.; See also: Whips
Vote Bundle: The Vote Bundle is the hard-copy set of daily Commons business papers that is distributed to MPs by the Vote Office. It includes: the agenda for that day, the minutes of the previous day's sitting, any new motions, questions or amendments that have been tabled since the last edition was published and the details of business scheduled for future days where that is known.
Votes and Proceedings: The Votes and Proceedings is the official record of each sitting day in the Commons. It lists the events and decisions of the day including the results of any divisions, any papers presented or committees appointed. At the end of the parliamentary year, these daily reports are combined to form the House of Commons Journal. The Votes and Proceedings can be found by date on the Commons Business Papers pages.; See also: Vote Bundle
Wash-up: The wash-up period refers to the last few days of a Parliament before dissolution. Any unfinished business is lost at dissolution and the Government may need the co-operation of the Opposition in passing legislation that is still in progress. In the past some Bills have been lost completely, while others have progressed quickly but in a much-shortened form. The introduction of Fixed-term Parliaments, where General Election dates are more predictable, was expected to make this less likely.
Ways and Means: Ways and Means is a traditional term for taxes or other charges levied on the public in order to fund Government spending.; See also: Ways and Means resolution
Ways and Means resolution: Ways and Means resolutions are used by the Commons to give consent to parts of a Bill that will involve taxes or other charges being made on the public. They are usually approved without debate after a Bill has passed its Second reading; an exception being the annual Finance Bill whose ways and means resolutions are debated after the Budget statement and agreed before the Bill is introduced.; See also: Ways and Means, Money resolutions
West Lothian question: The West Lothian Question refers to the perceived imbalance between the voting rights in the House of Commons of MPs from Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland constituencies and those of MPs from English constituencies following devolution. It has been so-called since Tam Dalyell, the former MP for West Lothian, famously raised the question in a debate on devolution to Scotland and Wales on 14 November 1977.; See also: Devolution
Westminster Hall debates: Westminster Hall debates are House of Commons debates that take place in a specially converted room, off the Westminster Hall building, rather than in the main Commons Chamber.; See also: Debates
Whips: Whips are MPs or members of the House of Lords appointed by each party to inform and organise their own members in Parliament. One of their responsibilities is to make sure that their members vote in divisions, and vote in line with party policy. It is the party whips, along with the Leader and Shadow Leaders of each House, that negotiate behind the scenes to arrange the day to day business in Parliament - a process often referred to as 'the usual channels'. The Chief Whip of a party is a senior position and they are usually involved in top-level party discussions.; See also: Tellers, Usual channels
White Papers: White papers are policy documents produced by the Government that set out their proposals for future legislation. White Papers are often published as Command Papers and may include a draft version of a Bill that is being planned. This provides a basis for further consultation and discussion with interested or affected groups and allows final changes to be made before a Bill is formally presented to Parliament.; See also: Green Papers
Will write letters: A will write letter is a letter sent by a government minister to another member of parliament if they have promised to write to them with additional information during a debate or when answering a question. Copies of these letters are placed in the Commons or Lords Library and added to the Deposited Papers database. Letters that have been sent in response to a question raised during a debate on a current Bill are added to the list of the relevant Bill's documents on our website.; See also: Deposited Papers
Woolsack: The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords. It is a large square cushion of wool covered in red cloth and is stuffed with wool brought from around the Commonwealth. The tradition of the Woolsack dates back to the reign of Edward III when the wool trade was one of the most important parts of the economy. A seat stuffed with wool was therefore a very important symbol of the wealth of the country.
Wrecking amendments: A wrecking amendment is a proposal to change the wording of a Bill so that it is made useless, contradictory or unworkable in some way. This type of amendment is used intentionally by an opponent of the Bill.; See also: Amendments, Bills
Writ of summons: A writ of summons is a document calling members of the Lords to Parliament. Members of the House of Lords may not take their seats until they have obtained their writ of summons. Writs of summons are issued by direction of the Lord Chancellor from the office of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. New writs are issued before the meeting of each Parliament to all Lords who have a right to seats in the House.; See also: Lord Chancellor
Writs: Writs are legal documents which authorise the holding of a general election or by-election. When Parliament is dissolved prior to a general election, writs are issued declaring that an election be held in each constituency. The Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 removed the power of the Monarch to issue these writs, making it instead a statutory responsibility of the Lord Chancellor and, for Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. For a by-election the writ is issued by the Speaker of the House of Commons.; See also: Writ of summons
Written questions: Written questions are parliamentary questions that are put to government ministers in writing by MPs or Members of the Lords and that receive a written answer. These questions and answers are published online in the Written Questions and Answers database.; See also: Prime Minister's Question Time
Yeoman Usher: The Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod acts as the deputy to the Lady or Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. He also attends to the Lord Speaker in carrying the Mace in and out of the House of Lords chamber.; See also: Black Rod