APPENDIX. I. STANDING AND SESSIONAL ORDERS. II. III. IV. INSTRUCTIONS. EXAMPLES OF AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. V. FORMS OF CERTIFICATES FOR ISSUE OF WRITS BY MR. SPEAKER DURING A RECESS. VI. CHANGES IN MODE OF TAKING DIVISIONS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. VII. PROCEDURE ON LORDS' AMENDMENTS. I. STANDING ORDERS: PUBLIC BUSINESS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE. the house. 1.--[24th February, 1888, 2nd May, 1902, 2nd and 3rd April, 1906.] Sittings of (1.) Unless the house otherwise order, the house shall meet every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at a quarter to three of the clock. (2.) At half-past eleven of the clock, the Speaker shall adjourn the house without question put, unless a bill originating in committee of ways and means, or unless proceedings made in pursuance of any Act of Parliament or standing order, or otherwise exempted as hereinafter provided from the operation of this standing order, be then under consideration. (3.) At eleven of the clock on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, except as aforesaid, and at five of the clock on Fridays, the proceedings on any business then under consideration shall be interrupted; and, if the house be in committee, the chairman shall leave the chair, and make his report to the house; and if a motion has been proposed for the adjournment of the house, or of the debate, or in committee that the chairman do report progress, or do leave the chair, every such dilatory motion shall lapse without question put. (4.) Provided always, that on the interruption of business the closure may be moved; and if moved, or if proceedings under the closure rule be then in progress, the Speaker or chairman shall not leave the chair, until the questions consequent thereon and on any further motion, as provided in the rule "Closure of Debate," have been decided. Duration of Friday sit tings. Termina tion of (5.) After the business under consideration at eleven and five, respectively, has been disposed of, no opposed business shall be taken. (6.) All business appointed for any sitting, and not disposed of before the termination of the sitting, shall stand over until the next sitting, or until such other sitting on any day on which the house ordinarily sits as the member in charge of the business may appoint. (7.) A motion may be made by a minister of the crown at the commencement of public business, to be decided without amendment or debate, to the following effect: "That the proceedings on any specified business, if under discussion at eleven this night, be not interrupted under the standing order 'Sittings of the House,'" or to the following effect: That the proceedings on any specified business, if under discussion when the business is postponed, be resumed and proceeded with, though opposed, after the interruption of business. (8.) Provided always, that after any business exempted from the operation of this order is disposed of, the remaining business of the sitting shall be dealt with according to the provisions applicable to business taken after eleven o'clock. (9.) Provided also, that the chairman or deputy chairman of ways and means do take the chair as deputy speaker, when requested so to do by Mr. Speaker, without any formal communication to the house; and that Mr. Speaker shall nominate, at the commencement of every session, a panel of not more than five members to act as temporary chairmen of committees, when requested by the chairman of ways and means. 2.-[5th August, 1853, 8th April, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906.] The house shall meet every Friday, at twelve o'clock at noon, for private business, petitions, orders of the day, and notices of motions, and shall continue to sit until half-past five o'clock, unless previously adjourned. 3.-[5th August, 1853, and 3rd April, 1906.] When such business has been disposed of, or at half-past five o'clock precisely, notwithFriday sit standing there may be business under discussion, Mr. Speaker shall adjourn the house without putting any question. tings. Precedence ARRANGEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. 4.-[11th April, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906.] Unless the house otherof business wise directat different sittings. (a.) Government business shall have precedence at every sitting except after a quarter-past eight on Tuesday and Wednesday and the sitting on Friday; (b.) After a quarter-past eight on Tuesday and Wednesday notices of motion and public bills, other than government bills, shall have precedence of government business; and any government business then under consideration shall, without question put, be postponed until the business having precedence of it is disposed of; (c.) After Easter government business shall have precedence during the whole of Tuesday; (d.) After Whitsuntide, until Michaelmas, government business shall have precedence at all sittings except the sittings on the third and fourth Fridays after Whit Sunday; (e.) After a quarter-past eight when government business has not precedence notices of motion shall have precedence of the orders of the day : (f.) At the sittings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the house will first proceed with petitions, motions for unopposed returns, and leave of absence to members, giving notices of motions, and unopposed private business. 5.-[28th February, 1888.] On days on which government business Arrangehas priority, the government may arrange such government business, ment of whether orders of the day or notices of motions, in such order as they may think fit. government business. govern 6.-[29th February, 1888.] After Whitsuntide, public bills, other Order of than government bills, shall be arranged on the order book so as to bills, other give priority to the bills most advanced, and Lords' amendments to than public bills appointed to be considered, shall be placed first, to be ment bills, followed by third readings, considerations of report, bills in progress after Whitin committee, bills appointed for committee, and second readings. suntide. 7.-[5th August, 1853.] No notice shall be given beyond the period Period for which shall include the four days next following on which notices are entitled to precedence; due allowance being made for any intervening motion adjournment of the house, and the period being in that case so far may be extended as to include four notice days falling during the sitting of given. the house. PRIVATE BUSINESS. which notices of 8.-[1st May, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906]. (1.) No opposed private Time for business shall be set down for the sittings on Friday, or for a quarter- taking past eight on Wednesday between Easter and Whitsuntide. (2.) All private business which is set down for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and is not disposed of by three of the clock shall, without question put, be postponed until such time as the chairman of ways and means may determine. (3.) Provided that such private business shall always be taken at a quarter-past eight on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or, as soon thereafter as any motion for the adjournment of the house standing over has been disposed of, and that such postponed business shall be distributed as near as may be proportionately between the sittings on which government business has precedence and the other sittings. (4). No opposed private business other than that then under consideration shall be taken after half-past nine of the clock. (5) Unopposed private business shall have precedence of opposed private business. QUESTIONS. private business. bers. 9.-[7th March, 1888, 29th April, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906.] Questions (1.) Notices of questions shall be given by members in writing to to memthe clerk at the table, without reading them vivâ voce in the house, unless the consent of the Speaker to any particular question has been previously obtained. (2.) Questions shall be taken on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, after private business has been disposed of, and not later than three of the clock. Motion for adjournment on matter of urgent public importance. Motions for leave to bring in bills and (3.) No questions shall be taken after a quarter before four of the clock, except questions which have not been answered in consequence of the absence of the minister to whom they are addressed, and questions which have not appeared on the paper, but which are of an urgent character, and relate either to matters of public importance or to the arrangement of business. (4.) Any member who desires an oral answer to his question may distinguish it by an asterisk, but notice of any such question must appear at latest on the notice paper circulated on the day before that on which an answer is desired. (5.) If any member does not distinguish his question by an asterisk, or if he or any other member deputed by him is not present to ask it, or if it is not reached by a quarter before four of the clock, the minister to whom it is addressed shall cause an answer to be printed and circulated with the votes, unless the member has signified his desire to postpone the question. ADJOURNMENT ON MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE. 10. [27th November, 1882, 29th April, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906.] No motion for the adjournment of the house shall be made until all the questions asked at the commencement of business on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday have been disposed of, and no such motion shall be made before the orders of the day, or notices of motion have been entered upon, except by leave of the house, unless a member rising in his place shall propose to move the adjournment for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, and not less than forty members shall thereupon rise in their places to support the motion, or unless, if fewer than forty members and not less than ten shall thereupon rise in their places, the house shall, on a division, upon question put forthwith, determine whether such motion shall be made. If the motion is so supported, or the house so determines that it shall be made, it shall stand over until a quarter-past eight on the same day. BRINGING IN BILLS AND NOMINATING SELECT COMMITTEES AT COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. 11.-[7th March, 1888, and 2nd May, 1902.] On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and, if set down by the government on Mondays and Thursdays, motions for leave to bring in bills, and for the nomination nomination of select committees, may be set down for consideration at the comof select mencement of public business. If such motions be opposed, Mr. committees Speaker, after permitting, if he thinks fit, a brief explanatory statemencement ment from the member who moves and from the member who opposes any such motion respectively, may, without further debate, put the question thereon, or the question, that the debate be now adjourned. at com of public business. Orders of day to be read ORDERS OF THE DAY. 12.-[5th August, 1853.] At the time fixed for the commencement of public business, on days on which orders have precedence of notices of motions, and after the notices of motions have been disposed of, on all other days, Mr. Speaker shall direct the clerk at the table without to read the orders of the day, without any question being put. question of orders 13.-[5th August, 1853, and 7th March, 1888.] The orders of the put. day shall be disposed of in the order in which they stand upon the Order of paper; the right being reserved to His Majesty's ministers of placing disposing government orders or motions at the head of the list, in the rotation of day. in which they are to be taken on the days on which government bills have precedence. SUPPLY AND WAYS AND MEANS. ment of 14.-[28th July, 1870.] This house will, in future, appoint the Appointcommittees of supply and ways and means at the commencement of comevery session, so soon as an address has been agreed to, in answer to mittees. His Majesty's speech. 15.-[28th April, 1902, and 3rd April, 1906.] (1.) As soon as the Business of committee of supply has been appointed and estimates have been supply. presented, the business of supply shall, until disposed of, be the first order of the day on Thursday, unless the house otherwise order on the motion of a minister of the crown, moved at the commencement of public business, to be decided without amendment or debate. (2.) Not more than twenty days, being days before the 5th of August, shall be allotted for the consideration of the annual estimates for the army, navy, and civil services, including votes on account. The days allotted shall not include any day on which the question has to be put that the Speaker do leave the chair, or any day on which the business of supply does not stand as first order. (3.) Provided that the days occupied by the consideration of estimates supplementary to those of a previous session or of any vote of credit, or of votes for supplementary or additional estimates presented by the government for war expenditure, or for any new service not included in the ordinary estimates of the year, shall not be included in the computation of the twenty days aforesaid. (4.) Provided also that on motion made after notice, to be decided without amendment or debate, additional time, not exceeding three days, may be allotted for the purposes aforesaid, either before or after the 5th of August. (5.) On a day so allotted, no business other than the business of supply shall be taken before eleven, and no business in committee or proceedings on report of supply shall be taken after eleven, whether a general order exempting business from interruption under the standing order (Sittings of the House) is in force or not, unless the house otherwise order on the motion of a minister of the crown, moved at the commencement of public business, to be decided without amendment or debate. (6.) Of the days so allotted, not more than one day in committee shall be allotted to any vote on account, and not more than one sitting to the report of that vote. At eleven on the close of the day on which the committee on that vote is taken, and at the close of the sitting on which the report of that vote is taken, the chairman of committees or the Speaker, as the case may be, shall forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of the vote or the report. |
