Monday 5 April

The House will not be sitting

The House will not be sitting

Tuesday 6 April

Business Location and time *

Oral Questions Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including Topical 2:30pm

Questions

Ten Minute Rule Motion Waste Recovery and Disposal Facilities (Public Consultation) – Nadine Dorries Legislation – Finance – Second reading Legislation Digital Economy Bill [HL] – Second reading Legislation Equality Bill – Consideration of Lords amendments Adjournment Immigration enforcement policy and the case of Mrs

Commons Commons Chamber Gladys Taulo – Miss Ann Widdecombe

Gang crime in London – Ms Diane Abbott 9:30am – 11:00am Poverty and inequality – Lynne Jones 11:00am – 12:30pm Re–doubling of the Swindon to Kemble rail line – Mr Geoffrey Clifton– 12:30pm – 1:00pm Brown

Tackling crime in Plymouth – Linda Gilroy 1:00pm – 1:30pm Hall Westminster Westminster Development of Kidderminster railway station – Dr Richard Taylor 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Tuesday 6 April (continued)

Business Location and time *

Oral Questions A cap on the earnings of former ministers – Baroness 2:30pm Seccombe Reducing the gap between the richest and the poorest – Lord Glentoran The latest truancy rate for schools – Lord Luke British armed forces personnel in Afghanistan voting in forthcoming

elections – Lord Astor of Hever

Orders and Regulations Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Amendments to Part 18A etc.) Regulations 2010, Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Liability of Issuers) Regulations 2010 and the Al–Qaida and Taliban (Asset–Freezing) Regulations 2010 – Lord Myners National Assembly for (Legislative Competence) (Housing) (Fire Safety) Order 2010, National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Culture and Other Fields) Order 2010, National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Education) Order 2010, Commons Councils (Standard Constitution) () Regulations 2010 and the Charities (Disclosure of Revenue and Customs Information to the Charity Commission for ) Regulations 2010 – Lord Davies of Oldham Legislation Powers of Entry etc. Bill [HL] – Third reading – Lord Selsdon Debate Communications Committee Report on the British film and television industries – Lord Fowler Debate Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules – Motion to regret – Lord West of Spithead/Lord Avebury Short Debate The government of Israel and its duties under international law and the road map for peace – Lord Dykes Short Debate The long–term decline of the British pig industry – Lord

Lords Lords Chamber Palmer

Legislation Flood and Water Management Bill – Committee stage 3.30pm (Day 3) – Lord Davies of Oldham

Committee

Grand Grand

Wednesday 7 April

Business Location and time *

Oral Questions 11:30am Prime Minister's 12:00pm Ten Minute Rule Motion Nuclear Fuel Cycle (Non–Proliferation and

Chamber Public Liability) – Mr Jamie Reed

Legislation Northern Ireland Assembly Members Bill [HL] – Remaining stages Adjournment Theory and practice of the role of Members of Parliament

Commons – Mr Mark Todd

Effectiveness of the House of Commons in 2010 – Martin Salter 9:30am – 11:00am Requirement for clarity in planning applications – Mr Oliver Letwin 11:00am – 11:30am

Transport in the North West – Mr 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Humanitarian aid to Iraq – Keith Hill 4:00pm – 4:30pm r r Hall

Westminste Housing in Southwark – Simon Hughes 4:30pm – 5:00pm

Oral Questions Attacks on people by dogs – Baroness Verma 3:00pm The Royal Mail‟s pension liability – Baroness Wilcox

Employment relations – Lord De Mauley Chamber

Lords Lords

Thursday 8 April

Business Location and time *

Oral Questions Energy and Climate Change, including Topical 10:30am

Questions Business Statement Ms Harriet Harman

Debate International Development Chamber

Commons Commons Adjournment Maternity services – Mr

Oral Questions Government borrowing – Baroness O'Cathain 11:00am

Government Information Communication Technology projects going over budget – Lord Marland

Aid to China – Baroness Morris of Bolton Chamber

Lords Lords

Friday 9 April

The House will not be sitting

The House will not be sitting

General Elections

A General Election has to take place before the 3rd June 2010. It is for the Prime Minister to decide when this will be. The following information is intended to explain what will happen once the Prime Minister announces a General Election and asks the Queen to dissolve Parliament.

The dissolution of Parliament before a general election

The dissolution of Parliament may occur at any time; Parliament does not need to be sitting, nor to be recalled, for the purpose of dissolution.

At dissolution a Royal Proclamation is issued. A royal proclamation is a formal notice issued to the people by the Sovereign. The role of proclamations in modern times has diminished, but the most important are those which announce the accession of a new Sovereign, and those which dissolve parliament triggering the campaign for a general election. At dissolution, the Royal Proclamation contains the order to summon a new Parliament after Polling Day. What is the difference between Dissolution and Prorogation? The draft of the Royal proclamation is submitted for Prorogation is the formal end of a approval and signature to the Queen. At the same time an Parliamentary session. All motions and order is approved directing the to cause outstanding bills fall. At this stage there is still technically a Parliament although it the „Great of the Realm‟ to be affixed to the does not sit. Dissolution is the formal end Proclamation. The Great Seal of the Realm is used to seal of a Parliament and there are no longer important state documents that the Queen wishes to give any MPs until after the General Election. From this point, MPs become prospective her formal approval to. parliamentary candidates and are not allowed to call themselves Members of The Royal Proclamation takes effect the moment it is Parliament or use Parliamentary facilities. sealed. There is no standard time between the date of the dissolution of Parliament being announced and when it occurs. Sometimes Parliament is prorogued before it is dissolved; sometimes it is dissolved without being prorogued.

Procedure after a General Election

When Parliament resumes after Polling Day, the first act of the new House of Commons is to elect a Speaker1. Once a Speaker has been elected, the new MPs can be officially sworn in2. The Speaker is the first to be sworn in, he is then followed by the other Members in order of seniority, starting with the Father of the House, Members of the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet, other Privy Counsellors and then other Ministers and Members according to their length of continuous service in the House. This can take several days.

Once the new MPs have been sworn in, the new Parliament is officially opened with the Queen‟s Speech outlining the Government‟s legislative program for the forthcoming session.

1 See http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/m02.pdf, p5

Model general election timetable

Proclamation summoning new Parliament/dissolution of old Day 0 Parliament/issue of writ

Receipt of writ Day 1

Last day for publication of notice of election (4pm) Day 3

Last day for delivery of nomination papers/withdrawals of Day 6 candidature/ appointment of election agents(4pm)

Statement of persons nominated published at close of time for making objections to nomination papers (5 pm on Day 6) or as soon afterwards as any objections are disposed of

Last day for requests for a new postal vote or to change or cancel an existing postal vote or proxy appointment (5pm)

Last day to apply to register to vote

Last day for new applications to vote by proxy (except for medical Day 11 emergencies) (5pm)

Last day for appointment of polling and counting agents Day 15

Polling Day (7 am – 10 pm) Day 17

Last day to apply for a replacement for spoilt or lost postal ballot papers (5pm)

For the purposes of the timetable, Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, a bank holiday and any day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning are disregarded. Maundy Thursday is no longer disregarded following the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

* All timings are indicative and subject to progress of other business ** This select committee meeting will be televised # A complete listing of business can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/what_s_on/what_s_on.cfm Oral ministerial statements are announced on the day: phone 020 7219 4272 for details

General Information

Questions to Ministers The first hour each day except Friday is Ten Minute Rule Bill An opportunity for a backbench MP to "seek devoted to Oral Questions to Ministers. Each Government leave" to introduce a Bill in a 10–minute speech. An opponent may Department has a slot once a month. speak against, also for 10 minutes, after which there can be a vote.

Second Reading The first debate on a Bill, at which the House is Adjournment Debate A half–hour debate at the end of each day's asked to give approval to the principles of the Bill. Detailed sitting, introduced by an individual backbench MP and responded to consideration in Committee follows. No changes can be made to the by a Government Minister. Often an opportunity to raise a text of the Bill at this stage. constituency issue.

General Committee Usually, Public Bill Committees of between 16 Select Committee One of 40 or so cross–party Committees of and 50 MPs that examine the detail of Bills which have had a backbench MPs appointed to consider particular subjects. The Second Reading. Other General Committees include Grand "Departmental Select Committees" investigate the expenditure, Committees, which usually debate an issue, Delegated Legislation administration and policy of each Government Department. The Committees, which debate secondary legislation and European membership is stable across the term of a Parliament. Standing Committees, which examine EU documents.

Report Stage The House considers any amendments (changes to Westminster Hall Debate The "parallel Chamber" which sits three

the Bill) made by a public bill committee. Further amendments can days a week, mostly debating subjects raised by , and be made to the Bill at this stage. A new version of the Bill Select Committee Reports. "Cross–cutting" sessions of Oral incorporating the changes made during Committee Stage is normally Questions, on topics which affect several Government Departments, printed before Report Stage. are also held.

Third Reading The final debate on a Bill as amended in Committee Backbench MP A Backbench MP is a who and at Report stage, before the Bill is sent to the Lords for holds no official position in government or in his or her party.

consideration (or, in the case of a Lords Bill, for ). Commons Glossary Commons

Oral Questions take place at the beginning of the day‟s business for Questions for Short Debate An opportunity for backbench up to 30 minutes on Mondays to Thursdays. Lords questions are to Members to raise questions for debate. Generally these are taken the Government as a whole. On Tuesday – Thursday the last around 7.30pm (lunchtime on Thursday) and last for 60 or 90 Question is a “topical question” submitted at short notice and minutes. chosen by ballot.

Second Reading The first debate on a Bill, at which the House is Debates (To call attention, take note or motion for papers) Most asked to give approval to the principles of the Bill. No changes can debates take place on Thursdays. There are usually two debates, be made to the text of the Bill at this stage. each limited to 2 ½ hours. Topics are chosen either by one of the parties/groups, or by ballot from backbenchers. The Member who calls for the debate speaks first and a minister also contributes.

Committee Stage (in the Chamber – Committee of the Whole Grand Committee The House may do certain business in Grand House) This is the first line by line examination of the Bill and takes Committee, usually in the Moses Room. The procedure is identical place in the Chamber. Every Member of the House to the Chamber, except a division/vote is not possible. Grand of Lords can participate and suggest amendments. Committee can be used for a debate on delegated legislation, a Grand Committee Committee stage of a Bill can take place in the debate on a committee report or a Question for Short Debate. Moses Room. The procedure is identical, but there are no voting lobbies so a division/vote is not possible.

Report Stage Further amendments can be made to the Bill at this Orders and Regulations For practical purposes powers are often stage. A new version of the Bill incorporating the changes made given to the executive (Government Ministers) to make delegated (or

during Committee stage is normally printed before Report stage. secondary) legislation. Delegated legislation, in the form of statutory instruments, may be used for example to uprate certain annual Third Reading The final amending stage of the Bill in the Lords, grants and benefits where the basic rules have been agreed in this is the last chance to amend the Bill and is normally used for primary legislation but the rates or amounts need to be altered from “dotting the Is and crossing the Ts” rather than introducing time to time. important new issues.

Lords Glossary These statutory instruments are often called Orders or Regulations.

Produced by the House of Commons Information Office Tel: 020 7219 4272 email: [email protected] www.parliament.uk