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Parallel Chambers PARALLEL CHAMBERS Memorandum from Sir David Natzler KCB, Clerk of the House of Commons, to The House of Commons (Canada) Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs This memorandum will primarily focus on Westminster Hall, the parallel Chamber in the House of Commons, which has been in operation since 1999. Some reference to the operation of Grand Committees will also be included towards the end of the memorandum. WESTMINSTER HALL Overview 1. During the 1998-99 parliamentary session, the House of Commons Modernisation Committee published two reports regarding proposals for a parallel Chamber. Taking inspiration from procedures used in the House of Representatives, Canberra, where certain business was conducted in a parallel (albeit subordinate) Chamber, the first of these reports indicated some of the issues which would need to be addressed if a parallel Chamber were to be introduced, the impact it might have on the House of Commons, as well as some proposals for how it might work practically. The report was agreed to by the House, and the Committee embarked upon a second report to take the proposals forward. 2. The second of these reports, published later that session, reiterated the arguments for a parallel Chamber and outlined proposals for procedure relating to chairing the sittings, sitting hours, and types of Business to be taken, as well as procedure during the meetings themselves. The Report was approved by the House on 24 May 1999. 3. Since the beginning of the 1999-2000 Session, parallel sittings have been held in Westminster Hall and have provided the House of Commons with an additional forum for debate which has created more parliamentary time without increasing sitting hours. Westminster Hall was originally established by a Sessional Order but has been governed by Standing Order No. 10 since 2003. Since its establishment, Westminster Hall debates have taken place in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons. Sitting schedule 4. Under Standing Order No. 10(1), Westminster Hall sits on days which the House sits. On Mondays, Westminster Hall sittings begin at 4.30pm and continue for up to three hours. Westminster Hall will only sit on a Monday if the Petitions Committee has recommended one or more e-petition or petition to be considered, but it is worth noting that this is a relatively recent change: the Petitions Committee was only set up at the beginning of the in 2015-16 session. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Westminster Hall sittings begin at 9.30am. The sittings are suspended from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and then continue for up to a further three hours. On Thursdays, Westminster Hall sittings begin at 1.30pm and continue for up to thee hours, and on Fridays, Westminster Hall does not sit even if the main Chamber is sitting. 5. There are two exceptions to the above: first, Westminster Hall does not sit until the House has concluded its debate on the Queen’s Speech at the beginning of each session. Secondly, if the sitting occurs on a Tuesday or Wednesday, which is the first day on which the House sits immediately following a periodic adjournment of more than two days, the sitting will begin at 9.30am and end at 2.30pm. However, this can be disapplied – most recently so on 9th October 2018. 6. The debates are broken up into a mixture of 30, 60 and 90-minute slots, and sittings in Westminster Hall are suspended if there is a division in the House or in Committee of the whole House. If a debate is interrupted by a division or divisions, 15 minutes is added to the debate for each of these interruptions. 7. If the main Chamber rises earlier than expected, but debates in Westminster Hall are still ongoing, the Westminster Hall sitting will not be cut short and will continue until the debates have run their course. In this case, the House is still considered to be sitting, for purposes of the giving of notice of future business or laying of papers, until Westminster Hall rises. Orders of business to be considered 8. Under Standing Order No. 10(6), the business taken at any sitting in Westminster Hall is appointed by the Chairman of Ways and Means. Notwithstanding this, business taken at any Thursday sitting of Westminster Hall is determined by the Backbench Business Committee1 or the Liaison Committee. 2 In setting/deciding the business on these days, the Committees are acting under the authority of the Chairman of Ways and Means. If they do not appoint any business on any of these days, the Chairman of Ways of Means can do so instead. During a session, most Thursdays are dedicated to Backbench Business Committee debates, but up to a maximum of 20 Thursdays per session can be set down at the request of the Liaison Committee to debate select committee reports. 9. As noted above, sittings in Westminster Hall on a Monday take place if the Petitions Committee has selected one or more e-petitions or, less frequently, petitions to be debated. 10. Tuesdays and Wednesdays devoted to debates allocated to private Members who have applied for them. Applications are overseen by the Table Office, and debates are allocated by a ballot which is held by the Speaker’s Office. Any Member can apply for a Westminster Hall debate, with the exception of Ministers, principal Opposition frontbenchers and other frontbenchers on a subject for which they are a spokesperson 11. In their application for a Westminster Hall debate, Members must specify whether they are applying for a 30, 60 or 90-minute debate, what the title of the debate is, which Government department they propose should answer the debate, and whether they have any interests to declare. Members of Parliament can apply for up to two Westminster Hall debates each week, or may apply for two time slots for one debate. 12. Government departments answer debates in Westminster Hall according to a rota which is published in the ‘Announcements’ section of the Order Paper. When a Member is applying for a Westminster Hall debate, they must check when the department they want a response from is responding to debates, and specify that they are applying for that week in particular. 13. It is worth noting that a 90-minute debate each Tuesday morning is also made available to the Backbench Business Committee by the Chairman of Ways and Means, should the Committee wish to make use of it. 1 The Backbench Business Committee was established during the 2010 Parliament with the power to allocate business on at least 27 sitting days in the House (35 in total including Westminster Hall), to backbench business, not including Private Members’ Bills, or end of day adjournments. The Committee was the first business committee to be established in the House of Commons. 2 The Liaison Committee, first appointed in 1979, is a select committee made up of the Chairs of each of the select committees across the House. Its role is to consider general matters relating to select committee work, and to provide advice on their work to the House of Commons Commission as requested. 14. Under Standing Order No. 10(6), the business in Westminster Hall can also include oral questions which are tabled in advance under arrangements agreed by the Chairman of Ways and Means. The intention, as explained in the Modernisation Committee report, was to allow thematic, cross-cutting question sessions which might be answered by Ministers from several departments. Chaired by the Deputy Speaker, the first Questions were taken in Westminster Hall on 23 January 2003 on the subject of ‘Youth Policy’, and Ministers from four different departments were present to answer questions.3 The Deputy Speaker, who was in the Chair at the time, outlined the procedure for the debate, which can be seen in the Official Report for that day. 15. The rules for questions in Westminster Hall are largely the same as in the Chamber, but Oral Questions have not taken place since the 2003-04 session. 16. Since 2004, annual debates have been held in Westminster Hall on the House of Commons Commission Annual Report and Accounts.4 The debate is arranged by a member of the House of Commons Commission (an MP) applying for a debate in the usual way, and the Speaker exercising his discretion of the selection of that debate. During this debate, the Member in charge answers questions rather than a Minister. 17. Since 2015, all debates in Westminster Hall have been held on consecutive neutrally worded, general motions which begin “That this House has considered [the subject of the debate]”, moved by the Member in charge of each debate. Before that, debates were held on a single motion of “That this House do now adjourn”, moved by a Minister or a Whip at the beginning of proceedings each day. Under Standing Order No. 24B, a motion of this type, expressed in neutral terms, may not be amended. Presiding over proceedings 18. Under Standing Order No. 10(10), proceedings in Westminster Hall are presided over by the Chairman of Ways and Means or a member of the Panel of Chairs. The Panel, nominated by the Speaker under Standing Order No. 4, act as temporary Chairs of committees when requested by the Chairman of Ways and Means. Members of the Panel can take the Chair in Westminster Hall debates but are addressed by name. Quorum requirements 19. The quorum at a sitting of Westminster Hall is three. In practice, Westminster Hall debates will usually be attended at least by the Chair, the Member in charge of the debate, a representative of the Government and a representative of the Official Opposition,5 as well as any other Member of the House who wish to participate in, or listen to, the debate.
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