House of Commons
Session 2003 - 04
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Sessional Information Digest
Sessional Information Digest: 2003 - 04

Section A1

Sittings of the House and Dates of Session

The House sat on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and all but 16 Fridays during the following periods (all dates inclusive):

    26 November 2003 -18 December 2003

    5 January 2004 - 12 February 2004

    23 February 2004 - 1 April 2004

    19 April 2004 - 30 April 2004

    4 May 2004 - 27 May 2004

    7 June 2004 - 22 July 2004

    7 September 2004 - 16 September 2004

    11 October 2004 - 18 November 2004

The total number of sitting days was 157. The House sat for 1,215 hours and 19 minutes, and the average length of the daily sitting (including Fridays) was 7 hours and 44 minutes.

The House sat on the following Fridays only: 30 January; 6 and 27 February; 5, 12, and 26 March; 23 and 30 April; 14 and 21 May; 18 June; 16 July; and 15 October.

Analysis of the time of the session

Type of Business
Total time spent (hours:minutes)
1
Addresses, other than Prayers (including debate on Queen's Speech)
37.26
2
Government Bills
Second Reading debate (Bills committed to a Standing Committee)
133.23
Second Reading debate (Bills committed to a Committee of the Whole House)
11.11
Committee of the Whole House
16.50
Consideration (Report stage)
129.06
Third Reading
22.43
Lords Amendments
54.52
Allocation of Time Order (including Programme Motions)
16.31
Committal and Carry-over Motions
3.48
3
Private Members' Bills
Motions for the introduction of Ten Minute Rule Bills
12.07
Second Reading
42.59
Other stages
19.59
4
Private Business
-
5
Government motions
European Community Documents
5.06
General
29.48
6
Opposition motions
Opposition Days (20 days)
130.10
Opposition Motions in Government Time
6.28
7
Adjournment
Government debates on motions for the Adjournment
99.13
Last day before Recesses
14.31
Emergency debates (SO No 24)
-
Daily (at end of business)
79.02
8
Estimates
12.10
9
Money Resolutions
3.55
10
Ways and Means Resolutions (including Budget Debate)
27.26
11
Motions for Approval of Statutory Instruments (Affirmative)
14.35
12
Motions to Annual or Revoke Statutory Instruments (Negative)
-
13
Oral Questions
130.57
Urgent Questions
6.20
Statements
67.35
Business statements
29.24
SO No 24 Applications
0.03
Points of Order and Speaker's Rulings
13.33
Presentation of Public Petitions
2.31
Miscellaneous
(including suspensions of the proceedings of the House)
15.53
Daily Prayers
13.05
Sessional Total
1,215.19
Note:The time taken up by divisions is included with the class of business upon which the divisions were called

Westminster Hall

The total number of sitting hours in Westminster Hall was 411 hours and 16 minutes.


Section A2

Parliamentary Questions

Statistics of Parliamentary Questions are available in two forms. The figures for each, which for various reasons (mainly owing to methods of counting and recording) are not exactly comparable, are as follows:

Questions appearing on the Order Paper calculated by the Table Office

Appearing on the Order Paper for oral answer
3,687 1
Put down for written answer on a named day
8,712
Put down for ordinary written answer
46,163
Total
59,855

1 Of which 2, 206 received an oral answer in the House on one of the 224 days on which such answers were given

Note:Not all questions put down for Oral Answer will receive such an answer - the rest are answered in writing

Questions appearing in Hansard, and indexed in the Parliamentary On-line Indexing Service (POLIS)

Oral replies (including supplementaries)
5844 2
(Oral questions answered excluding supplementaries 2079)
Written replies
50,009 3
Total
55,853

2 Number of tabled questions answered (excluding supplementaries) was 2,254

3 With POLIS, several written questions from the same Member, if answered together by the Minister, may have been treated as one question

The total number of Urgent Questions (excluding Business Questions) was 12

.


Section A3

Opposition Days

LD- Liberal Democrat PC - Plaid Cymru SNP - Scottish National Party (a) Unallotted day

Date
Day Number
Subject of Debate
7.1.04
1
1) NHS performance indicators
2) Care homes
13.1.04
2
1) National Audit Office report on Operation Telic - UK military operations in Iraq (HC 60 2003/04)
2) Future of the Post Office network
21.1.04
3
1) Case for a Civil Service Bill
2) Scottish constituencies - Members' voting rights (West Lothian question)
10.2.04
4
1) The Environment (LD)
2)Local Taxation (LD)
11.2.04
24.2.04
5
1) Regional Assemblies
2) Pension scheme wind-ups
3.3.04
6
1)Trade justice for the developing world
2) Protection of vulnerable children
9.3.04
(a)
1) Attorney General's advice on Iraq (PC)
2) Young people and democracy (SNP)
24.3.04
29.4.04
7
1) Post Office services
2) Animal and plant diseases
30.3.04
8
1) Immigration entry clearance standards
2)European Union (EU) constitution referendum
21.4.04
9
1) Doctors' hours
2) London
5.5.04
15.6.04
10
1) Housing
2) Transport
17.5.04
11
1) Iraq (LD)
2) Local government finance (LD)
26.5.04
12
1) Local government finance
2) Town planning and green belts
22.6.04
13
1) Electoral system
2) NHS recruitment and selection
30.6.04
14
1) Regional government
2) Business deregulation
5.7.04
15
1) Postal services
2) Personal indebtedness and savings
8.9.04
16
1) Pensions policy
2) Hospital-acquired infection
14.9.04
17
1) Higher Education (LD)
2) Older Women (LD)
13.10.04
18
Pensions and welfare reform
18.10.04
19
Crime
25.10.04
20
1) University admissions policy
2) Wind farms
11.11.04
(a)
Family doctor services


Section A4

Estimates Days

Standing Order No 54 provides that three days shall be allotted during each session for the consideration of Estimates (see Factsheet P6 on Financial Procedure). The subjects are set down by resolution of the Liaison Committee.

Date
No. of Allotted Day
Principal Subjects
11.12.03
1st (part 1)
1st (part 2)
Child care for working parents
People, post offices and pensions
11.3.04
2nd (part 1)
2nd (part 2)
Aviation services
Biofuels
24.6.04
3rd (part 1)
3rd (part 2 )
Highways agency
Taxis and private hire vehicles


Section A5

Government Substantive Motions

Date
Subject
26.11.03
Sessional Orders
29.01.04
House of Commons Members Estimate; Bicycle and Motorcycle Allowances
25.02.04
Privy Counsellor Review Committee Report on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 Review
22.04.04
Security Screen
22.04.04
Visitor Facilities
11.05.04
Visitor Facilities
12.05.04
Estimates and Appropriation Procedure
07.06.04
Joint Activities with the National Assembly for Wales
07.06.04
Nomination of Select Committees
23.06.04
Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund
26.10.04
Programming of Bills, Procedure for Debates, Deferred Divisions, Carry-over of Bills, Short Speeches and Removal of References to Strangers
03.11.04
Members' Allowances
03.11.04
Sessional Orders and Resolutions


Section A6

Standing Order No 24

Standing Order No 24 allows Members to suggest that a specific and important matter should have urgent consideration and that an emergency debate be held upon it. It is for the Speaker to decide whether the matter is sufficiently specific, important, and urgent to warrant giving it precedence, and among other things to have regard to the probability of the matter being brought before the House by other means; the Chair in general gives leave very seldom. During the 2003-04 Session, there was one unsuccessful application (20/10/2004, application by Stephen Hesford MP in connection with the closure of a factory in the Wirral West constituency).


Section A7

Divisions

The total number of divisions during the 2003-04 Session was 340.


Section A8

Early Day Motions

The total number of Early Day Motions tabled during the 2003-04 Session was 1941 of which 18 were prayers for the annulment of statutory instruments. Factsheet P3 on Early Day Motions is available from the House of Commons Information Office.

 
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Prepared 19 January 2005