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Companion to the Standing Orders and Proceedings of the House of Lords
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Companion to the Standing Orders and Proceedings of the House of Lords
Companion to Standing Orders
Companion to the Standing Orders
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
ABBREVIATIONS
CHAPTER 1: THE HOUSE AND ITS MEMBERSHIP
Composition of the House
Disqualification for membership
Membership of the House under SOs 9 and 10
Retirement
Writ of summons
Introduction and sitting first in Parliament
Oath of allegiance and affirmation
Leave of absence
Access to the facilities of the House
Tax status
Notification of death of member
The Lord Speaker
Chairman of Committees
Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees
Deputy Speakers and Deputy Chairmen
Seating in the Chamber
Steps of the Throne
Diagram of the Chamber
CHAPTER 2: THE CROWN AND PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS
Opening of Parliament
First meeting after State Opening
Prorogation
Dissolution
Effect of termination of session
Demise of the Crown
Emergency recall of the House
Addresses to the Crown
Messages from the Crown
CHAPTER 3: SITTINGS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE
Lord Speaker's procession and the Mace
Prayers
Quorum
Change of Speaker
Adjournment
Secret sittings
Grand Committee
Leave of the House
Suspension of standing orders
House documents
House of Lords Business
Arrangement of business
Official Report
Journals
Parliamentary papers
Public petitions
Messages between the two Houses
CHAPTER 4: CONDUCT IN THE HOUSE
Self-regulation
Role of the Leader of the House, Whips and Lord Speaker
Conduct in the House
Relevance
Order of speaking
Interruption of speeches
Speaking more than once
Attendance at debate
Length of speeches
Reading of speeches
Languages other than English
Reference to visitors
Speaking on behalf of outside interests
References in debate to the House of Commons
Maiden speeches
Appellations
Asperity of speech (SO 32)
"That the noble Lord be no longer heard"
The Next Business motion
Closure
SUB JUDICE
MINISTERIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Members and employees of public boards
CHAPTER 5: MEMBERS' CONDUCT
Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords
The Guide to the Code of Conduct
General principles and rules of conduct
Participation in proceedings
Registration and declaration of interests
Members' financial support
Use of facilities and services
Enforcement
Disciplinary powers
CHAPTER 6: STATEMENTS, QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS
STATEMENTS
Personal statements
Ministerial statements (oral)
Written statements
QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS
Questions and Motions: general principles
Questions
Motions
CHAPTER 7: DIVISIONS
General principles
Voting in wrong lobby
Voting in both lobbies
Votes of the Lord Speaker and Chairman
Discrepancies
Insufficiency of Tellers
Equality of votes
Quorum on divisions
Proxies
Protests
CHAPTER 8: PUBLIC BILLS
Stages of a public bill
Successive stages of a bill to be taken on different days
Recommended minimum intervals between the stages of a bill
Carry-over
Introduction and first reading
Devolution
Procedure on introduction: Lords bills
Procedure on introduction: Commons bills
Bills brought up and printed when Lords not sitting
Printing of bills and explanatory notes
European Convention on Human Rights
Notice of subsequent stages
Government and private members' bills
Commons bills not taken up within twelve sitting days
Withdrawal of bills
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee
Constitution Committee
Pre-legislative scrutiny
SECOND READING
Opposition to second reading
Second reading agreed to with amendment
Procedure on amendments to second reading motion
Motion for adjournment of second reading debate
Consideration in a Second Reading Committee
COMMITMENT
Instructions
AMENDMENTS
Tabling of amendments
Admissibility of amendments
Printing of amendments
Rules of marshalling
Marshalled lists
Manuscript amendments
Procedure on amendments
Pre-emption
Grouping of amendments
Amendments moved
en bloc
PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
Powers and duties of Chairman
Powers of Committee of the whole House
Procedure in Committee of the whole House
Clause stand part
Postponement of clauses
Schedules
Preamble and long title
House resumed during committee stage
Conclusion of proceedings in committee
Report received immediately
Committee dispensed with or discharged
PROCEEDINGS IN GRAND COMMITTEE
OTHER COMMITTEE PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC BILLS
Public bill committee
Special public bill committee
Procedures common to public bill committees and special public bill committees
Bill committed to select or joint committee
Recommitment
Consideration in Committee of the whole House at later stages of bills
REPORT STAGE
Amendments on report
Repeat amendments
Amendments grouped and
en bloc
Opposition to clause or Schedule
Manuscript amendments
Rules of debate on report
Conclusion of proceedings on report
THIRD READING AND PASSING
Procedure on third reading
Notice of amendments
Admissibility of amendments
Further proceedings after third reading
Privilege amendment
Passing
Bill sent or returned to Commons
PROCEEDINGS ON BILLS RETURNED FROM THE COMMONS
Consideration of Commons amendments
Amendments to Commons amendments
Procedure on consideration of Commons amendments
Commons amendments agreed to
Commons amendments agreed to with amendments
Commons amendments disagreed to
Further communications between the two Houses
LORDS AMENDMENTS TO COMMONS BILLS
LORDS AMENDMENTS AND COMMONS FINANCIAL PRIVILEGE
Privilege reasons
CONSENT OF THE CROWN
ROYAL ASSENT
Record copies of Acts
PROCEDURES WHICH APPLY ONLY TO CERTAIN TYPES OF BILL
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
Supply bills
Separate subjects
Tacking
Consolidation bills
Tax law rewrite bills
Hybrid bills
MEASURES
ENDORSEMENTS
CHAPTER 9: PRIVATE LEGISLATION
Role of the Chairman of Committees
1: PRIVATE BILLS
Origination of private bills
Examination for compliance with standing orders
European Convention on Human Rights
Late bills
Lords bills: introduction and first reading
Subsequent stages
Petitions against private bills
Petitions for additional provision
Second reading
Instructions
Commitment
Committees on opposed bills
Locus standi
Bill rejected
Recommitment
Special report
Unopposed bill committees
Report
Third reading and passing
Commons bills
Queen's Consent
Commons amendments
Royal Assent
Personal bills
Proceedings after first reading for personal bills
Marriage enabling bills
2: PROVISIONAL ORDER CONFIRMATION BILLS
3: SCOTTISH PRIVATE LEGISLATION
Legislation not confined to Scotland
Draft orders
Order refused
Substituted bill
Unopposed orders
Opposed orders
Confirmation bills
4: TRANSPORT AND WORKS ACT 1992
CHAPTER 10: DELEGATED LEGISLATION AND OTHER MATTERS
DELEGATED LEGISLATION
General powers of the House over delegated legislation
Types of delegated legislation
Scrutiny of delegated legislation
Affirmative instruments
Negative instruments
Orders under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006
Remedial orders
Hybrid instruments
Special procedure orders
Northern Ireland Assembly legislation
EUROPEAN UNION LEGISLATION
NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS
SCRUTINY OF TREATIES
CHAPTER 11: SELECT COMMITTEES
Motions of appointment
Instructions
Membership
Rotation rule
Chairman
Powers
Proceedings in committee
Participation by non-members
Recess, prorogation and dissolution
Report
Joint committees
SESSIONAL COMMITTEES
Committees on public matters
Committees on private business
Domestic committees
Bodies analogous to select committees
INTERNATIONAL DELEGATIONS
CHAPTER 12: PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE AND RELATED MATTERS
Privilege of Parliament
Freedom of speech
Freedom to attend freely
Control by Parliament of its affairs
Disciplinary and penal powers
Privilege of peerage
HUMAN RIGHTS
PARLIAMENTARY COPYRIGHT
BROADCASTING
DATA PROTECTION
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
APPENDIX A: DIVISIONS: INSTRUCTIONS TO TELLERS
APPENDIX B: RULES FOR THE ADMISSION OF VISITORS
APPENDIX C: ROYAL COMMISSIONS
APPENDIX D: OPENING OF A NEW PARLIAMENT AND ELECTION OF COMMONS SPEAKER
APPENDIX E: THE QUEEN'S SPEECH
APPENDIX F: ROYAL ASSENT BY COMMISSION
APPENDIX G: PROROGATION BY COMMISSION
APPENDIX H: ENDORSEMENTS TO BILLS
APPENDIX J: PRAYERS FOR THE PARLIAMENT
APPENDIX K: INTRODUCTIONS
APPENDIX L: SCRUTINY RESERVE RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE WORK OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COMMITTEE
© Parliamentary copyright 2010