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Sessional statistics on Business and Membership


Browse the full sessional statistics, which provide a breakdown of the work of the House of Lords for each session of Parliament.

Session 2008-09: 3 December 2008 to 12 November 2009

Sittings of the House in the session

(Excluding Grand Committees)

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06‡

Sittings of the House in the session

1.

Number of sitting days

(excluding days when the House sat for judicial business only and swearing-in days)

134

164

142

206

2.

Number of weeks during which the House sat

32

40

35

50

3.

Number of Friday sittings

11

12

9

14

4.

Number of hours for which the House sat*

907:22

1110:09

926:19

1372:44

5.

Average daily attendance

400

413

415

403

Length of sittings

6.

Average length of sitting*

6:46

6:46

6:31

6:39

7.

Number of sittings continuing beyond 10pm

37

53

36

54

8.

Number of sittings continuing to 10:40pm and beyond

10

18

12

21

Divisions (votes) in the session

9.

Number of divisions – see note below

89

125

104

192

i)

Government victories in divisions

61

69%

93

75%

54

52%

124

65%

ii)

Government defeats in divisions

25

28%

29

23%

45

43%

62

32%

iii)

Unwhipped divisions

3

3%

3

2%

5

5%

6

3%

Dates of sessions

2008-09

3 December 2008 to 12 November 2009

2007-08

6 November 2007 to 26 November 2008

2006-07

15 November 2006 to 30 October 2007

2005-06

17 May 2005 to 8 November 2006

This session, the first of the current Parliament, ran from May 2005 to November 2006. (Typically sessions run from November to November.)

* Time is shown in the form hours:minutes. Time shown includes adjournments during pleasure (breaks during a sitting). See How the time of the House was spent for details.

Divisions

A government victory or defeat is defined as one where at least one of the tellers is a government whip. Unwhipped divisions are divisions where none of the tellers is a government whip, so the Government in the Lords has not taken a formal position on the question being voted upon.

Number of questions, debates, statements, and proceedings on delegated legislation

(Excluding Grand Committee)

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06‡

1.

Oral Questions (up to four questions totalling 30 minutes each day Monday - Thursday)

484

595

519

743

2.

Private Notice Questions (oral questions on urgent matters, up to 10 minutes of questions and answers)

7

3

2

2

3.

Questions for Written Answer answered

5655

5814

5118

7374

Debates - Number of motions in each category:

4.

General back-bench debates (allocated by party/group)

27

36

23

52

5.

General back-bench debates (allocated by ballot and time-limited to 2½ hours)

12

13

14

22

6.

Other general back-bench debates (not on the normal debate day)

0

1

0

3

7.

General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government

3

6

9

6

8.

Debates on Select Committee reports - total

17

27

24

32

i)

On European Union Committee reports

6

10

13

15

ii)

On other investigative Select Committee reports

11

11

7

5

iii)

On domestic Select Committee reports (administration & procedure)

3

6

4

12

9.

Questions for Short Debate - total

38

45

55

89

i)

Taken in normal time

11

15

29

51

ii)

Taken in the dinner/lunch break

27

30

26

38

10.

Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech

1

1

1

1

11.

Motions for an Address not on the Queen’s Speech or on delegated legislation

0

0

0

1

Statements – Number of:

12.

Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House

66

63

59

71

13.

Written Statements

1112

1242

1043

1648

Delegated Legislation – Number of:

14.

Motions to approve affirmative instruments

187

185

169

219

15.

Motions to annul negative instruments

3

17

6

11

16.

Other proceedings on delegated legislation

6

6

5

7

How the time of the House was spent

(Excluding Grand Committee)

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06‡

The time of the House was spent approximately as follows (with percentages of total sitting time):

1.

Prayers (six minutes at the start of each sitting day)

12:15

1.4%

14:00

1.3%

11:40

1.3%

16:48

1.2%

2.

Introductions of new Members

1:28

0.2%

1:41

0.2%

1:46

0.2%

7:39

0.6%

3.

Oral Questions (up to four questions totalling 30 minutes each day Monday - Thursday)

61:31

6.8%

75:54

6.8%

64:46

7%

92:54

6.8%

4.

Private Notice Questions (oral questions on urgent matters, up to 10 minutes of questions and answers)

1:19

0.1%

0:31

<0.1%

0:18

<0.1%

0:21

<0.1%

5.

General back-bench debates (allocated by party/group)

70:03

7.7%

90:39

8.2%

88:04

9.5%

137:41

10.0%

6.

General back-bench debates (allocated by ballot and time-limited to 2½ hours)

25:06

2.8%

26:54

2.4%

28:44

3.1%

44:12

3.2%

7.

Other general back-bench debates (not on the normal debate day)

0:00

0%

4:14

0.4%

0:00

0%

4:29

0.3%

8.

General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government

13:08

1.4%

20:17

1.8%

43:25

4.7%

20:53

1.5%

9.

Debates on Select Committee reports - total

31:00

3.4%

37:17

3.4%

35:27

3.8%

59:48

4.4%

i)

European Union Committee reports

10:29

1.1%

14:46

1.3%

20:53

2.3%

34:28

2.5%

ii)

Science and Technology Committee reports

1:57

0.2%

4:30

0.4%

1:56

0.2%

10:51

0.8%

iii)

Economic Affairs Committee reports

2:25

0.3%

5:49

0.5%

3:09

0.3%

3:33

0.3%

iv)

Joint Committee on Human Rights reports

0:00

0%

1:00

0.1%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

v)

Constitution Committee reports

3:59

0.4%

1:49

0.2%

3:45

0.4%

0:00

0%

vi)

Communications Committee reports

3:48

0.4%

4:26

0.4%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

vii)

Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee reports

4:11

0.5%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

viii)

Reports of ad hoc committees

1:43

0.2%

1:46

0.2%

4:22

0.5%

0:00

0%

ix)

Domestic Select Committee reports (administration & procedure)

2:28

0.3%

3:11

0.3%

1:22

0.1%

10:56

0.8%

10.

Questions for Short Debate - total

37:29

4.1%

45:22

4.1%

57:04

6.1%

95:25

7.0%

i)

Taken in normal time

11:29

1.3%

17:43

1.6%

31:44

3.4%

59:50

4.2%

ii)

Taken in the dinner/lunch break

26:00

2.8%

27:39

2.5%

25:20

2.7%

37:35

2.8%

11.

Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech

32:22

3.7%

32:02

2.9%

32:43

3.5%

32:15

2.3%

12.

Motions for an Address not on the Queen’s Speech or on delegated legislation

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:11

<0.1%

13.

Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House

51:36

5.7%

50:24

4.5%

45:46

4.9%

52:13

3.8%

14.

Church of England Measures

0:33

0.1%

0:19

<0.1%

0:20

<0.1%

0:14

<0.1%

15.

Public Bills (See Time spent on Public Bills)

509:56

56.2%

623:20

56.1%

446:13

48.2%

719:49

52.4%

16.

Private Bills

2:01

0.2%

2:35

0.2%

1:22

0.1%

5:14

0.4%

17.

Approval of affirmative instruments

27:44

3.0%

40:14

3.6%

35:21

3.8%

42:09

3.1%

18.

Motions to annul negative instruments

5:41

0.6%

9:16

0.8%

7:50

0.8%

6:42

0.5%

19.

Other proceedings on delegated legislation

4:07

0.5%

5:06

0.5%

5:21

0.6%

5:36

0.4%

20.

Formal business

4:18

0.5%

3:53

0.3%

3:13

0.3%

5:18

0.4%

21.

Adjournments during pleasure (breaks during a sitting)

14:00

1.5%

25:58

2.3%

13:31

1.5%

12:43

0.9%

22.

Other (tributes, unusual events and procedures)

0:39

0.1%

0:13

<0.1%

3:17

0.3%

1:23

0.1%

Time spent on Public Bills

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06‡

Public Bills

(including hybrid Bills) (time spent in Grand Committee is excluded)

The time spent on Bills (with percentages of total sitting time) was as follows:

1.

Public Bills - total

509:56

56.2%

623:20

56.1%

446:13

48.2%

719:49

52.4%

2.

Public Bills according to House the bill was introduced into:

i)

Bills which started in the Lords

225:11

24.8%

203:34

18.3%

203:39

22%

217:29

15.8%

ii)

Bills which started in the Commons

284:45

31.4%

419:46

37.8%

242:34

26.2%

502:20

36.6%

3.

Public Bills according to type:

i)

Government Bills

478:45

52.8%

594:59

53.6%

402:57

43.5%

687:57

50.1%

ii)

Private Members’ Bills

31:11

3.4%

28:21

2.5%

43:16

4.7%

31:52

2.3%

4.

Time spent on second readings - total

95:15

10.5%

121:04

10.9%

111:19

12%

161:56

22.5%

Second reading according to type:

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

26:05

2.9%

27:30

2.5%

24:14

2.6%

33:51

4.7%

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

41:42

4.6%

72:25

6.5%

48:13

5.2%

97:44

13.6%

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

23:28

2.6%

19:14

1.7%

36:17

3.9%

25:46

3.6%

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

4:04

0.4%

1:55

0.2%

2:35

0.3%

4:35

0.6%

5

Time spent at committee stage – total excluding time in Grand Committee

251:21

27.7%

258:36

23.3%

171:16

18.5%

248:44

34.6%

Committee stage according to type:

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

97:00

10.7%

60:12

5.4%

73:03

7.9%

48:39

6.8%

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

150:38

16.6%

191:41

17.3%

95:17

10.3%

198:59

27.7%

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

3:39

0.4%

6:38

0.6%

2:14

0.2%

1:04

0.1%

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:04

<0.1%

0:05

<0.1%

0:42

0.1%

0:02

<0.1%

6

Time spent at report stage - total

133:38

14.7%

189:50

17.1%

118:45

12.8%

212:39

29.5%

Report stage according to type:

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

63:19

7.0%

66:19

6.0%

48:44

5.3%

72:41

10.1%

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

70:19

7.7%

123:25

11.1%

69:05

7.4%

139:54

19.4%

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

0:00

0%

0:06

<0.1%

0:55

0.1%

0:04

<0.1%

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:01

<0.1%

0:00

0%

7

Time spent on third reading and passing - total

15:32

1.7%

35:03

3.1%

22:17

2.4%

57:14

8%

Third reading and passing according to type:

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

4:49

0.5%

11:22

1.0%

7:10

0.8%

20:36

2.9%

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

10:43

1.2%

23:18

2.0%

14:35

1.6%

36:31

5%

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

0:00

0%

0:11

<0.1%

0:20

<0.1%

0:05

<0.1%

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:00

0%

0:12

<0.1%

0:12

<0.1%

0:02

<0.1%

8

Time spent on consideration of Bills returned from the House of Commons - total

14:10

1.6%

18:47

1.7%

22:36

2.5%

38:46

5.4%

Consideration of bills returned from the House of Commons according to type:

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

6:51

0.8%

12:02

1.1%

10:42

1.2%

14:20

2%

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

7:19

0.8%

6:25

0.6%

11:54

1.3%

24:26

3.4%

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

Grand Committees

The Grand Committee, which meets in the Moses Room, operates as a "second chamber" for the consideration of various types of business, including: committee stages of bills; consideration of delegated legislation instruments; Questions for Short Debate; debates on Select Committee and other reports and on national policy statements; and second reading debates on Law Commission bills. All peers may participate in Grand Committees, and proceedings mirror those in the Chamber on comparable business, with the exception that no divisions may take place.

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06‡

Number of sitting days

62

75

43

85

Number of hours for which Grand Committees sat

198:31

256:57

142:46

288:14

1.

Number of public bill committee stages taken in Grand Committee

6

14

12

23

Time spent

120:44

61%

182:27

71%

101:31

71.1%

235:31

81.8%

2.

Number of Law Commission bill second reading debates taken in Grand Committee

1

0

0

0

Time spent

1:19

0.6%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

3.

Number of delegated legislation instruments considered in Grand Committee

124

103

92

106

Time spent

41:39

21%

36:23

14.2%

34:56

24.5%

36:21

12.6%

4.

Number of general debates taken in Grand Committee

25

27

1

8

Time spent

26:08

13%

26:22

10.2%

2:16

1.6%

13:13

4.6%

i)

Number of Questions for Short Debate taken in Grand Committee

18

25

0

5

Time spent

15:59

8%

23:31

9.1%

0:00

0%

5:24

1.9%

ii)

Number of debates on Select Committee reports taken in Grand Committee

7

2

1

3

Time spent

10:09

5%

2:51

1.1%

2:16

1.6%

7:49

2.7%

5.

Other

8:41

4.4%

11:45

4.6%

4:03

2.8%

2:51

1%

i)

Formal business

0:21

0.2%

0:1

<0.1%

0:21

0.2%

0:58

0.3%

ii)

Adjournments (breaks during a sitting)

8:20

4.2%

11:44

4.6%

3:42

2.6%

1:53

0.7%

Note

Adjournments in the Grand Committee are typically for divisions in the Chamber.

Membership of the House

At the end of session 2008-09 (12 November 2009)

By Party/Group

Party/Group

Life Peers

Hereditary: Elected by party/group

Hereditary: Elected by whole House

Hereditary: Appointed Royal Office Holders*

Bishops

Total

Conservative

141

39

9

0

0

189

Labour

208

2

2

0

0

212

Liberal Democrat

66

3

2

0

0

71

Crossbench

150

29†

2

2

0

183

Archbishops and Bishops

0

0

0

0

26

26

Other

21

2†

0

0

0

23

TOTAL

586

75

15

2

26

704

Note: The table excludes 13 Peers on leave of absence, 2 who are suspended, 16 disqualified as senior members of the judiciary and 1 disqualified as an MEP.

* These are the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal (Crossbench) and the Marquess of Cholmondeley, Lord Great Chamberlain (Crossbench).

† Lord Brabazon of Tara (Chairman of Committees), Earl Peel and Lord Willoughby de Broke were elected by the Conservative hereditary Peers but no longer sit as Conservatives.

By Type

Men

Women

Total

Archbishops and bishops

26

0

26

Life Peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876

22

1

23

Life Peers under the Life Peerages Act 1958

450

145

595

Excepted hereditary Peers under the House of Lords Act 1999

90

2

92

TOTAL

588

148

736


©Parliamentary copyright 2009
Prepared 14:19 on 2nd December 2009