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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 2009-10: 18 November 2009 to 8 April 2010

 

Sittings of the House in the session

(Excluding Grand Committees)

 

 

 

2009-10‡

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

 

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)

68

134

164

142

2.

Number of weeks during which the House sat

18

32

40

35

3.

Number of Friday sittings

4

11

12

9

4.

Number of hours for which the House sat*

445:12

907:22

1110:09

926:19

5.

Average daily attendance

388

400

413

415

 

Length of sittings

 

 

 

 

6.

Average length of sitting*

6:32

6:46

6:46

6:31

7.

Number of sittings continuing beyond 10pm

16

37

53

36

8.

Number of sittings continuing to 10:40pm and beyond

6

10

18

12

 

Divisions (votes) in the session

 

 

 

 

9.

Number of divisions – see note below

43

89

125

104

i)

Government victories in divisions

28

65%

61

69%

93

75%

54

52%

ii)

Government defeats in divisions

14

33%

25

28%

29

23%

45

43%

iii)

Unwhipped divisions

1

2%

3

3%

3

2%

5

5%

Dates of sessions

2009-10

18 November 2009 to 8 April 2010

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

This session, the last of the Parliament, ran from 18 November 2009 to 8 April 2010. (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 spentHow 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)

 

 

2009-10‡

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

1.

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

248

484

595

519

2.

Questions to Secretaries of State (three questions on two Thursdays of each month, beginning 14 January 2010)

18

-

-

-

3.

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

5

7

3

2

4.

Questions for Written Answer answered

2906

5655

5814

5118

 

Debates - Number of motions in each category:

 

 

 

 

5.

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

15

27

36

23

6.

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

8

12

13

14

7.

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

0

0

1

0

8.

General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government

3

2

5

7

9.

Debates on Select Committee reports - total

7

14

16

16

i)

On European Union Committee reports

4

6

8

11

ii)

On other investigative Select Committee reports

3

8

8

5

10.

Questions for Short Debate - total

6

38

45

55

i)

Taken in normal time

3

11

15

29

ii)

Taken in the dinner/lunch break

3

27

30

26

11.

Motions to agree a resolution of the House

4

2

1

2

12.

Motions to agree domestic Select Committee reports (administration and procedure)

4

2

6

3

13.

Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech

1

1

1

1

14.

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

0

0

0

0

 

Statements – Number of:

 

 

 

 

15.

Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House

23

66

63

59

16.

Written Statements

703

1112

1242

1043

 

Delegated Legislation – Number of:

 

 

 

 

17.

Motions to approve affirmative instruments

145

187

185

169

18.

Motions to annul negative instruments

2

3

17

6

19.

Other proceedings on delegated legislation

9

9

6

5

 

How the time of the House was spent

(Excluding Grand Committee)

 

 

2009-10‡

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

 

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)

7:03

1.6%

12:15

1.4%

14:00

1.3%

11:40

1.3%

2.

Introductions of new Members

0:31

0.1%

1:28

0.2%

1:41

0.2%

1:46

0.2%

3.

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

31:18

7%

61:31

6.8%

75:54

6.8%

64:46

7%

4.

Questions to Secretaries of State (three questions on two Thursdays of each month, beginning 14 January 2010)

1:34

0.4%

-

-

-

5.

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

0:43

0.2%

1:19

0.1%

0:31

<0.1%

0:18

<0.1%

6.

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

35:42

8%

70:03

7.7%

90:39

8.2%

88:04

9.5%

7.

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

17:48

4%

25:06

2.8%

26:54

2.4%

29:44

3.2%

8.

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

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

4:14

0.4%

0:00

0%

9.

General ‘take note’ debates initiated by the Government

9:46

2.2%

10:08

1.2%

18:51

1.7%

38:56

4.2%

10.

Debates on Select Committee reports - total

15:06

3.4%

26:10

3%

34:06

3.1%

31:56

3.5%

i)

European Union Committee reports

7:15

1.6%

10:29

1.1%

14:46

1.3%

20:53

2.3%

ii)

Science and Technology Committee reports

2:06

0.5%

1:57

0.2%

4:30

0.4%

1:56

0.2%

iii)

Economic Affairs Committee reports

0:00

0%

2:25

0.3%

5:49

0.5%

3:09

0.3%

iv)

Joint Committee on Human Rights reports

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

1:00

0.1%

0:00

0%

v)

Constitution Committee reports

0:00

0%

3:59

0.4%

1:49

0.2%

3:45

0.4%

vi)

Communications Committee reports

2:38

0.6%

3:48

0.4%

4:26

0.4%

0:00

0%

vii)

Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee reports

0:00

0%

1:49

0.2%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

viii)

Reports of ad hoc committees

3:07

0.7%

1:43

0.2%

1:46

0.2%

2:13

0.3%

11.

Questions for Short Debate - total

6:09

1.4%

37:29

4.1%

45:22

4.1%

57:04

6.1%

i)

Taken in normal time

3:13

0.7%

11:29

1.3%

17:43

1.6%

31:44

3.4%

ii)

Taken in the dinner/lunch break

2:56

0.7%

26:00

2.8%

27:39

2.5%

25:20

2.7%

12.

Motions to agree a resolution of the House

12:11

2.7%

3:37

0.4%

1:26

0.1%

6:39

0.7%

13.

Motions to agree domestic Select Committee reports (administration and procedure)

3:46

0.9%

1:51

0.2%

3:11

0.3%

1:22

0.2%

14.

Motion for an Address on the Queen’s Speech

33:48

7.6%

32:22

3.7%

32:02

2.9%

32:43

3.5%

15.

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

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

16.

Ministerial Statements made and debated in the House

15:22

3.4%

51:36

5.7%

50:24

4.5%

45:46

4.9%

17.

Church of England Measures

0:27

0.1%

0:33

0.1%

0:19

<0.1%

0:20

<0.1%

18.

Public Bills (See Time spent on Public Bills)

208:57

47%

509:56

56.2%

623:20

56.1%

446:13

48.2%

19.

Private Bills

0:30

0.1%

2:01

0.2%

2:35

0.2%

1:22

0.1%

20.

Approval of affirmative instruments

27:41

6.2%

27:44

3.0%

40:14

3.6%

35:21

3.8%

21.

Motions to annul negative instruments

2:40

0.6%

5:41

0.6%

9:16

0.8%

7:50

0.8%

22.

Other proceedings on delegated legislation

6:44

1.5%

6:29

0.8%

5:06

0.5%

5:21

0.6%

23.

Formal business

4:04

0.9%

4:18

0.5%

3:53

0.3%

3:13

0.3%

24.

Adjournments during pleasure (breaks during a sitting)

3:03

0.7%

14:00

1.5%

25:58

2.3%

13:31

1.5%

25.

Other (tributes, unusual events and procedures)

0:09

<0.1%

0:39

0.1%

0:13

<0.%

3:17

0.3%

 

Time spent on Public Bills

 

 

2009-10‡

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

 

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

208:57

47%

509:56

56.2%

623:20

56.1%

446:13

48.2%

2.

Public Bills according to House the bill was introduced into:

 

 

 

 

 

i)

Bills which started in the Lords

78:43

17.7%

225:11

24.8%

203:34

18.3%

203:39

22%

ii)

Bills which started in the Commons

130:14

29.3%

284:45

31.4%

419:46

37.8%

242:34

26.2%

3.

Public Bills according to type:

 

 

 

 

 

i)

Government Bills

188:34

42.4%

478:45

52.8%

594:59

53.6%

402:57

43.5%

ii)

Private Members’ Bills

20:23

4.6%

31:11

3.4%

28:21

2.5%

43:16

4.7%

4.

Time spent on second readings - total

72:13

16.2%

95:15

10.5%

121:04

10.9%

111:19

12%

 

Second reading according to type:

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

9:58

2.2%

26:05

2.9%

27:30

2.5%

24:14

2.6%

 

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

46:15

10.4%

41:42

4.6%

72:25

6.5%

48:13

5.2%

 

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

12:31

2.8%

23:28

2.6%

19:14

1.7%

36:17

3.9%

 

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

3:29

0.8%

4:04

0.4%

1:55

0.2%

2:35

0.3%

5

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

95:06

21.4%

251:21

27.7%

258:36

23.3%

171:16

18.5%

 

Committee stage according to type:

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

29:06

6.6%

97:00

10.7%

60:12

5.4%

73:03

7.9%

 

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

62:18

14%

150:38

16.6%

191:41

17.3%

95:17

10.3%

 

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

3:40

0.8%

3:39

0.4%

6:38

0.6%

2:14

0.2%

 

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:02

<0.1%

0:04

<0.1%

0:05

<0.1%

0:42

0.1%

6

Time spent at report stage - total

33:33

7.5%

133:38

14.7%

189:50

17.1%

118:45

12.8%

 

Report stage according to type:

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

17:21

3.9%

63:19

7.0%

66:19

6.0%

48:44

5.3%

 

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

16:10

3.6%

70:19

7.7%

123:25

11.1%

69:05

7.4%

 

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

0:02

<0.1%

0:00

0%

0:06

<0.1%

0:55

0.1%

 

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:01

<0.1%

7

Time spent on third reading and passing - total

5:33

1.3%

15:32

1.7%

35:03

3.1%

22:17

2.4%

 

Third reading and passing according to type:

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

3:38

0.8%

4:49

0.5%

11:22

1.0%

7:10

0.8%

 

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

1:21

0.3%

10:43

1.2%

23:18

2.0%

14:35

1.6%

 

c) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Lords

0:34

0.2%

0:00

0%

0:11

<0.1%

0:20

<0.1%

 

d) Private Members’ Bills which started in the Commons

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

0:12

<0.1%

0:12

<0.1%

8

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

2:32

0.6%

14:10

1.6%

18:47

1.7%

22:36

2.5%

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) Government Bills which started in the Lords

1:53

0.4%

6:51

0.8%

12:02

1.1%

10:42

1.2%

 

b) Government Bills which started in the Commons

0:39

0.2%

7:19

0.8%

6:25

0.6%

11:54

1.3%

 

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.

 

 

2009-10‡

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

 

Number of sitting days

36

62

75

43

 

Number of hours for which Grand Committees sat

109:52

198:31

256:57

142:46

1.

Number of public bill committee stages taken in Grand Committee

6

6

14

12

 

Time spent

37:32

34.1%

120:44

61%

182:27

71%

101:31

71.1%

2.

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

0

1

0

0

Time spent

0:00

0%

1:19

0.6%

0:00

0%

0:00

0%

3.

Number of delegated legislation instruments considered in Grand Committee

92

124

103

92

 

Time spent

38:23

35%

41:39

21%

36:23

14.2%

34:56

24.5%

4.

Number of general debates taken in Grand Committee

19

25

27

1

 

Time spent

28:25

25.9%

26:08

13%

26:22

10.2%

2:16

1.6%

i)

Number of Questions for Short Debate taken in Grand Committee

12

18

25

0

 

Time spent

10:52

10%

15:59

8%

23:31

9.1%

0:00

0%

ii)

Number of debates on Select Committee reports taken in Grand Committee

7

7

2

1

 

Time spent

17:33

15.9%

10:09

5%

2:51

1.1%

2:16

1.6%

5.

Other

5:32

5%

8:41

4.4%

11:45

4.6%

4:03

2.8%

i)

Formal business

0:19

0.3%

0:21

0.2%

0:1

<0.1%

0:21

0.2%

ii)

Adjournments (breaks during a sitting)

5:13

4.7%

8:20

4.2%

11:44

4.6%

3:42

2.6%

Note

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

 

Membership of the House

At the end of session 2009-10 (8 April 2010)

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

139

37

9

0

0

185

Labour

207

2

2

0

0

211

Liberal Democrat

67

3

2

0

0

72

Crossbench

153

29†

2

2

0

186

Archbishops and Bishops

0

0

0

0

26

26

Other

24

2†

0

0

0

26

TOTAL

590

73

15

2

26

706

Note: The table excludes 12 Peers on leave of absence, 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

452

144

596

Excepted hereditary Peers under the House of Lords Act 1999

88

2

90

TOTAL

588

147

735