Select Committee on the Constitution
A Question of Confidence? The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
12th Report of Session 2019-21 - published 4 September 2020 - HL Paper 121
Contents
Genesis and provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
Constitution Committee scrutiny of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill
Chapter 2: Fixing the length of parliaments
Legalities of returning power to the Prime Minister
Effects of fixing the 2010–15 parliament
Chapter 3: Early general elections
Two-thirds in favour of an early election
The impact of the Act on confidence
Mechanics of a vote of no confidence
The 14 days following a successful vote of no confidence
“Notwithstanding the Fixed-term Parliaments Act”
Chapter 4: The Act and other prime ministerial powers
Setting the date of an early general election
Prerogative power to prorogue Parliament
September 2019 purported prorogation and Supreme Court judgment
Prorogation as a prerogative power
Chapter 5: Future of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act
Impact of the Act on the constitution
Summary of conclusions and recommendations
Appendix 1: List of Members and declarations of interest
Evidence is published online at https://committees.parliament.uk/work/14/fixedterm-parliaments-act-2011/publications/ and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7219 3074).
Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence.