Chapter 21 References

[1] S.O. 186.

[2] S.O. 186.

[3] E.g. VP 2004–07/1391 (7.9.2006); VP 2004–07/2092 (16.8.2007); VP 2004–07/2115 (12.9.2007). The Federation Chamber has met a second time on the same day pursuant to the determination of the Deputy Speaker, after having earlier adjourned and the Deputy Speaker having fixed the following day for the next meeting, VP 2010–13/1315–6 (14.3.2012); VP 2010–13/1863–4 (10.10.2012).

[4] E.g. H.R. Deb. (26.2.2007) 133.

[5] S.O. 190(c), 190(e).

[6] S.O. 190(a), e.g. VP 2013–16/1924 (22.2.2016); VP 2013–16/95 (5.5.2016).

[7] E.g. H.R. Deb. (24.5.2006) 94, 196–200.

[8] S.O. 196.

[9] S.O. 184(b).

[10] S.O. 190(b), e.g. VP 1998–2001/1942 (30.11.2000); VP 2004–07/590 (7.9.2005) (the Opposition announced that it was ‘suspending its cooperation in the [then] Main Committee’, H.R. Deb. (7.9.2005) 151); VP 2008–10/653 (22.10.2008), 840 (4.2.2009) (quorum not present at time of meeting); VP 2013–16/1493 (11.8.2015) (quorum not present at time of meeting, the Federation Chamber did not meet), 1820 (3.12.2015).

[11] VP 1996–98/551–5 (8.10.1996); VP 2002–04/357–8 (26.8.2002).

[12] Bills can be referred only after the first reading in the House, S.O. 143.

[13] S.O.s 183, 222.

[14] That is, matters originating by way of a statement by indulgence in the House, following which the Leader of the House has moved that further statements on the matter be referred to the Federation Chamber. Further statements were initially listed as items of business on the Notice Paper but this practice was discontinued in 2013. A speech time limit of 10 minutes applies.

[15] S.O. 193. Prior to 2008 known simply as ‘Members’ statements’ (and Ministers were excluded).

[16] H.R. Deb. (26.6.2013) 7192 (first time).

[17] S.O. 193.

[18] E.g. VP 2004–07/1813 (27.3.2007), (to 90 minutes); VP 2013–16/1495 (12.8.2015), (to 60 minutes).

[19] E.g. H.R. Deb. (12.2.2009) 1314.

[20] S.O. 43.

[21] S.O. 190(e).

[22] S.O. 191(a).

[23] S.O. 191. Prior to September 2002 former S.O. 274 fixed the time of the debate as 12.30 p.m. on Thursdays.

[24] See statement by Deputy Speaker, H.R. Deb. (17.9.2002) 6471.

[25] S.O. 191(b), e.g. VP 1998–2001/273 (10.12.1998), 892 (23.9.1999); VP 2002–04/283 (20.6.2002); VP 2010–13/616 (2.6.2011).

[26] S.O. 192B. (Before 2008 the grievance debate occurred in the House—see earlier editions for details.)

[27] S.O.s 206, 207(b)—see section on ‘Petitions’ in Chapter on ‘Documents’.

[28] S.O. 183. In addition to motions and bills, the House may also refer further statements on a matter to the Federation Chamber, when statements have commenced in the House.

[29] S.O. 222.

[30] S.O. 45.

[31] S.O. 185. See Chapter on ‘Motions’.

[32] In practice, this motion is not moved so as to interrupt a Member’s speech.

[33] S.O. 197(a), e.g. VP 1993–96/2470, 2477 (18.10.1995); but see VP 1996–98/273 (19.6.1996) (question put again and negatived).

[34] S.O. 197(b).

[35] S.O. 197(c).

[36] S.O. 188(b), e.g. VP 1993–96/2470, 2478 (18.10.1995), 2504–5, 2516 (19.10.1995); VP 1996–98/380, 387 (21.8.1996); VP 2008–10/1750 (12.5.2010).

[37] E.g. VP 1998–2001/2034 (7.12.2000)—matter not referred to House. VP 2002–04/386 (29.8.2002); H.R. Deb. (29.8.2002) 6192–3—several unresolved questions not put to House; statement by Speaker (standing orders had been suspended to allow progress despite unresolved questions).

[38] VP 1996–98/551–5 (8.10.1996); the context was the referral to the Main Committee of a bill which many Members wished to debate in the House. Subsequent proceedings (suspended because of disorder, VP 1996–98/765 (31.10.1996) emphasised the extent to which Main Committee operations depended on general co-operation. VP 2002–04/357–8, 367 (26.8.2002), also for a bill which some Members wished to debate in the House; on this occasion debate continued despite a series of unresolved questions on procedural matters. In each of these cases the quorum requirement for a Member from both sides of the House was also suspended.

[39] VP 2002–04/742 (13.2.2003).

[40] S.O. 195.

[41] VP 1993–96/2504–5, 2516 (19.10.1995);VP 1996–98/363 (27.6.1996).

[42] S.O. 198.

[43] S.O. 148(b).

[44] S.O. 198.

[45] S.O. 197(a). The motion is successful in having the matter returned to the House even if opposed (because it becomes an unresolved question for resolution by the House), e.g. VP 1993–96/2470, 2478 (18.10.1995) (motion that further proceedings be conducted in the House moved immediately after second reading speech).

[46] S.O. 45(b).

[47] S.O. 186.

[48] See pp. 236–7 of the 2nd edition.

[49] Because of disorder the proceedings were suspended by the Chair, VP 1996–98/765 (31.10.1996), H.R. Deb. (31.10.1996) 6346–51. On resumption the dissent motion was not proceeded with by the Member who had moved it, H.R. Deb. (6.11.1996) 6733. On the second comparable occasion, by the time the dissent was reported to the House it had become meaningless in view of later proceedings, and the question was not put to the House. H.R. Deb. (26.8.2002) 5676–8; (29.8.2002) 6192.

[50] In the normal course a dissent in the Federation Chamber would be expected to be reported to the House as an unresolved question, or more probably, to be closured and the closure reported as unresolved, e.g. VP 1996–98/1829, 1834 (26.6.1997) (Main Committee), when the closure was reported to the House the dissent motion was withdrawn, by leave.

[51] H.R. Deb. (29.8.2002) 6192.

[52] S.O.s 16(c), 17(c).

[53] E.g. VP 1996–98/765 (31.10.1996); VP 2002–04/137–8 (21.3.2002) (Main Committee).

[54] E.g. VP 1996–98/551–5 (8.10.1996). The context was the referral to the Main Committee (now Federation Chamber) of a bill (the Euthanasia Laws Bill 1996) which many Members wished to debate in the House.

[55] S.O. 60(b).

[56] S.O. 187(a).

[57] S.O. 187(b), e.g. VP 2013–16/304 (13.2.2014), H.R. Deb. (13.2.2014) 483 (first occasion).

[58] S.O. 187(b).

[59] S.O. 187(c). E.g. Member named and suspended for serious and disorderly behaviour in Federation Chamber, VP 2013–16/1238 (25.3.2015)—the Member had brought bottles of fuel oil into the Federation Chamber to illustrate a speech, and had caused damage by pouring the oil and spilling it.

[60] VP 1996–98/751, 765. see also VP 1926–28/421–2 (former committee of the whole).

[61] VP 1998–2001/2076–7, 2090.

[62] Before September 2002 the standing order provided only the option of suspension.

[63] VP 2002–04/135 (20.3.2002), H.R. Deb. (20.3.2002) 1830. On report of the matter to the House the offending Member was named and suspended, VP 2002–04/137 (21.3.2002).

[64] VP 2002–04/507, 502 (17.10.2002); H.R. Deb. (17.10.2002) 7973.

[65] Standing Committee on Procedure, About time—Bills, questions and working hours: report of the inquiry into reform of the House of Representatives. October 1993, p. 7.

[66] About time, op cit, pp. 6–20.

[67] VP 1993–6/766–7 (10.2.1994).

[68] From 27 February 2012, VP 2010–13/1179 (8.2.2012).

[69] Standing Committee on Procedure, Renaming the Main Committee—Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Main Committee, June 2004. The committee also recommended a purpose-built venue located adjacent to the Chamber.

[70] S.O. 183. Earlier years had seen much procedural ingenuity in widening the scope of matters able to be referred for debate, as only motions moved in connection with committee and delegation reports and motions to take note of papers were provided for. The Address in Reply debate was referred (VP 1998–2001/129 (2.12.1998))—the motion ‘That the Address (reported by the Address in Reply Committee) be agreed to’, being regarded as a motion in connection with a committee report. Restrictions on Main Committee (Federation Chamber) business were circumvented by the device of presenting and moving to take note of a range of documents to enable debate or further debate on various matters to be referred. Examples of this practice included copies of motions moved (and already passed) in the House (VP 2002–04/691 (4.2.2003), 1233–4 (9.10.2003), 1552 (30.3.2004)), and copies of announcements of the death of a former Member or other notable person, to provide, in effect, the opportunity for a condolence debate (VP 2002–04/1401 (10.2.2004), 1428 (12.2.2004), 1713 (21.6.2004)).

[71] The items of business concerned were presented to the House by the Speaker first thing on Monday morning and, on presentation, deemed to be referred to the Main Committee.

[72] Private Members’ notices and other items of private Members’ and committee and delegation business were now able to be referred directly by a Selection Committee determination—a referral by a determination of the Selection Committee that has been reported to the House is deemed to be a referral of the House (S.O. 222).

[73] This practice had become established from 2008, e.g. VP 2008–10/592–3 (14.10.2008); NP 50 (14.10.2008) 27 (Main Committee). Previously, motions to take note of statements had been referred, e.g. VP 2004–07/1401, 1406 (12.9.2006). Initially such further statements were listed as items of business on the Notice Paper but this practice was discontinued in 2013.

[74] In 2015 the Procedure Committee reviewed the operation of the Federation Chamber on its 20th anniversary, and noted the decline in the number of government bills being considered. Standing Committee on Procedure, Role of the Federation Chamber: celebrating 20 years of operation, June 2015. This process has continued. In 2016 only 15% of the time of the Federation Chamber was spent on government legislation, and about 70% on private Members’ business and the various other opportunities for private Members.

[75] In the Grand Committee Room off Westminster Hall, rather than in the Hall itself. Another committee room has been used when the Grand Committee Room has been unavailable.

[76] See Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons, First report: The parliamentary calendar: initial proposals, HC 60 (1998–99), ‘Part II: The establishment of a “Main Committee”’; and Second report: Sittings of the House in Westminster Hall, HC 194 (1998–99).

[77] On the question ‘That the sitting be now adjourned’.

[78] May, 24th edn, 2011, ‘Sittings in Westminster Hall’, pp. 322–5. Business may also include questions for oral answer, but this had not occurred since 2003–04.

[79] Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons, Second report, HC 194 (1998–99), para 17.

[80] House of Commons S.O. 10.