HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament
HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament
CHAPTER 3 SITTINGS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE 3.01 The House usually sits for public business on Mondays and Tuesdays at 2.30 p.m., on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. and on Thursdays at 11 a.m. The House also sits on Fridays at 10 a.m. when pressure of business makes it necessary. It is a firm convention that the House normally rises by about 10 p.m. on Mondays to Wednesdays, by about 7 p.m. on Thursdays, and by about 3 p.m. on Fridays. The time of meeting of the House can be varied to meet the convenience of the House. In exceptional circumstances the House has met on Saturday and on Sunday. 1 3.02 Except after a dissolution, the parliamentary session normally begins and ends in November. 3.03 The House breaks for recesses as follows: over Christmas and New Year (usually two weeks); sometimes in late February (up to one week); at Easter (one or two weeks); over the Spring Bank Holiday (one week); and in the summer (between July and September 2 or October). Lord Speaker’s procession and the Mace 3.04 Before each day’s sitting the Lord Speaker walks in procession from her room to the Chamber, preceded by the Mace. 3 During the procession, doorkeepers and security staff ensure that the route is unobstructed. The procession crosses the Prince’s Chamber and moves 1 e.g. the House sat on a Saturday and a Sunday at the outbreak of the Second World War and in 1982 met on a Saturday to discuss the situation in the Falkland Islands: LJ (1938–39) 383–4, (1981–82) 216. The House attended the State Funeral for Sir Winston Churchill in St Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday 30 January 1965. 2 Procedure 3rd Rpt 2003–04. 3 The procession consists of a Doorkeeper, followed by the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms (the Yeoman Usher) or Principal Doorkeeper bearing the Mace, followed by the Lord Speaker. In the Prince’s Chamber, Black Rod joins the end of the procession. Procedure 4th Rpt 2005–06. 38
down the Not-content Lobby, entering the Chamber from below Bar on the temporal side. The Lord Speaker continues up the temporal side of the House to the Woolsack. After the Bishop has read the Psalm, the Lord Speaker and other members present kneel or stand for prayers. When these have been read, the Lord Speaker takes her seat on the Woolsack. 3.05 If the Lord Speaker is absent at the beginning of the sitting, the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms (the Yeoman Usher), alone, takes the Mace by way of the Library Corridor to meet the Deputy Speaker and Black Rod in the Peers’ Lobby. Prayers 3.06 Prayers are read at the beginning of each sitting. Ordinarily prayers are read by one of the Bishops, who take a week each in turn. 1 In the absence of a Bishop, a member of the House who is an ordained minister of the Church of England may read prayers. If no such member is present, the Lord on the Woolsack reads prayers. The prayers are printed in appendix J (page 253). During prayers the doors and galleries of the House are closed and visitors are excluded. Quorum 3.07 The quorum of the House is three, including the Lord Speaker or Deputy Speaker. There is however a quorum of 30 for divisions on bills and on any motion to approve or disapprove subordinate legislation. 2 Change of Speaker 3.08 During the course of business the Lord Speaker may be replaced on the Woolsack by a Deputy Speaker. When one Lord takes the place of another on the Woolsack, there is no interruption of business. The Lord who is to preside stands at the side of the Woolsack, on the spiritual side. The Lord on the Woolsack rises and moves to the temporal side. They bow to each other. The Lord previously on the Woolsack withdraws and the replacement sits down on the Woolsack. 1 The two Archbishops and the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester do not take part in this rota. 2 SO 57. 39
- Page 1 and 2: HOUSE OF LORDS Companion to the Sta
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- Page 6 and 7: Secret sittings ...................
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down the Not-content Lobby, entering the Chamber from below Bar on<br />
the temporal side. The Lord Speaker continues up the temporal side of<br />
the House to the Woolsack. After the Bishop has read the Psalm, the<br />
Lord Speaker and other members present kneel or stand for prayers.<br />
When these have been read, the Lord Speaker takes her seat on the<br />
Woolsack.<br />
3.05 If the Lord Speaker is absent at the beginning of the sitting, the<br />
Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms (the Yeoman Usher), alone, takes the Mace by<br />
way of the Library Corridor to meet the Deputy Speaker and Black Rod<br />
in the Peers’ Lobby.<br />
Prayers<br />
3.06 Prayers are read at the beginning of each sitting. Ordinarily prayers<br />
are read by one of the Bishops, who take a week each in turn. 1 In the<br />
absence of a Bishop, a member of the House who is an ordained minister<br />
of the Church of England may read prayers. If no such member is<br />
present, the Lord on the Woolsack reads prayers. The prayers are<br />
printed in appendix J (page 253). During prayers the doors and galleries<br />
of the House are closed and visitors are excluded.<br />
Quorum<br />
3.07 The quorum of the House is three, including the Lord Speaker or<br />
Deputy Speaker. There is however a quorum of 30 for divisions on bills<br />
and on any motion to approve or disapprove subordinate legislation. 2<br />
Change of Speaker<br />
3.08 During the course of business the Lord Speaker may be replaced<br />
on the Woolsack by a Deputy Speaker. When one Lord takes the place<br />
of another on the Woolsack, there is no interruption of business. The<br />
Lord who is to preside stands at the side of the Woolsack, on the<br />
spiritual side. The Lord on the Woolsack rises and moves to the<br />
temporal side. They bow to each other. The Lord previously on the<br />
Woolsack withdraws and the replacement sits down on the Woolsack.<br />
1 The two Archbishops and the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester do not take part<br />
in this rota.<br />
2 SO 57.<br />
39
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