HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

(u) motions relating to the Chairman of Committees’ business, if he so
desires;
(v) motions for the appointment of select committees;
(w) public business;
(x) questions for short debate.
Variation of order of business
3.45 Under SO 40(8) the order of notices relating to public bills,
Measures, affirmative instruments and reports from select committees can
be varied by agreement of the members in whose names the notices
stand. Such variations are subject to SO 40(4) and (5) so that on
Thursdays notices relating to public bills, Measures and delegated
legislation may not be advanced before notices relating to motions, even
with the consent of those affected. In such cases a formal motion is
required to vary the order of business.
3.46 Where it is wished to vary the order of business beyond the
terms of SO 40(4) and (5), a “business of the House” motion may be put
down to suspend or dispense with SO 40. The Standing Order is
sometimes suspended so far as is necessary to give the government
power to arrange the order of business.
3.47 Business may be postponed until later the same day without
notice, with the unanimous leave of the House. 1 When the Clerk has
called the business, the Lord in charge of the business says, “Unless any
noble Lord objects, I beg to move that X be postponed until after Y”. If
this is agreed to, the House proceeds to the next business on the order
paper.
3.48 If business is adjourned, the House may without notice make an
order for the adjourned business to be taken later on the same day or
taken first on some specified future day, 2 subject to the rules governing
the order in which categories of business may be taken.
Lunch and dinner breaks
3.49 It is often for the convenience of the House that the main business
of the day be interrupted, usually around 7.30 p.m., for other business to
1 SO 42(3).
2 SO 45.
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