– in the House of Lords at 12:05 pm on 12 September 2022.
The Earl of Courtown
Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
12:05,
12 September 2022
My Lords, noble Lords should remember that taking the oath does not require signing the Code of Conduct, and it should take 24 seconds each time. So we will get through your Lordships in a timely fashion, I am sure.
I remind noble Lords also that, when passing the Lord Speaker or the Deputy Speaker, they do not need to shake hands, but an acknowledgement will be received by the Lord Speaker. A small number of Deputy Speakers will be on duty on the Woolsack during the course of the afternoon and early evening. Therefore, it would be a courtesy to allow the Deputy Speakers to take their oaths first. After that, noble Lords will queue in the normal way—although Saturday evening’s example is not one I would like to see followed. It would also be a courtesy to the House and to those of our noble friends who have disabilities to let them take the oath in a timely fashion.
The House will adjourn periodically during the course of the afternoon, and it is envisaged that we will rise by 8 pm. Any information relating to adjournments will be on the Annunciator. Please will noble Lords play their part with their usual good manners?
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
MPs and peers who want to know what is being discussed in either the Commons or the Lords at any given moment can find out by watching the annunciators.
These are not individuals but television screens that are situated throughout the parliamentary buildings, in corridors and offices.
Apart from the time, they display written details of the business under discussion including the names of members participating in debates.
The annunciators also warn members when a division is about to take place.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
