– in the House of Lords at 6:13 pm on 23 May 2024.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords), Deputy Chairman of Committees, Deputy Speaker (Lords)
6:13,
23 May 2024
My Lords, it might be helpful to the House if I set out the current expectation of how business will be conducted tomorrow.
The House will sit at 10 am. There will be no Oral Questions, as is customary on a Friday. We will then have Second Reading and all remaining stages of the Finance Bill, followed by proceedings on a number of Private Members’ Bills. After the Private Members’ Bills, we will debate two Home Office statutory instruments. We will then consider the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill: proceedings will start not before noon. We will announce the precise time on the Annunciator.
After proceedings on the leasehold Bill, we will consider more statutory instruments. The Government Whips’ Office will also circulate more details this evening. If any further messages are sent from the Commons on other Bills, we will consider them throughout the day, as necessary. Any changes will be communicated to the House in the usual way. As my noble friend the Leader of the House said this morning, we are extremely grateful for the patience of all Members of your Lordships’ House at this time.
House adjourned at 6.15 pm.
The Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
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.
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
