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House of Commons (Participation) Bill

Provide for the Speaker of the House of Commons to have power to determine the eligibility of members of the House of Commons to participate in certain legislative and other proceedings of that House.

Originating House

House of Commons

Last Updated

24 October 2007

In Plain English

AI-generated

This bill would give the Speaker of the House of Commons the power to decide whether Members of Parliament are eligible to participate in certain House proceedings. It would specify which proceedings are covered and how those eligibility decisions are made and enforced. In effect, it creates a Speaker-led gatekeeping role over participation in some Commons activities.

Key Points

The Speaker would determine MPs' eligibility to participate in certain legislative and other proceedings of the House.
The bill would define which proceedings are covered and the criteria used to decide eligibility.
Eligibility decisions would be binding on MPs and carried out through the House’s procedures.
It would centralise part of the decision-making about participation in the hands of the Speaker and the Speaker’s Office.

Progress

The bill is currently at the Second Reading in the House of Commons, placing it in the early stages of the legislative process. If it advances, it would move to the Committee stage for detailed scrutiny.

Who is affected?

Members of the House of Commons (MPs)The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker’s OfficeParliamentary clerks and other staff involved in proceedingsPolitical parties and MPs’ staffConstituents represented by MPs

Generated 21 February 2026

Parliamentary Votes (0)

No recorded votes for this bill yet.