A Bill to provide for the suspension or restriction of programming of Bills when the House of Commons is scheduled to meet for fewer than a prescribed number of days in any specified period; and for connected purposes.
House of Commons
8 September 2009
The bill would create a rule to pause or limit the timetable for examining Bills in the House of Commons if the Commons is due to sit for fewer than a set number of days in a given period. In practice, this means some Bills could be delayed or not scheduled for debate when there are too few sitting days, with the aim of ensuring proper consideration. It also allows for related measures to be put in place.
The bill is currently at the 2nd reading in the House of Commons, placing it in the early stages of passage. If it moves forward, it would typically proceed to committee stage for detailed examination, followed by further readings and consideration by the Lords.
Generated 21 February 2026
On 17 June, the House of Commons was asked, under the Ten Minute Rule motion, to to give leave for this Bill to be introduced. The sponsor was allowed 10 minutes to support the Bill and there was ten minutes for other MPs to comment. The House agreed and the Bill was read a first time.
This Bill was on the Order Paper for a Second Reading debate on 3 July. There was no time to debate the Bill and the order for second reading lapsed. There is no indication when the Bill might be brought before the House again.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
