| Date/Time of Rising
| Business (substantive) after 10.00pm
| Comments |
23rd November
11.28 pm | • Motion on the Maximum Number of Judges Order (till 10.59 pm, no division)
| • Debated Delegated Legislation Motion after 10.00 pm, no division
|
30th November
12.22 am | • Motion on the Northern Ireland (Appointed Day) Order (till 11.43 pm, one division)
| • Government Business after 10.00 pm
|
12th January
Midnight | • Representation of the People Bill: Committee (1st Day) (from 5.04 pm till 11.30 pm)
| • Main business delayed by Opposition PNQ (Pinochet) and Statement (Armed Forces (ECHR) (till 5.04 pm)
• Committee stage of a constitutional measure
• Usual channels agreement on number of days for debate. Achieved, in spite of Government backbenchers, Liberal Democrats and Government Statement
|
25th January
7.51 pm on the 26th | • Disqualifications Bill: Committee and remaining stages (from 5.43 pm till 7.30 pm on 26th)
| • Opposition did not oppose the Disqualifications Bill at 2nd Reading, but many Members believed this legislation was ill-thought out and was being rushed through the Commons without proper scrutiny
• This Bill has not yet had its 2nd Reading in the Lords.
|
2nd February
12.30 am | • Motion on the Membership of the House of Commons Commission (till 11.43 plus one division)
| • The Motion, in the name of a Government Minister, was not protected
• In the debate, only three Conservative Members spoke (two for two minutes and one for five minutes) and six made very brief interventions
|
8th February
11.24 pm | • Northern Ireland Bill: 3rd Reading (till 10.54 pm, one division)
| • All stages of the Northern Ireland Bill taken in one day: Programme Motion (for 18 minutes, no division); 2nd Reading (till 7.42 pm, one division (not official Opposition)); Consideration in Committee (till 9.46 pm)
|
14th February
1.22 am | • Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill: Committee (from 4.15 pm till 11.21 pm)
• Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 (Amnesty Period) Order 2000 (till c12.52pm, no division)
| • Committee stage of a constitutional measure
• Debating time agreed through Usual Channels
• Main business delayed by a Statement (Thames Safety Inquiry (till 4.15 pm)
• NI Motion was debated on the Floor at Opposition request, but the House would not have been kept so late had the Motion not been put on after open-ended business
|
16th February
12.56 am | • Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill: Committee (2nd Day) (till 12.27 am)
| • Debating time agreed though Usual Channels
• This constitutional measure has had only one day in Committee in the Lords, which delay casts doubt as to under which rules the next General Election will be fought
|
28th February
11.04 pm | • Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill: 3rd Reading (forthwith, one division)
| • The Bill's 3rd Reading was taken forthwith in order to ensure it could be eligible under the Parliament Act procedures
|
29th February
8.14 am | • Government Resources and Accounts Bill: Remaining stages (till 7.44 am)
| • Deliberations were lengthy because of the Government's unwillingness to negotiate in the face of Opposition unease over NC1 of the Bill.
|
1st March
10.32 pm | • Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Bill: 2nd Reading (till 7.00 pm, resumed at 10.10 pm till 10.31 pm, no division)
• [Was to have been followed by 2nd Reading of the Nuclear Safeguards Bill (Lords), but this was not moved]
| • Business for this day was changed to accommodate debate on Motion to approve the 5th Report of the Standards and Privileges Committee (till 5.54 pm), followed by Opposition (Half) Day (Liberal Democrats) (till 10.00 pm, one division)
|
7th March
11.07 pm | • Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) (No 2) Bill: 2nd Reading (till 10.00 pm, three divisions including Mr Marshall-Andrew's Reasoned Amendment and committal to a Special Standing Committee)
| • This Bill (in an earlier form) was defeated in the Lords.
• It is hotly contended by Government backbenchers as well as Official Opposition members.
|
8th March
1.41 pm | • Representation of the People Bill Money Resolution (till 11.10 pm, no division)
• Representation of the People Bill: Supplemental Allocation of Time Motion (till 12.40 pm plus one division) and Consideration of Lords Amendments till 1.11 am)
| • Money Resolution was necessary after Government defeat in the Lords (GLA Bill re free mailshot) and was debatable.
• Government guillotined Lords Amendments, having previously guillotined debate on Report.
• The Government urgently required the Bill in connection with the forthcoming elections and, presumably for this reason, brought it forward for consideration after 10.00 pm
|
13th March
11.18 pm | • Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill: Remaining stages (1st Day) (till 10.48 pm)
| • Main business delayed by Statement (ECHR Judgement (Thompson and Venables) till 4.14 pm)
• A constitutional measure
|
15th March
2.50 am | • Terrorism Bill: Remaining stages. (till 1.50 am plus one division)
• Motion on the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (Continuance) Order (till 2.20 am)
| • Main Business delayed by Opposition PNQ: Selection in Education (till 3.59 pm) and Statement: Inherited SERPS (till 4.50 pm)
• Debate on the Bill was extended by Labour backbenchers and Liberal Democrats
• Of 8 divisions, one was Official Opposition, 6 were Liberal Democrat and 2 were Labour rebels
• The House would not have been kept so late had the Motion not been put on after open-ended business
|
27th March
12.37 am | • Budget Resolutions
• Five Delegated Legislation Motions put forthwith and agreed, no divisions
• One Delegated Legislation Motion put forthwith and agreed, one (Lib Dem) division.
| • On the Budget Resolutions:
· 70 Questions put, 9 divisions
· 6 Official Opposition divisions
· 3 Minority party divisions
• The Division on the Delegated Legislation Motions was called by the Liberal Democrats and only Liberal Democrats voted in the No Lobby
|
29th March
12.08 | • Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill: Remaining stages (1st Day) (till 11.40 pm)
| • Over 70 clauses in this Bill, which was extensively redrafted in Committee (provisions relating to second State Pension
• Agreement through usual channels on debating time was delivered (though there was some difficulty from Labour backbenchers)
|
3rd April
1.28 am | • Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill: Remaining stages (2nd Day) (from 4.22 pm till 1.00 am)
| • See above |
4th April
12.59 am | • Freedom of Information Bill: Remaining stages (1st Day) (from 4.26 pm till 11.45pm)
• Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill: Money Resolution (till 12.29 am)
| • Main business delayed by Statement (Housing Green Paper, till 4.26 pm)
• Debate lengthened by Government backbenchers
• No date is yet set for 2nd Reading of this Bill in the Lords
|
5th April
1.24 am | • Freedom of Information Bill: Remaining stages (2nd Day) (till 12.54 am)
| • See above |
10th April
1.30 am | • TV Licences (Disclosure of Information) Bill: 2nd Reading (from 10.13 pm till 12.59 am, no division)
| • Extraordinarily, the Government moved a closure on 2nd Reading at 9.30 pm, without a Government wind-up
• Government chose to put a second 2nd Reading on after 10.00 pm
|
11th April
1.55 am | • Standing Committee on Regional Affairs (till 1.23 am inc two divisions)
| • Business of the House Motion permitted debate on Standing Committee on Regional Affairs till any hour. It was debated for two and a half hours plus two divisions
|
17th April
10.55 pm | • Finance Bill: 2nd Reading (from 4.28 pm till 10.19 pm)
| • Commencement of 2nd Reading debate delayed by Statement (Energy Police, till 4.28 pm)
• Finance Bill 2nd Readings are exempted business. Official Opposition showed restraint by completing debate at 10.19 pm
|
18th April
11.54 pm | • Postal Services Bill: Remaining stages (from 3.45 pm till 11.24 pm)
| • Supplementary Money Resolution was taken at 3.30 pm for 45 minutes. These can be, and often are, an indication of badly drafted Bills.
|
3rd May
11.53 pm | • Finance Bill: Consideration in Committee (2nd Day) (from 4.19 pm till 11.27 pm)
| • Main Business delayed by a Statement (Zimbabwe, till 4.19 pm)
• Splitting Motion is negotiated through Usual Channels
|
8th May
10.58 pm | • Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill: Remaining stages (from 5.19 pm till c10.32 pm)
| • Main Business delayed by two Statements (Northern Ireland (till 4.36 pm) and Sierra Leone (till 5.19 pm))
|
9th May
12.50 am | • Transport Bill: Remaining stages (1st Day) (till 12.28 am)
| • A Programme Motion was agreed.
|
16th May
1.59 am | • Northern Ireland (Flags) Order (till 11.55 pm plus a division)
• Northern Ireland (Decommissioning) Order (till 1.30 am)
| • The House would not have been kept so late had the two Motions not been put on after 10.00 pm
|
22nd May
2.24 am | • Royal Parks (Trading) Bill and TV Licences (Disclosure of Information) Bill: Guillotine (from 8.54 pm till 11.54 pm)
• Royal Parks (Trading) Bill: Remaining stages (till 12.54 am plus a division)
• TV Licences (Disclosure of Information) Bill: Remaining stages (till 1.54 pm, no division)
| • Government decided to guillotine four bills, and take these guillotine motions and the remaining stages of the four bills on one day
• The other two bills concerned were the Nuclear Safeguards Bill and the Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Bill
|
5th June
11.40 pm | • FSM Bill: Lords Amendments (from 4.28 pm till 11.13 pm)
| • Financial Services and Markets Bill: Supplemental Guillotine began the day (till 4.28 pm including a division)
|
12th June
12.02 am | • Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill: Remaining stages (from 4.26 pm till 11.37 pm)
| • Main business delayed by Statement (Hunting with Dogs, till 4.26 pm)
|
13th June
11.58 pm | • Countryside and Rights of Way Bill: Remaining stages (1st Day, till 11.34 pm)
| • About 70 clauses in this Bill, quite heavily amended in Committee.
• Usual channels agreement on debating time achieved.
|
14th June
11.26 pm | • Countryside and Rights of Way Bill: Remaining stages (2nd day, till 10.56 pm)
| • See above |
20th June
1.54 am | • Census (Amendment) Bill 2nd Reading (till 1.12 am plus one division
| • The Government, giving time to a Private Members' Bill, chose to put it on after 10.00 pm
|
