Sessional Information Digest: 2001-2002
Section A1
Sittings of the House and Dates of Session
The House sat on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and all but 11 Fridays during the following periods (all dates inclusive):
13 June - 20 July 2001
14 September 2001 (Emergency Recall)
4, 8 October 2001 (Emergency Recall)
15 October - 19 December 2001
8 January 2002 - 14 February 2002
25 February 2002 - 26 March 2002
3 April 2002 (Emergency Recall)
10 April - 2 May 2002
7 May - 24 May 2002
10 June - 24 July 2002
24 September 2002 (Emergency Recall)
15 October - 7 November 2002
The total number of sitting days was 201. The House sat for 1,296 hours and 52 minutes, and the average length of the daily sitting (including Fridays) was 7 hours and 40 minutes.
The House did not sit on the following Fridays: 29 June 2001, 6 July 2001, 7 & 14 December 2001, 22 March, 17 May, 14 & 28 June, 18 & 25 October, 1 November 2002.
Analysis of the time of the session
|
Type of Business |
Total time spent (hours:minutes) |
|
1 |
Addresses, other than Prayers (including debate on Queen's Speech) |
39.49 |
|
2 |
Government Bills |
126.43 |
| |
Second Reading debate (Bills committed to a Standing Committee) |
126.43 |
| |
Second Reading debate (Bills committed to a Committee of the Whole House) |
36.18 |
| |
Committee of the Whole House |
48.47 |
| |
Consideration (Report stage) |
149.56 |
| |
Third Reading |
34.58 |
| |
Lords Amendments |
65.56 |
| |
Allocation of Time Order (including Programme Motions) |
13.17 |
| |
Committal Motion |
- |
|
3 |
Private Members' Bills |
|
| |
Motions for the introduction of Ten Minute Rule Bills |
13.36 |
| |
Second Reading |
35.09 |
| |
Other stages |
28.10 |
| |
|
|
|
4 |
Private Business |
12.31 |
|
5 |
Government motions |
| |
European Community Documents |
3.04 |
| |
General |
50.02 |
|
6 |
Opposition motions |
|
| |
Opposition Days (20 days) |
126.57 |
| |
Opposition Motions in Government Time (No Confidence Motions) |
12.16 |
|
7 |
Adjournment |
|
| |
Government debates on motions for the Adjournment |
188.12 |
| |
Last day before Recesses |
24.26 |
| |
Emergency debates (SO No 24) |
3.00 |
| |
Daily (at end of business) |
93.23 |
| |
|
14.32 |
|
8 |
Estimates |
14.32 |
|
9 |
Money Resolutions |
0.59 |
|
10 |
Ways and Means Resolutions (including Budget Debate) |
28.50 |
| |
|
|
|
11 |
Motions for Approval of Statutory Instruments (Affirmative) |
20.53 |
|
12 |
Motions to Annual or Revoke Statutory Instruments (Negative) |
4.05 |
|
13 |
Oral Questions |
151.48 |
| |
Private Notice Questions |
8.33 |
| |
Statements |
96.26 |
| |
Business statements |
33.10 |
| |
SO No 24 Applications (a) |
0. 31 |
| |
Points of Order and Speaker's Rulings |
7.47 |
| |
Presentation of Public Petitions |
2.26 |
| |
Miscellaneous |
13.05 |
| |
Daily Prayers |
16.35 |
| |
Sessional Total |
1,540.46 |
| Note: | The time taken up by divisions is included with the class of business upon which the divisions were called |
| (a) Previously SO No 20 Applications |
Westminster Hall
The total number of sitting hours in Westminster Hall was 474 hours and 38 minutes.
Section A2
Parliamentary Questions
Statistics of Parliamentary Questions are available in two forms. The figures for each, which for various reasons (mainly owing to methods of counting and recording) are not exactly comparable, are as follows:
Questions appearing on the Order Paper calculated by the Journal Office
|
Appearing on the Order Paper for Oral Answer |
6,528 1 |
|
Put down for priority Written answer |
23,688 |
|
Put down for non-priority Written Answer |
49,217 |
| |
|
|
Total |
79,433 |
| Note: | Not more than about half of all questions put down for Oral Answer will receive such an answer - the rest are answered in writing |
Questions appearing in Hansard, and indexed in the Parliamentary On-line Indexing Service (POLIS)
|
Oral replies (including supplementaries) |
6,392 2 |
|
Written replies |
67,651 3 |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Total |
74,043 |
2 Number of tabled questions answered (excluding supplementaries) was 2,201
3 With POLIS, several written questions from the same Member, if answered together by the Minister, may have been treated as one question
The total number of private notice questions (excluding Business Questions) was 10.
Section A3
Opposition Days
|
Date |
Day Number |
Subject of Debate |
| |
|
|
|
12.7.01 |
1 |
1) Post-16 education
2) The countryside |
| |
|
|
|
23.10 01 |
2 |
Conduct of Jo Moore, the Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Stephen Byers) |
| |
|
|
|
25.10.01
19.6.02 |
3 |
1) Student finance (LD)
2) World poverty |
| |
|
|
|
6.11.01 |
4 |
Education and lifelong learning |
| |
|
|
|
13.11.01 |
5 |
1) The Secretary of State's handling of decisions relating to Railtrack
2) Stakeholder pensions |
| |
|
|
|
3.12.01 |
6 |
1) Dissemination of information and the Government's news management strategy, with reference to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
2) The funding of public services |
| |
|
|
|
16.01.02 |
7 |
1) Railways (LD)
2) The care system (LD) |
| |
|
|
|
22.1.02 |
8 |
Public services |
| |
|
|
|
29.1.02 |
9 |
The Post Office |
| |
|
|
|
4.2.02 |
10 |
1) Asylum seekers
2) Pensions and benefits |
| |
|
|
|
5.3.02 |
(a) |
1) Government support for Mr Mittal and the domestic steel industry (PC)
2) Process of consent for siting of nuclear and other power stations (SNP) |
| |
|
|
|
12.3.02 |
11 |
London and the South-East |
| |
|
|
|
19.3.02 |
12 |
1) Education and skills training
2) Chinook crash in the Mull of Kintyre on 2 June 1994 |
| |
|
|
|
15.5.02 |
13 |
1) Post Office closures and Royal Mail deliveries (LD)
2) Johannesburg Summit (World Summit on Sustainable Development) (LD) |
| |
|
|
|
21.5.02 |
14 |
1) Truancy and discipline in schools
2) Special educational needs |
| |
|
|
|
25.6.02 |
15 |
1) Mental health
2) Zimbabwe |
| |
|
|
|
2.7.02 |
16 |
Funded pensions |
| |
|
|
|
8.7.02 |
17 |
1) Care homes |
|
16.7.02 |
|
2) Northern Ireland peace process |
| |
|
|
|
16.10.02 |
18 |
1) Department for Education and Skills
2) Rural economy |
| |
|
|
|
22.10.02 |
(a) |
1) Affordable housing (LD)
2) Nuclear power and British Energy (LD) |
| |
|
|
|
23.10.02 |
19 |
National Lottery |
| |
|
|
|
28.10.02 |
20 |
1) Access to facilities of the House of Commons
2) Human Rights Act |
LD- Liberal Democrat
PC- Plaid Cymru
SNP- Scottish National Party
(a) Unallotted day
Section A4
Use of Guillotine (Programme Motions)
The Guillotine, or Allocation of Time Motion (ATM), is used to timetable proceedings on a Bill. New Sessional Orders were introduced for Programme Motions in Session 2000-01, and modified versions of these Sessional Orders were agreed in June 2001 for the 2001-02 session. In the 2001-02 Session, Guillotine or Programme Motions were used 55 times on 23 Bills during the session. Factsheet P10, available from the House of Commons Information Office, contains more information. The details are as follows:
|
Bill title
and length |
Date of ATM/Prog |
Stages guillotined |
Progress before ATM/Prog |
Time allowed under ATM/Prog |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
European Communities (Finance) (2cl)
-ditto- |
3.7.2001
(prog)
19.7.2001
(prog No 2) |
CWH
RS
CWH
RS |
1R, 2R |
CWH, RS - 2 Days
CWH - 31/4 hrs
RS - 1 Day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
European Communities (Amendment) (4cl)
-ditto- |
4.7.2001
11.7.2001 (prog No 2) |
CWH
RS
CWH
RS |
1R,2R |
CWH,Rep,3R - 4 days
CWH - 3 days
RS - 1day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Export Control (15cl, 1sch)
-ditto- |
9.7.2001
24.6.2002 (prog No 2) |
C
RS
LA |
1R, 2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 23.10
RS - 1day
LA - 3 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) (7cl) |
10.7.2001 |
C
RS |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 18.10
RS - 1 day
|
|
-ditto- |
15.4.2002
(prog No 2) |
LA |
|
LA - 21/4 hrs |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) (4cl) |
24.10.2001 |
C
RS |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 8.11
RS - 3 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Adoption and Children (135 cl,6sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto-
|
29.10.2001 (prog No 1)
23.1.2002 (prog No 2)
20.3.2002 (prog No 3)
16.5.2002 (prog No 4)
4.11.2002 (prog No 5) |
SSC
RS
RS
RS
RS
LA |
1R 2R
|
SSC proceedings to conclude by 17.1.2002
RS - 1 day
RS - 2 days
RS - 3 days
RS - 2nd and 3rd days, (clauses for consideration programmed)
LA - 61/2 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds of Crime
(444cl, 9sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
|
30.10.2001 (prog)
26.02.2002 (prog No 2)
18.07.2002 (prog No 3) |
C
RS
RS
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 5.2
RS - 2 days
RS - 2 days (clauses programmed)
LA - 3 1/4 hrs |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Animal Health (18cl,2sch)
-ditto-
|
12.11.2001
6.11.2002 (prog No 2) |
C
RS
LA |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 4.12
RS - 1 day
LA - 6 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security (125cl,8sch)
-ditto-
-ditto- |
19.11.2001 (prog No 1)
21.11.2002 (prog No 2)
12.12.2001 (prog No 3) |
C
RS
CWH
LA
|
1R,2R
|
All stages - 2 days
CWH - 2 days
LA - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions (40cl,9sch)
-ditto- |
20.11.2001
(prog No 1)
22.5.2002 (prog No 2) |
C
RS
LA |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 18.12
RS - 1 day
4 hrs |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Employment (53 cl,7sch)
-ditto-
-ditto- |
27.11.2001 (prog)
21.01.2002 (prog No 2)
8.07.2002 (prog No 3) |
C
RS
C
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 22.1
RS - 1 day
SC - proceedings to conclude by 24.1
LA - 1 day
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Human Reproductive Cloning [HL] (2cl) |
29.11.2001 (ATM) |
All stages |
1R |
All stages - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Education (211cl,22sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto-
|
4.12.2001
23.01.2002 (prog No 2)
6.02.2002 (prog No 3)
15.7.2002 (prog No 4) |
C
RS
RS
RS (2nd day)
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 24.1
RS - 1 day
RS - 2 days
Rep - by 11.00pm
3R - by midnight
LA - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Tax Credits (65 cl,6sch)
-ditto-
|
10.12.2001
26.6.2002 (prog No 2) |
C
RS
LA |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 24.1
RS - 1 day
LA - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning (Amendment) (2cl) |
17.12.2001 |
CWH
RS |
1R,2R |
CWH,RS - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform [HL] (174 cl.14sch)
-ditto-
-ditto- |
8.1.2002 (prog)
31.1.2002 (prog No 2)
11.3.2002 (prog No 3) |
C
RS
RS
RS |
1R,.2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 31.1
RS - 1 day
RS - 1 day
RS - 2 days
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Office of Communications [HL] (7cl) |
14.1.2002
(prog) |
C
RS
|
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 5.2
RS - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Justice (Northern Ireland) (91cl, 13sch)
-ditto-
|
21.1.2002 (prog)
16.7.2002 (prog No 2) |
C
RS
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 14.2
RS - 1 day
LA - 3 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
State Pension Credit [HL] (22cl,3sch) |
25.3.2002 |
C
RS |
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 30.4
RS - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Enterprise (269cl,26sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto-
|
10.4.2002 (prog)
1.5.2002 (prog No 2)
13.6.2002 (prog No 3)
30.10.2002
(prog No 4) |
C
RS
C
RS
LA
|
1R,2R
|
Proceedings to conclude by 14.5
RS - 2 days
SC proceedings to conclude by 16.5
RS - 2 days
43/4 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum (129cl,7sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto-
|
24.4.2002 (prog)
9.5.2002 (prog No 2)
11.6.2002 (prog No 3)
5.11.2002 (prog No 4) |
C
RS
C
RS
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 16.5
RS - 1 day
SC proceedings to conclude by 21.5
RS - 2 days
LA - 6 hours |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion [HL] (22cl) |
29.4.2002 |
C
RS
|
1R,2R |
SC proceedings to conclude by 14.5
RS - 1 day |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Police Reform [HL] (92cl,8sch)
-ditto-
-ditto-
-ditto- |
7.5.2002
9.7.2002 (prog No 2)
10.7.2002 (prog No 3)
24.7.2002 (prog No 4) |
C
RS
RS
LA |
1R,2R
|
SC proceedings to conclude by 27.6
RS - 1 day
RS - 11/2 days (1st day 1/2 day - conclusion of proceedings at 7.00pm or 3 hours after the commencement of proceedings whichever is the later) (2nd day - 1 day)
LA - 1 hour |
| |
|
|
|
|
Section A5
Estimates Days
Standing Order No 52 provides that three days shall be allotted during each session for the consideration of Estimates (see Factsheet P6 on Financial Procedure). The subjects are set down by resolution of the Liaison Committee.
|
Date |
No. of Allotted Day |
Principal Subjects |
|
11.12.01 |
1st (part 1) |
Staging of the World Athletics Championships |
|
11.12.01 |
1st (part 2) |
Waste management policy |
|
07.03.02 |
2nd (part 1) |
Environmental audit |
|
07.03.02 |
2nd (part 2) |
Deployment of Ministry of Defence resources against terrorism |
|
27.06.02 |
3rd (part 1) |
London Underground |
|
27.06.02 |
3rd (part 2) |
Individual Learning Accounts |
Section A6
Government Substantive Motions
|
Date |
Subject |
|
31.10.01 |
1st report of the Standard and Privileges Committee |
|
18.12.01 |
Members choosing not to take their seats: Facilities of the House |
|
24.1.02 |
Public Account Committee Reports- 38th-47th 1999-2000 and 1st-16th Report 2000-01 |
|
31.1.02 |
1st Report of the Administration Committee: Summer line of route 2001 opening and proposals for the future |
|
13.2.02 |
5th Report of the Standard and Privileges Committee |
|
18.3.02 |
Hunting with Dogs |
|
26.3.02 |
6th Report of the Standard and Privileges Committee |
|
1.5.02 |
Ways and Means (NI contributions) |
|
14.5.02 |
Modernisation of the House of Commons |
|
14.5.02 |
Select Committees |
|
14.5.02 |
Tax law rewrite |
|
14.5.02 |
Joint Committee rewrite |
|
14.5.02 |
Regulatory Reform |
|
14.5.02 |
Liaison Committee |
|
14.5.02 |
Power to exchange papers with devolved legislatures |
|
14.5.02 |
Payment for Chairmen |
|
14.5.02 |
Code of conduct for Members of Parliament |
|
14.5.02 |
Urban Post Office reinvention programme |
|
29.10.02 |
Modernisation of the House of Commons |
|
29.10.02 |
Parliamentary Questions |
|
29.10.02 |
Amendments to Standing Orders: Questions |
|
29.10.02 |
New provision for earlier sittings on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays |
|
29.10.02 |
Carry-over of Bills |
|
29.10.02 |
Permanent arrangements for Westminster Hall, Thursday sittings and Standing Committees |
|
29.10.02 |
Deferred divisions |
|
29.10.02 |
Programming of Business |
|
29.10.02 |
Leave of absence for the Speaker |
|
29.10.02 |
Short speeches |
| |
|
Section A7
Standing Order No 24
Standing Order No 24 allows Members to suggest that a specific and important matter should have urgent consideration and that an emergency debate be held upon it. It is for the Speaker to decide whether the matter is sufficiently specific, important and urgent to warrant giving it precedence, and among other things to have regard to the probability of the matter being brought before the House by other means; the Chair in general gives leave very seldom. During the 2001-02 Session, there were 11 unsuccessful applications and 1 successful. The details are as follows:
| 12.3.2002 | Deployment of British Soldiers in Afghanistan. |
Section A8
Divisions
The total number of divisions during the Session was 361.
Section A9
Early Day Motions
The total number of Early Day Motions tabled during the Session was 1,854, of which 334 were prayers for the annulment of statutory instruments. Factsheet P3 on Early Day Motions is available from the House of Commons Information Office.
|
