WEDNESDAY, 9TH APRIL 1997

PRIVY COUNCIL

BY THE QUEEN

A PROCLAMATION

FOR DISSOLVING THE PRESENT PARLIAMENT AND DECLARING THE CALLING OF ANOTHER

ELIZABETH R.

  Whereas We have thought fit, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, to dissolve this present Parliament, which stands prorogued to Tuesday, the fifteenth day of April instant: We do, for that End, publish this Our Royal Proclamation, and do hereby dissolve the said Parliament accordingly: And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Members of the House of Commons, are discharged from further Attendance thereat: And We being desirous and resolved, as soon as may be, to meet Our People, and to have their Advice in Parliament, do hereby make known to all Our loving Subjects Our Royal Will and Pleasure to call a new Parliament: and do hereby further declare, that, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, We have given Order that Our Chancellor of Great Britain and Our Secretary of State for Northern Ireland do respectively, upon Notice thereof, forthwith issue out Writs, in due Form and according to Law, for calling a new Parliament: And We do hereby also, by this Our Royal Proclamation under Our Great Seal of Our Realm, require Writs forthwith to be issued accordingly by Our said Chancellor and Secretary of State respectively, for causing the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons who are to serve in the said Parliament to be duly returned to, and give their Attendance in, Our said Parliament on Wednesday, the seventh day of May next, which Writs are to be returnable in due course of Law.

  Given at Our Court at Windsor Castle, this eighth day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven and in the forty-sixth year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

At the Court at Windsor Castle the 8th day of April 1997

Present,

The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council

  Her Majesty, having been this day pleased by Her Royal Proclamation to dissolve the present Parliament and to declare the calling of another, is hereby further pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order that the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland do respectively, upon notice of this Her Majesty's Order, forthwith cause Writs to be issued in due form and according to Law for the calling of a new Parliament, to meet at the City of Westminster on Wednesday, the 7th day of May 1997; which Writs are to be returnable in due course of Law.

N H Nicholls