Private Members' Bills

18.16Standing Order No 14 provides for 13 Fridays in each session on which Private Members' Bills have precedence over government business.1 Unless the House decides otherwise,2 these are the only Fridays on which the House sits.

On the first seven Fridays allotted to Private Members' Bills, precedence is given in accordance first with the results of a ballot and thereafter by order of notices given; on the eighth and subsequent Fridays,3 bills are arranged upon the paper in the following order: consideration of Lords amendments, third readings, consideration of reports not already entered upon, adjourned proceedings on consideration, bills in progress in committee, bills appointed for committee, and second readings. (Bills set down for debate after the final Private Members' Bill Friday are listed for a notional future day.)4

Footnotes

  1. 1. The provision for 13 such Fridays was incorporated into standing orders on 20 March 1997, CJ (1996–97) 336.
  2. 2. See Friday 11 April 2003, Friday 20 March 2014 and Friday 29 March 2019 for examples of occasions in recent years where the House has so decided.
  3. 3. SO No 14(5).
  4. 4. HC Deb (24 March 2017) 623, c 1109.