Miscellaneous backbench Members' business taken in government time

18.43As set out below (para 35.21 ), the Government may provide time for Money and/or Ways and Means Resolutions relating to Private Members' Bills. On rare occasions, the Government has also provided some time for the discussion of a Private Member's Bill. The reason for such provision may be that the Government considers that the House should be given an opportunity, which at certain stages of the session may not be readily available in private Members' time, to come to a decision on a bill to which the Government is not itself committed in principle.1 The Government has also provided time for the discussion of Lords amendments to Private Members' Bills received at a later stage of the session.2 In all cases, the bill in question is treated as a Government Order of the Day on the occasion on which it is set down for consideration, since under Standing Order No 14(1) only government business can have precedence at such sittings.

Examples of backbench Members' motions being moved in government time include the reference of a matter of procedure to a Select Committee on Procedure.3 Time has also been given to motions critical of the conduct of the Chair.4

Footnotes

  1. 1. But in the case of the second reading of the Census (Amendment) Bill [Lords], the Government made it clear that they had provided time for the bill because they wanted it to be enacted, HC Deb (1999–2000) 352, cc 307–8.
  2. 2. For example, CJ (1996–97) 321, 336, the Public Entertainment Licences (Drug Misuse) Bill.
  3. 3. CJ (1967–68) 249.
  4. 4. For example, CJ (1956–57) 283; ibid (1960–61) 109; ibid (1975–76) 311; ibid (1992–93) 569.