Commons

4.3In the absence of any specific orders to that effect, Members are presumed to be in attendance in Parliament. It is not now considered necessary for a Member to be given leave of absence in the ordinary course of business, but such leave has been given to official delegations from the House, especially to those commissioned to present gifts to the Parliaments of newly independent Commonwealth countries.1 The Speaker has also asked the leave of the House to absent himself in order to pay official visits, to receive honorary degrees and appointments at universities, and to attend funerals of deceased Members,2 although the usual practice is now for the Speaker to be given leave in a motion for an Order tabled by the Government.3 Since October 2002, the Speaker has been entitled to leave of absence, if he thinks fit, on any Friday on which the House sits.4

Footnotes

  1. 1. See eg CJ (1983–84) 56; ibid (1987–88) 552. For ‘parental leave’, see para 20.88, fn 1.
  2. 2. CJ (1947–48) 51; ibid (1950–51) 193; ibid (1952–53) 179; ibid (1958–59) 158; ibid (1970–71) 470.
  3. 3. See eg CJ (1988–89) 329; ibid (1993–94) 359; ibid (1998–99) 386; ibid (2005–06) 262; Votes and Proceedings, 8 May 2018. For an occasion when such a motion was debated at length, see HC Deb (16 June 2003) 407, cc 43–78.
  4. 4. SO No 3(3); CJ (2001–02) 785