Sittings of general committees

39.7The day and time at which a committee is to begin the consideration of each bill or other business are appointed by the Chair of the committee appointed in respect of that bill (Standing Order No 88(1)), acting so far as possible in compliance with the wishes of the Member in charge of the bill. Any change proposed subsequent to the appointment of the Chair is also subject to their agreement. Different arrangements apply to the Grand Committees (see below, paras 39.44, 39.52 –39.53 ).

General committees have no power to adjourn from place to place, except by leave of the House, and for the most part are accordingly bound to meet only at Westminster. In the case of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Grand Committees, however, standing orders provide for meetings to be held at specified locations there, on a motion moved in the House by a member of the Government (see below, paras 39.44, 39.52 –39.53 ).

General committees may sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House (Standing Order No 88(3)).

General committees may not sit twice on the first day on which they meet except by leave of the House. This leave is customarily given as part of the programme motion for the bill. Where a government bill has been unprogrammed, leave has been given by a separate motion.1

When a division is called in the House or in a Committee of the whole House, the Chair of a general committee must suspend its proceedings for such time as will, in their opinion, enable members to vote in the division and return to the committee; normally a Chair will suspend proceedings for 15 minutes. If a division is in progress at the hour appointed for the sitting of a general committee, the start of the sitting will be delayed accordingly.

Most government bills are subject to a programme order, agreed immediately after second reading. The date and times of subsequent sittings (after the first) are provided for in the resolution of the programming sub-committee which is submitted to the public bill committee for consideration at its first sitting. Public bill committees considering government bills usually meet on Tuesdays at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm and on Thursdays at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm. In all cases, the formal decision on sitting times is taken by the committee itself. In the case of bills which are not subject to a programme order, where it seems likely that the consideration of a bill will not be concluded at a single sitting, it is usual for the committee, before entering on the consideration of the bill, to determine, by resolution, on what days in each week it will sit and at what hour it will meet for the purpose of considering the bill. If, however, the committee has not agreed to such a resolution at the end of the first day's sitting, it is for the Chair to appoint a day and time for the next sitting.2 This often occurs in respect of Private Members' Bills.

The days of sitting, or any of them, or the hour of meeting may be altered upon motion at a subsequent sitting, and the committee may adjourn over a day on which it has previously resolved to sit, or to a day other than that appointed for its next sitting, or to an hour other than that fixed for its next meeting (see below). In the case of a programmed bill, a motion (in the terms of a resolution of the programming sub-committee) to amend the programme is usually made at the beginning of the sitting; but if the sitting has been suspended informally to enable the programming sub-committee to meet, such a motion may be made on the resumption of proceedings.3 In the case of other bills, motions for fixing or altering the dates of sittings of the committee, or the hour of meeting, may be made only at the beginning of a sitting or after further proceedings on the bill before the committee have been adjourned and may be amended only in respect of the days of sitting or the hour of meeting.

Unless it has been previously adjourned, the Chair must adjourn a general committee at 1.00 pm on a Monday, 11.25 am on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or 9.25 am on a Thursday, without putting any question; except that if proceedings under Standing Order No 36 (closure of debate) are in progress at that time the Chair must not adjourn the committee until the question on the closure, and any question or questions consequent on it and on any further motion necessary to decide any question already proposed from the Chair, are disposed of.4 If, however, in the Chair's opinion the proceedings on a bill or other business could be finally concluded by an extension of the sitting by a quarter of an hour, they may defer adjourning the committee until that time (Standing Order No 88);5 and the Chair of a public bill committee may allow a sitting at which oral evidence is heard to continue for up to a quarter of an hour beyond the time provided for in the programme (Standing Order No 83C(11)). Under Standing Order No 88 no committee may sit between 1.00 pm and 3.30 pm on a Monday, 11.25 am and 1.30 pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or 9.25 am and 11.30 am on a Thursday, except as stated above.6