Debates outreach seminar House of Lords October 2015

© House of Lords 2015

Dominique Gracia, Clerk of the Table Office15 October 2015

Debates in the House of Lords


Types of debates• “After debate”: almost anything can be a debate,

but… Members typically initiate debates via motions or questions– ‘Take note’ motions– To move to resolve that…– Questions for Short Debate

• Time limits: Generally15 minutes max (except the mover, openers and winders, at 20 minutes max). Vary for time-limited debates.

• Debates on questions give the questioner no right of reply, unlike motions


Debates: general principles• Self-regulation• Speeches are to the House: “your Lordships”, not

“you”• “Long speeches can create boredom and tend to

kill debate”• The reading of speeches is “alien to the custom

of this House and injurious to the conduct of its debates”

• Asperity of Speech• That the noble Lord be no longer heard• Closure• Next Business




Debate days: ‘take note’ motions• Thursdays are generally debate days. Debates

take precedence over legislative and other matters on these days

• A rotating sequence of party/group days, as well as one Thursday every month set aside for debates drawn by ballot

• Usually two ‘take note’ debates per Thursday, allocated 2.5 hours each, unless speakers’ lists are very different in length

• Group debates: tabled by the relevant whips’ office

• Balloted debates: tabled by the Table Office


Select Committee reports• Can be debated in two ways: as a ‘take note’

motion, or as a Question for Short Debate– Lord Boswell of Aynho to move that this House takes note

of the Report of the European Union Committee on the Euro area crisis: an update

– Lord Boswell of Aynho to ask HMG what is their response to the Report of the European Union Committee on the Euro area crisis: an update

• Usually added to the list of ‘take note’ motions on Select Committee reports in the Business after the government response has been received

• Tabled by the Government Whips’ Office


Other Motions for Debate

• Unlikely to be debated• Tabled by the Government Whips’ Office,

although…

• Members may table business for any day, should they wish, but it is subject to the usual rules of precedence: practically, this means the debate would likely be last business, and would not attract speakers


Questions for Short Debate

• Timing: “Dinner break”, last business, Grand Committee

• Tabling: added to the list whenever; Government Whip’s Office table them (roughly) in order

• Duration: 1 or 1 ½ hours, strictly time-limited• Although initiating a debate, still a question

rather than motion; no right of reply for initiating member

• Minister’s reply: 12 minutes


Topical Questions for Short Debate

• For the first part of a session (i.e. up until January), a topical QSD is debated between two longer debates each Thursday

• Ballot run the week before the debate• Questions should be on a topic that has received

coverage in at least two national media outlets in the four days prior to the ballot

• Tabled by the Table Office



Self-regulation in action

• Asperity of Speech: 10 March 1998, Teaching and Higher Education Bill

• That the Noble Lord be no longer heard: 14 July 2011, Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill

• That the Question be now put: 31 January 2014, European Union (Referendum) Bill



Asperity of Speech: Standing Order 32, 13 June 1626

To prevent misunderstanding, and for avoiding of offensive speeches, when matters are debating, either in the House or at Committees, it is for honour sake thought fit, and so order, That all personal, sharp, or taxing speeches be forborn, and whosoever answereth another man’s speech shall apply his answer to the matter without wrong to the person: and as nothing offensive is to be spoken, so nothing is to be ill taken, if the party that speaks it shall presently make a fair exposition or clear denial of the words that might bear any ill construction; and if any offence be given in that kind, as the House itself will be very sensible thereof, so it will sharply censure the offender, and give the party offended a fit reparation and a full satisfaction.



That the Noble Lord be no longer heard

• 4.53: If in a speech a member is thought to be seriously transgressing the practice of the House, it is open to another member to move “that the noble Lord be no longer heard”. This motion however is very rare; it is debatable and seldom needs to be decided on Question since members generally conform to the sense of the House as soon as this sense becomes clear.

• 4.54: The effect of agreeing to this motion is to prohibit the member in question from speaking further on the substantive motion, but not on any subsequent motion.



After a short further exchange…


The Closure Motion• Unlike Asperity of Speech and the motion that

the noble Lord be no longer heard, this is not debatable. An immediate conclusion – by division, if necessary – is required.

• However, the text read out by the Deputy Chairman in this instance must be read, and is to be read slowly, before the motion is finally moved.

• The House divided on the Closure Motion. It was agreed to. The original motion – that the House do now resume – was then put immediately. The House again divided. That motion was agreed to, and the House resumed. And the Bill in question went no further.

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Debates outreach seminar House of Lords October 2015

Government & Nonprofit