Recalls of Parliament
During Business Questions on 02 November Mr. Douglas Hogg asked the following question.
"The Leader of the House has given us a calendar for next year, which is splendid. However, may we have an early debate to consider the circumstances in which Parliament is recalled? Many of us believe that the initiative should not lie with the Government, so may I commend to the right hon. Gentleman early-day motion 2695?
[That this House believes that Mr Speaker should have the power to order its recall both at his own discretion and in the event that he receives a formal request from no fewer than 75 hon. and right hon. Members.]
It would give Mr. Speaker, either at his discretion or following a request from no fewer than 75 hon. and right hon. Members, the power to recall. May we rapidly have a debate on that subject?"
The Government's position has previously been set out in June 2005 by Geoff Hoon, while Leader of the House, in an answer to a written Parliamentary Question from Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North).
"The Government sees no need for a change in the operation of Standing Order No. 13. The Government has recalled Parliament whenever major developments have required it: six times since 1997. The Government would be resistant to any change which increased the pressure on the Speaker or politicised his role, or which led to recalls in circumstances which did not merit it."
The recalls under Standing Order No.13 (since 1976) were also set out in a Written Parliamentary answer to Mr David Amess (23 May 2006):
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24 September 2002 |
Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction |
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3 April 2002 |
Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother |
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14 September, 4 and 8 October 2001 |
International terrorism and attacks in the USA |
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2-3 September 1998 |
Omagh Bomb: Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Bill |
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31 May 1995 |
Bosnia |
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24-25 September 1992 |
Government economic policy; UN operations in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Somalia |
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6-7September 1990 |
Kuwait Invasion |
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14 April 1982 |
Falkland Islands |
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3 April 1982 |
Falkland Islands |
Further information is available in a Library Standard Note Recall of Parliament which is available on the Parliament website at:
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snpc-01186.pdf. |