Business of the House of Lords

What are the sitting (meeting) hours of the House of Lords?

The hours of business in the House of Lords Chamber are generally:

• Mondays and Tuesdays from 2.30pm
• Wednesdays from 3pm
• Thursdays from 11am
• some Fridays from 10am

The House usually sits until 10-11pm, occasionally much later and sometimes all night.

How many days does the House of Lords sit in a session?

Session 2021-22: 156 days 

• Sitting figures for previous sessions

How long is the average sitting day in the House of Lords?

Session 2021-22: average daily hours sat = 7 hours 45 minutes

• Length of sitting days for previous sessions

How many late sittings (after 10pm) were there last session?

Session 2021-22: 58

When was the longest sitting in recent years?

• January 2011: From 2.30pm Monday 17 January until 12.52pm Tuesday 18 January on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.
• March 2005: From 11am Thursday 10 March until 7.31pm Friday 11 March on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill.
• October 2003: From 2.30pm Monday 20 October until 4.54am Tuesday 21 October on the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill.
• October 2000: From 2.30pm Tuesday 3 October until 7.58am Wednesday 4 October on the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill.
• July 2000: From 2.30pm Monday 24 July until 5.12am Tuesday 25 July on the Football (Disorder) Bill.
• June 1988: From 2.30pm Tuesday 28 June until 8.47am Wednesday 29 June on the Education Reform Bill.

What was the largest division (vote) in the House of Lords?

A total of 634 members voted in a division on a change to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2016-2017 on 7 March 2017.

The vote concerned requiring parliamentary approval for the outcome of negotiations with the EU.

• House of Lords: Largest Votes Recorded - Library note

When was the House of Lords last recalled during a recess?

The House was last recalled on Wed 18 Aug 2021 for a debate on Afghanistan.

• List of recall dates going back to 1931

When did the House of Lords last sit on a Saturday?

The most recent Saturday sitting of the House of Lords took place on 10 September 2022 for tributes to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

• Lords Hansard: 10 September 2022

Further information

• House of Lords publications: Sessional Statistics for the House of Lords - Sessional Statistics provide a breakdown of the work of the House of Lords for each session of Parliament
• House of Lords publications: Public Bill Statistics in the House of Lords - Sessional Statistics relating to Public Bills in the House of Lords