Prorogation: end of parliamentary year
13 November 2009 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Both Houses of Parliament officially prorogued on 12 November and will meet again for the State Opening of Parliament on 18 November
Marking the formal end to the parliamentary year, prorogation is the period between the end of a session of Parliament and the State Opening which begins the next session.
Prorogation is marked by an announcement, on behalf of the Queen, read in the House of Lords.
- Lords Hansard: Royal Commission: Prorogation
- Lords Hansard: Prorogation: Her Majesty's Speech
- Prorogation
- State Opening of Parliament
As with the State Opening, the announcement is made to both Houses and the Speaker of the House of Commons and MPs attend the Lords Chamber to listen to the speech. The same announcement is then read out by Mr Speaker in the House of Commons.
Major Bills for the session
The prorogation announcement sets out the major Bills which have been passed during the session and also describes other measures which have been taken by the Government.
During the prorogation announcement on 12 November, 13 Bills became Acts of Parliament (law):
- Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
- Autism Bill
- Coroners and Justice Bill
- Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill
- Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Bill
- Health Bill
- Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill
- Law Commission Bill
- Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill
- Marine and Coastal Access Bill
- Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill
- Policing and Crime Bill
- Welfare Reform Bill
Further information