Recall of the House of Commons
9 August 2011 (updated on 9 August 2011)
The Speaker has recalled the House of Commons to sit on Thursday 11 August. All tours have been cancelled for Thursday 11 August.
Recall of the House of Commons
Prime Minister, David Cameron, has asked the Speaker of the House of Commons to recall the House for Thursday 11 August. The recall of the House of Commons follows rioting and civil unrest across London and other cities in England.
The business of the House of Commons will be a statement made by the Prime Minister on the rioting, followed by a general debate. The House will sit from 11.30am.
The queue for the House of Commons public gallery will open at 10:30am on Thursday.
Tours of Parliament
Tours of Parliament on Thursday 11 August have been cancelled. If you have purchased a ticket for a Tour on Thursday 11 August, please contact Ticketmaster on 0844 847 1672 to arrange a refund or a transfer to a Tour on another day. Parliament will be open for Tours on Wednesday 10 August and from Friday 12 August as usual.
Standing Order No. 13
Standing Orders are the rules by which both Houses of Parliament regulate their proceedings. Standing Order No. 13 makes provision that when the House of Commons stands adjourned, the Commons can be recalled.
"Whenever the House stands adjourned and it is represented to the Speaker by Her Majesty’s Ministers that the public interest requires that the House should meet at a time earlier than that to which the House stands adjourned, the Speaker, if he is satisfied that the public interest does so require, may give notice that, being so satisfied, he appoints a time for the House to meet, and the House shall accordingly meet at the time stated in such notice."
The House of Commons was last recalled on Wednesday 20 July 2011.
Further information
Further information on the recall of Parliament and previous occasions of when Parliament has been recalled can be found on the Parliament website.