Recall of the House of Commons
20 July 2011
The Speaker has recalled the House of Commons to sit on Wednesday 20 July.
The Government asked the Speaker to recall the house once it had adjourned on Tuesday 19 July. The House will sit at 11.30am today.
The business of the House will be a statement by the Prime Minister on Public confidence in the media and the police, followed by a general debate on Public confidence in the media and the police.
Watch proceedings live from the Commons Chamber on Parliament TV and read today's Order of Business for more information on the business to be debated:
Points of Order
The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, raised a Point of Order on Monday 18 July:
"Ministers are minded to make representations to you [Mr Speaker] that that the House should be recalled on Wednesday in order for my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to come to the House to update Members on recent developments, and for hon. Members to have an opportunity to hold a full day's debate on these issues."
The Speaker replied by saying that:
"...if I receive a formal request from the Government after the House adjourns tomorrow [Tuesday 19 July] under Standing Order No. 13, I will appoint 11.30 on Wednesday as the time for the House to meet. The business to be taken at that sitting will be set down by the Government, and the Leader of the House has given helpful indication of what that will be."
Watch and read Points of Order and exchanges with the Speaker on Parliament TV and in Commons Hansard.
Standing Order No. 13
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."
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.