Prorogation: End of parliamentary session
14 May 2014 (updated on 14 May 2014)
Both Houses of Parliament prorogued on Wednesday 14 May, and will meet again for the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 4 June.
Marking the formal end to the parliamentary session, prorogation is the period between the end of one session of Parliament and State Opening which begins the next session.
Prorogation is signalled by an announcement, read in the House of Lords, on behalf of the Queen. The announcement sets out the major bills passed during the 2013-14 session and also describes other significant measures taken by the government.
The announcement is made to both Houses and the Speaker of the House of Commons and MPs attend the Lords chamber to listen. The same announcement is then read out by Mr Speaker in the House of Commons
Bills receiving royal assent
The following public bills will become Acts of Parliament:
- Care Act 2014
- Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
- Deep Sea Mining Act 2014
- Defence Reform Act 2014
- Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014
- Immigration Act 2014
- Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Act 2014
- Intellectual Property Act 2014
- Lords Reform Act 2014
- Pensions Act 2014
- Water Act 2014
What is State Opening of Parliament?
State Opening of Parliament marks the start of the parliamentary year and is the main ceremonial event of the parliamentary calendar. The ceremony takes place on the first day of a new parliamentary session or shortly after a general election. It sets out the government's agenda for the coming session.
The State Opening ceremony takes place in the House of Lords chamber, but is not classed as a formal sitting of the Lords.
Further information
- Attend debates in the new session
- Follow @UKHouseofLords on Twitter
- Like House of Lords on Facebook
- Wtch House of Lords videos on YouTube
- View House of Lords images on Flickr
- Connect with members on the Lords Digital Chamber