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2015-16 parliamentary session ends

12 May 2016 (updated on 12 May 2016)

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

The 2015-16 parliamentary session was brought to a close with a 'prorogation' announcement on Thursday 12 May 2016.

What is prorogation?

Prorogation marks the formal end of a parliamentary session. It usually takes the form of an announcement, read on behalf of the Queen, in the House of Lords chamber.

Once it has been read in the Lords, the same announcement is repeated by the Speaker in the House of Commons.

About the prorogation announcement

The prorogation announcement sets out the major bills that have been passed during the session.

Bills receiving Royal Assent

The following government bills became Acts of Parliament on Thursday 12 May 2016:

State Opening of Parliament

The next meeting of the House of Lords is the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 18 May 2016. This is the start of the 2016-17 parliamentary session, and is the main ceremonial event for Parliament. The Queen’s Speech at the State Opening is written by the government and sets out the laws they plan to introduce in the coming session.

Further information

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