MPs debate e-petition on making Eid and Diwali public holidays
21 July 2014
On Monday 21 July MPs took part in a general debate on an e-petition on making Eid and Diwali public holidays. The Backbench Business Committee used its powers to convene a sitting in Westminster Hall on a Monday afternoon on the subject of the e-petition.
Watch the debate and read the transcript
The debate was opened by Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East.
- Watch Parliament TV: Debate on an e-petition relating to making Eid and Diwali public holidays Monday 21 July 2014
- Read Commons Hansard: Debate on an e-petition relating to making Eid and Diwali public holidays Monday 21 July 2014
This debate relates to the e-petition on making Eid and Diwali public holidays.
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3pm to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.
An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.
The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.