In the event of "grave disorder" breaking out in the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 me ...

, the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

has the power to suspend or to

adjourn In parliamentary procedure, an adjournment ends a meeting. It could be done using a motion to adjourn. A time for another meeting could be set using the motion to fix the time to which to adjourn. This motion establishes an adjourned meeting. ...

the sitting. The power derives from a standing order for public business, which states in its current form: The rule was introduced on 17 February 1902 as a

resolution Resolution(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate * Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body * New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...

: as proposed the Speaker could act "if in the interests of order he thinks it desirable"; as agreed it was "in the case of grave disorder arising ... if he thinks it necessary". This was initially a Sessional Order, effective only for that session. It was made permanent (a "Standing Order of the House") on 1 December 1902. It was amended to its current wording as part of a general revision of standing orders effected on 28 July 1948. The rules for televising the Commons require the broadcast to focus on the Speaker (or other occupant of the Chair) during "grave disorder", defined as "incidents of individual, but more likely collective, misconduct of such a serious disruptive nature as to place in jeopardy the continuation of the sitting". Broadcasters were unhappy with this restriction. Meetings of

standing committees A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

are governed by separate rules of procedure, though their chairperson has similar powers, exercised for example by Roger Gale at the committee stage of the Criminal Justice and Police Bill 2001. In the Commons chamber, the

Deputy Speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

or other temporary occupant of the Speaker's chair can invoke S.O. 46. However, a

Committee of the Whole House A committee of the whole is a meeting of a legislative or deliberative assembly using procedural rules that are based on those of a committee, except that in this case the committee includes all members of the assembly. As with other (standing) c ...

(as for the

committee stage In the United Kingdom an act of Parliament is primary legislation passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. An act of Parliament can be enforced in all four of the UK constituent countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irelan ...

of important

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

s) is chaired by the Deputy Speaker sitting as

Chairman of Ways and Means In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies. The incumbent is Dame Eleanor Laing, MP for Epping Forest, who was first elected to the office on ...

not in the Speaker's chair. If grave disorder arises, he must call for order, rise as Chairman of Ways and Means, wait for the mace to be replaced, sit in the Speaker's chair, and then stand, before he may invoke S.O. 46. The following table lists all the occasions on grave disorder has occasioned suspension or adjournment under this Standing Order.

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Disorder House of Commons of the United Kingdom Incidents of grave disorder in the British House of Commons Incidents of grave disorder in the British House of Commons