Procedural Motion — Stop Christopher Chope MP's Speech on Daylight Saving Time — 20 Jan 2012 at 10:45
The majority of MPs voted to stop MP Christopher Chope's speech on amendments to the Daylight Saving Bill which had been going on for about an hour.
MPs were considering a series of amendments to the Daylight Saving Bill[1]
MP Christopher Chope was speaking to to move an amendment on restricting consideration of changes to time in the UK to "advancing the period of summer time in the UK by an hour", as opposed to advancing time by an hour throughout the year (for more details see the PublicWhip page describing the subsequent substantive vote).
Usually in order to bring debate to a close and move to a vote the motion: "That the Question now be put" would be moved; however in this case as the mover of the motion was still speaking the question had not yet been proposed. (Motions are proposed by the chair after the speech in which they are proposed by the member moving them has concluded[2]). There is no question which can be put until one is proposed.
In this vote the majority of MPs voted in favour of the motion
- That the Question be now proposed.
The motion had been moved during MP Christopher Chope's speech and under House of Commons Standing Order 29[3] the question was put "forthwith".
Lindsay Hoyle MP (Chorley, Labour), who was in the chair, stated[4]:
- this Standing Order was last used in 1987
A search of TheyWorkForYou.com[5] shows usages in 1999, 2001 and 2007 prior to the one which prompted this vote.
Under House of Commons standing order 37[6] at least 100 MPs had to vote in the majority in favour of the motion in order for it to be passed, in this case 119 MPs voted with the majority in favour of the motion.
As soon as the vote to stop Christopher Chope's speech was passed Mr Chope raised a point of order (dismissed as a non-point of order by the chair) to say[7]:
- On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I was about to bring my remarks to a quick conclusion because I had already discussed all the amendments, but I can tell all those who supported the motion that I do not hold any animus against them.
Background to the procedural motion which was the subject of this vote can be found in the record of a speech in the House of Commons on the 27th of February 1986 where MP Mr John Biffen (North Shropshire) described the then proposed introduction of the procedure saying[8]:
- Similarly, we seek to implement the proposal that there should be a new motion to deal with exceptionally long speeches in Committee or on Report. The motion would be: "That the Question be now proposed".
==
- [1] Parliament's webpage on the Daylight Saving Bill
- [2] Sylvia Heal MP, Deputy Speaker, House of Commons, 18 May 2007
- [3] House of Commons Standing Order 29 (Powers of chair to propose question)
- [4] Lindsay Hoyle MP (Chorley, Labour), House of Commons, 20 January 2012
- [5] Search of TheyWorkForYou.com for "That the Question be now proposed"
- [6] House of Commons Standing Order 37 (Majority for closure or for proposal of question.)
- [7] Christopher Chope (Christchurch, Conservative), House of Commons 20 January 2012
- [8] John Biffen MP, (North Shropshire), House of Commons, 27 February 1986
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