House of Commons Procedure and Practice
Edited by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit
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21. Private Members’ Business

[101] 
Standing Order 92(1). See also Speaker Parent’s ruling, Debates, December 5, 1997, pp. 2787-8.
[102] 
The current schedule for Private Members’ Hour is as follows: Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. This schedule came into effect on February 14, 1994, following the adoption of amendments to the Standing Orders on February 7, 1994 (Journals, February 7, 1994, pp. 112-20).
[103] 
Standing Order 91.
[104] 
Standing Order 94(1)(a).
[105] 
The Member is advised in advance of the day when his or her item is scheduled for debate. On occasion, two or more items have been considered during Private Members’ Hour by unanimous consent (see, for example, Journals, July 21, 1988, pp. 3250-1; June 27, 1989, pp. 468-70; June 7, 1990, pp. 1852-5; June 18, 1992, pp. 1800-1; November 28, 1996, p. 935; April 28, 1999, pp. 1780-1). The House has also extended Private Members’ Business by 30 minutes in order to have two items considered (Journals, March 18, 1997, p. 1310; March 19, 1997, pp. 1319-20).
[106] 
Standing Order 94(2)(a). In the First Session (1997-99) of the Thirty-Sixth Parliament, there had been an increasing loss of time for Private Members’ Business due to Members not being available for exchanges. This matter was discussed by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (see Evidence, April 15, 1999; April 20, 1999).
[107] 
Standing Order 94(2)(b). See, for example, Debates, March 23, 1994, p. 2694.
[108] 
In 1986, the Chair explained, on several occasions, the procedure to be followed when Members were unable to be present to move their item on the day scheduled (see Debates, April 24, 1986, pp. 12624-6; April 25, 1986, pp. 12671-3; May 9, 1986, pp. 13146-7; May 28, 1986, p. 13727; November 17, 1986, pp. 1215-6).
[109] 
Standing Order 99(2). See, for example, Debates, November 18, 1994, p. 8004; March 7, 1997, p. 8790; May 8, 1998, p. 6736.
[110] 
In its Third Report to the House in June 1986, the Standing Committee on Private Members’ Business expressed concerns about the suspension of Private Members’ Hour: “Since debate began under the new rules…, there have been, theoretically, thirty-two hours for Private Members’ Business; but only fifteen have been used. Ten were suspended because of allotted days and seven were lost because Members in whose name the motions stood were unable to attend the House” (Journals, June 19, 1986, p. 2365).
[111] 
Standing Order 94(1)(b). When this occurs, a private Member’s motion is dropped from the Order Paper (Standing Order 42(1)), whereas a private Member’s bill is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence (Standing Order 42(2)). See, for example, Journals, March 13, 1992, p. 1140; February 1, 1993, p. 2416.
[112] 
Standing Order 94(2)(b).
[113] 
Standing Order 99(2).
[114] 
Standing Order 30(4)(a).
[115] 
Standing Orders 50(4) and 99(1). Private Members’ Business is cancelled on any day designated for the presentation of the Budget if the presentation is scheduled to take place prior to the time designated for Private Members’ Business. Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), if the House is considering Private Members’ Business at the time specified for the presentation of the Budget, the Speaker will interrupt the proceedings and the proceedings will be deemed adjourned.
[116] 
Standing Order 99(1). See also Chapter 18, “Financial Procedures”.
[117] 
Standing Orders 53 and 99(1). No debate of this nature has ever led to the cancellation of Private Members’ Business. For further information, see Chapter 15, “Special Debates”.
[118] 
Standing Order 30(7).
[119] 
Standing Order 52(14). Thus, when an emergency debate takes place on a Friday, Private Members’ Hour is cancelled (see, for example, Debates, June 13, 1986, p. 14388).
[120] 
Standing Orders 91 and 99.
[121] 
Standing Order 2(3).
[122] 
Standing Order 29(3). See, for example, Journals, October 19, 1995, p. 2032.
[123] 
Standing Order 30(7).
[124] 
Standing Order 33(2). See, for example, Debates, November 1, 1991, p. 4412.
[125] 
Standing Order 30(7). See, for example, Debates, June 14, 1995, p. 13853; December 1, 1998, p. 10773.
[126] 
Standing Order 30(7). See, for example, Order Paper, June 15, 1995, p. 21; Debates, June 19, 1995, p. 14104; Order Paper, December 2, 1998, p. 25; Debates, December 7, 1998, p. 10945.
[127] 
See, for example, Notice Paper, June 20, 1995, pp. IV-V; December 8, 1998, p. IV.
[128] 
See, for example, Order Paper, June 15, 1995, p. 21; December 8, 1998, p. 21.
[129] 
Standing Order 96(1). On occasion, with the unanimous consent of the House, the order for second reading of a non-votable public bill has been discharged and its subject matter referred to a committee for consideration (see, for example, Journals, June 7, 1994, pp. 541-2; June 17, 1994, pp. 611-2). A non-votable item of Private Members’ Business has also been designated votable with the unanimous consent of the House (see, for example, Journals, May 11, 1994, p. 453; June 1, 1994, p. 519; October 4, 1996, p. 716) and a decision taken at the end of the time provided for debate.
[130] 
Standing Order 96(2).
[131] 
See, for example, Journals, June 18, 1991, pp. 215-6; September 23, 1991, p. 379. The bill will be given a different number when reintroduced.
[132] 
Standing Order 93.
[133] 
Standing Order 90.
[134]
For further information, see Chapter 16, “The Legislative Process”.
[135] 
Standing Order 97.1. Until 1997, there was no time limit on committee consideration of a private Member’s bill. For example, in 1992, a private Member’s bill (Bill C-203) was allowed to die on the Order Paper when the legislative committee to which it was referred adopted a motion to adjourn sine die its consideration of the bill (Legislative Committee H on Bill C-203, Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, February 18, 1992, Issue No. 10, p. 3; Debates, February 26, 1992, pp. 7620-4). On another occasion, Speaker Parent ruled that the decision of a committee not to report a bill back to the House did not constitute a matter of privilege (Debates, September 23, 1996, pp. 4560-2) and later ruled in order a motion moved by a private Member under Routine Proceedings to have the same bill reported back to the House within a specified time (Debates, November 21, 1996, pp. 6519-20). In April 1997, and again in November 1998, the Standing Orders were amended to specifically require committees considering a private Member’s public bill to report back to the House within a time limit (Journals, April 9, 1997, pp. 1366-8; November 30, 1998, pp. 1327-9). Some bills have since been reported back with the title and clauses deleted (Debates, April 16, 1999, p. 13965; April 19, 1999, p. 14026).
[136] 
Standing Order 98(1). The bill is set down on the Order Paper for consideration at report stage even if the committee reports back the bill with the title and clauses deleted (Debates, April 16, 1999, p. 13965; Order Paper, April 19, 1999, p. 34; Debates, April 19, 1999, p. 14026; Order Paper, April 20, 1999, p. 32).
[137] 
Standing Order 98(2).
[138] 
See, for example, Journals, May 11, 1992, p. 1428.
[139] 
See, for example, Journals, June 13, 1994, p. 568.
[140] 
On occasion, the House has given unanimous consent, during consideration of a private Member’s bill at report stage, to refer the bill back to a committee for further consideration (see, for example, Journals, March 11, 1993, p. 2623; Debates, March 8, 1999, p. 12523). Bills have also been withdrawn, by unanimous consent, when the order for consideration at report stage was called (see, for example, Debates, August 11, 1988, p. 18223) and when the order for the consideration of Senate amendments was called (see, for example, Debates, September 14, 1987, pp. 8922-3).
[141] 
Standing Order 98(3).
[142] 
Standing Order 98(3)(a).
[143] 
Standing Order 98(3)(b).
[144] 
Standing Order 98(5).
[145] 
Standing Order 98(4).
[146] 
Standing Order 98(3).
[147] 
For examples of Senate amendments to private Members’ bills considered by the House, see Debates, September 14, 1987, pp. 8922-3 (bill withdrawn); Journals, March 26, 1991, pp. 2827-8 (amendments concurred in); Debates, May 27, 1996, p. 2973 (amendments concurred in); Debates, December 12, 1996, pp. 7481, 7495 (amendments concurred in); Journals, April 22, 1997, pp. 1512-3, and April 25, 1997, pp. 1554-5 (died on the Order Paper at dissolution); Debates, June 11, 1998, pp. 8077-8 (amendments concurred in).
[148] 
See Journals, April 22, 1997, pp. 1512-3, and April 25, 1997, pp. 1554-5.
[149] 
Standing Order 97(2).
[150] 
Only by unanimous consent may a Parliamentary Secretary speak for a Minister in the closing segment (see, for example, Debates, November 8, 1979, p. 1112; April 1, 1982, pp. 16064-5).

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