Lords Grand Committee
22 October 2026
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Chamber House of Lords
00:02 - 00:08
Speaker 1
The consultation relating to the sitting times of the House. The Senior Deputy Speaker.
00:08 - 03:08
Speaker 2
My Lords, I beg to move the motion standing in my name in the order paper. This motion invites the Grand Committee to take note of the ongoing consultation on possible changes to the sitting times of the House. I am grateful to noble Lords for attending today's debate and for the engagement with the consultation that we have already seen. Any decision to change the sitting times of the House is ultimately a matter for the House itself. Today's debate therefore provides a further opportunity for noble Lords to express their views before the Procedure and Privileges Committee considers what, if any, recommendations it may make to the House.
As noble Lords would expect, this is a neutral motion. My role today is to assist the Grand Committee in its consideration of the matter rather than to advocate any particular outcome. Following the debate, I will seek to respond to the points raised where possible at this stage of the consultation process. The House last considered changes to sitting times in 2022, following concerns expressed by members across the House that the House should sit earlier on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The PPC conducted a consultation with members and subsequently published a neutral report analysing the responses received.
The report was debated by the House on the 5th of July 2022, when the House voted by 158 votes to 124 not to make changes to the sitting times. Earlier this year, the Government Chief Whip wrote to the PPC seeking its agreement to consult the House again on this question, noting a renewed interest among members in recognising the issue. The committee agreed and the current consultation seeks views on four options: sitting at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, sitting at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, sitting at 1 p.m. on both of those days, or making no change. The consultation was launched on the 2nd of September through a members' notice. Members may respond either through an online form or a paper form available from the Printed Paper Office.
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