Glossary
This section explains key parliamentary and government terms.
Schedule
A part of a bill or Act containing detailed provisions connected to the main clauses or sections.
Scheduled Business
Parliamentary business planned for a particular date or sitting.
Second Reading
The stage where Parliament debates the main principles and purpose of a bill.
Session
The period during which Parliament conducts business between one State Opening and the next.
Sessional Order
An order made for the duration of a parliamentary session.
Sitting
A meeting of either House of Parliament, or of a committee.
Sitting Day
A day on which a House of Parliament meets to conduct business.
Sitting Hours
The usual times during which a House meets to conduct business.
Skeleton Bill
A bill containing broad principles but leaving much of the detail to be filled in later by delegated legislation.
Speaker of the House of Commons
Abbreviation: Speaker
The MP elected by the House of Commons to chair debates and maintain order.
Speaker’s Warrant
The formal instruction from the Speaker that leads to a new writ for a Commons by-election.
Standards Investigation
An inquiry into whether an MP may have breached the House of Commons Code of Conduct or related rules.
Standing Order
A formal rule governing how Parliament or one of its Houses conducts business.
State Opening of Parliament
The formal ceremony that marks the start of a parliamentary session.
Statutory Consultation
A consultation that the law requires to take place before a decision, regulation, or other action is taken.
Statutory Guidance
Official guidance issued under legal authority, which public bodies may be required to follow or take into account.
Statutory Instrument
Abbreviation: SI
A form of secondary legislation made under powers granted by an Act of Parliament.
Statutory Instrument Committee
A general term for a committee arrangement used to consider statutory instruments.
Statutory Instrument Vote
Abbreviation: SI vote
A parliamentary vote on delegated legislation, usually a statutory instrument or draft statutory instrument.
Summer Recess
The main summer break in parliamentary sittings.
Sunset Clause
A provision causing part of a law to expire automatically at a set time unless renewed.
Super-affirmative Procedure
An enhanced scrutiny procedure giving Parliament more time and opportunity to consider delegated legislation before approval.
Suspension from the House
A sanction preventing an MP from sitting in the House for a specified period.