Adjournment debate
Encyclopedia
In the Westminster system
, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, "That this House do now adjourn." In practice, this is a way of enabling the House to have a debate on a subject without considering a substantive motion.
); and the half-hour adjournment at the end of each day's sitting. The half-hour adjournment is an opportunity for a backbench
Member of Parliament
to raise a subject of his or her choosing, of which advance notice has been given, with the appropriate Government Minister. Normally, only the Member raising the debate and the Minister who is replying speak in the half-hour adjournment. It is not uncommon for the Chamber otherwise to be empty.
The convention is that any subject may be raised on a Motion for the adjournment, since any matter of national or local importance may offer a good reason for the House to continue sitting (i.e. the House should not adjourn until it has considered the topic in hand).
It is not usual for the House to vote on the adjournment Motion; it is either agreed to without a vote, or it lapses once the allotted time has expired. On rare occasions, however, where the debate concerns a matter on which there are strong differences of opinion (such as the prospect of going to war), backbench Members may engineer a vote. It was a vote on a Motion for the adjournment which brought down British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
's government during World War II
- the so-called Norway Debate
. Though Chamberlain won the vote (with the Government voting 'Aye', their opponents 'No'), it was by such a small margin that his credibility was fatally undermined.
In the Canadian House of Commons
, coming as it does at the end of the sitting day, the adjournment debate is colloquially known as the "late show."
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, "That this House do now adjourn." In practice, this is a way of enabling the House to have a debate on a subject without considering a substantive motion.
Types of debate
There are generally two types of adjournment debate: those proposed by the Government, which are used from time to time to permit general debates on topical subjects (e.g. flooding and coastal defences, regional affairs or International Women's DayInternational Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
); and the half-hour adjournment at the end of each day's sitting. The half-hour adjournment is an opportunity for a backbench
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to raise a subject of his or her choosing, of which advance notice has been given, with the appropriate Government Minister. Normally, only the Member raising the debate and the Minister who is replying speak in the half-hour adjournment. It is not uncommon for the Chamber otherwise to be empty.
The convention is that any subject may be raised on a Motion for the adjournment, since any matter of national or local importance may offer a good reason for the House to continue sitting (i.e. the House should not adjourn until it has considered the topic in hand).
It is not usual for the House to vote on the adjournment Motion; it is either agreed to without a vote, or it lapses once the allotted time has expired. On rare occasions, however, where the debate concerns a matter on which there are strong differences of opinion (such as the prospect of going to war), backbench Members may engineer a vote. It was a vote on a Motion for the adjournment which brought down British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
's government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- the so-called Norway Debate
Norway Debate
The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a famous debate in the British House of Commons that took place in May 1940. It led to the formation of a widely-based National Government led by Winston Churchill which was to govern Britain until the end of World War II in Europe...
. Though Chamberlain won the vote (with the Government voting 'Aye', their opponents 'No'), it was by such a small margin that his credibility was fatally undermined.
In the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, coming as it does at the end of the sitting day, the adjournment debate is colloquially known as the "late show."