MPs have today approved a motion that will allow them to
participate in questions (including PMQs), urgent questions and
ministerial statements via video link.
The motion, which was approved without a vote, will allow
members to participate either virtually or physically in the
Chamber.
A maximum of 50 MPs will be able to be present in the
Chamber at any one time to comply with social distancing
guidelines.
A maximum of 120 MPs will be able to take part remotely
over the course of any “hybrid proceedings”, which will
constitute the first two hours of each sitting.
Under the terms of the motion, the House will continue to
meet at its usual sitting times, but only on Mondays (from
2.30pm), Tuesdays and Wednesdays (both from 11.30am).
The first item of Commons business covered by these
proceedings will be tomorrow’s questions to the Secretary of
State for Wales (from 11.30am) followed by Prime Minister’s
Questions (from noon). It is expected that there will then be a
Ministerial Statement from the Health and Social Care
Secretary.
With hybrid proceedings covering questions, urgent
questions and statements, all other Chamber proceedings will be
entirely physical. A motion to extend hybrid proceedings to cover
other business (eg legislation) is expected to appear on
tomorrow’s Order
Paper.
Please note that an image release will be sent out tomorrow
with Chamber images of PMQs.
Explanatory notes
Selection, tabling and order of questions
-
The Speaker will announce the sequence of the day’s
hybrid proceedings, although generally departmental questions
will come first, followed by urgent questions and ministerial
statements. The sequence will be confirmed by 9.00am on Mondays
and 3.00pm on the day before Tuesday and Wednesday proceedings.
It will also be available on the day’s Order Paper, available
here.
-
Members will submit their question through the online
Member Hub, with the deadline for submitting questions being
12.30pm on the same day a week before (eg questions for Monday
will need to be submitted by 12.30pm on the Monday of the week
before. For the w/b 20th April the deadlines will be a later as
the motion is being tabled on a Tuesday, therefore the deadline
for questions on Tuesday 28th April will be 12.30pm on
Wednesday 22nd April). These guidelines apply both to Members
participating physically and Members participating
remotely.
-
The “shuffle” will take place as soon after the 12.30pm
deadline as possible and will produce a list of Members whose
substantive questions are to be taken, as well as a list of
Members who may be invited to ask supplementary questions.
Members will then be contacted as soon as possible.
Behaviour in the chamber
-
Points of order, interventions, divisions and motions to
sit in private will be prohibited during hybrid proceedings. If
the Speaker rises to say “Order”, the video and audio feed of
Members participating remotely will be cut.
-
Chamber rules and courtesies apply to all Members in
whichever form they are participating, for example in terms of
following the usual dress code.
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Members participating physically will rise in their place
as usual to ask a question, however the practice of “bobbing”
to catch the Speaker’s eye will not be permitted. Signs are in
the Chamber to ensure social distancing is practiced, and
Members should not approach the Speaker’s chair, the Clerk at
the Table or the Serjeant-at-Arms, but should make contact via
email.
Technology
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Members who are on the list to ask questions will be
contacted by the Admin team and provided with advice on how to
participate. Before the session, Members participating remotely
will received a test call from the Parliamentary Broadcasting
Unit.
-
Virtual participation will take place via Zoom. The
National Cyber Security Centre has advised that, for public
Parliamentary proceedings, it considers the use of Zoom
appropriate, if the installation and the use of the service is
carefully managed.
-
In case of technological problems which prevent
remote-participating Members from asking their question, they
can be called later in proceedings.
