AY - Scouts This Way - final.pdf · a) House of Commons, House of Lords and the Government. b) House of Commons, Government and the Cabinet. c) House of Commons, House of Lords and

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TALK THIS WAYFrom Scout to Speaker of the House

TALK THIS WAY: Introduction 2

WELCOME

CONTENTS

Talk This Way gives Scouts (and leaders) an introduction to Parliament, providing a better understanding of how Parliament works through a selection of fun activities.

Each part of this resource can be used individually for a shorter Scout session or used together if you have more time. There are Leader’s Notes at the beginning of each section, which explain the activity and how long it will approximately take. The Notes also highlight what additional materials might be needed for the activity. Talk This Way also contains printable handouts for each activity. If you are going to complete all the activities in one session, we recommend doing each part in the order presented here. This way, you can gradually build up to the final House of Commons-style debate.

Talk This Way is made up of four parts:

1 Parliament Quizzes

2 Making Laws

3 Debating

4 House of Commons Debate

1 Parliament Quizzes

2 Making Laws

3 Debating

4 House of Commons Debate

Leader’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Short Parliament Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Long Parliament Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Leader’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Leader’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Leader’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Parliament Picture Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 How is a Law Passed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Guide to Good Debating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Issue Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 House of Commons-Style Debating Procedure . . . . . . . 5

This resource has been created in partnership with Parliament’s Education Service based on the training delivered at Scouts’ Question Time events, the first of which took place in Leeds in June 2011.

For more information contact: [email protected] or phone 0207 219 4496

Thanks to all the Groups that helped in the development of this resource.

Copyright © 2012 The Scout Association

Reg Charity No 306101 (England & Wales)/ SC038437 (Scotland)

APPENDIX: activity handouts

TALK THIS WAY: parliament quizzes 3

PART 1. PARLIAMENT QUIZZESLEADER’S NOTES

The following quizzes introduce the concept of Parliament and both the shorter and longer quiz help to put the later activities into context. Some of the information, numbers and pictures may date after a while (eg the Archbishop of Canterbury or how old the youngest Peer is) but all the information can be checked if necessary on the Parliament website www.parliament.uk

Quiz 1: Short Parliament Quiz (10 mins approx)Quiz 1 is the shorter quiz. There are 10 questions and the answers are multiple choice, making this an easier quiz and one that can be used as a quick starter activity.

Activity instructionsTo make the quiz more interactive, mark out the four corners of a room with the answer choices A, B, C and D. Ask the questions and get the participants to go and stand next to the answer that they think is correct. Spend some time asking the young people why they chose that particular answer and then reveal which corner of the room is correct. With the true or false questions, the answers can be on opposite sides of the room.

Quiz 2: Long Parliament Quiz (15-20 mins approx)Quiz 2 is a longer version of Quiz 1 with additional questions. There are no multiple-choice answers for Quiz 2, so this is a more challenging quiz than the first.

Activity instructionsThis is a good starter activity to be done in small groups. Get participants to form small groups and get each one to pick a team name. Read out the questions one by one. When the quiz has been completed get the groups to swap sheets and mark each other’s answers. Each answer will provide an opportunity to elaborate on the knowledge gained.

Picture Quiz (10 mins approx)This can either be used on its own or alongside Quiz 1 or 2.

Activity instructionsPrint out the pictures (appendix 1) and hand them out.

Items needed:• Pens/pencils• Paper for marking four corners

of the room• Parliament Picture Quiz handout• Paper to write answers on

Note: • It might be a good idea to offer

some kind of prize or incentive for the winning team, which will in turn lead to some friendly competitiveness among the young people.


1. Parliament is made up of three parts that must come together to pass laws. What are they? (1 point) a) House of Commons, House of Lords and the Government. b) House of Commons, Government and the Cabinet. c) House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch. d) House of Lords, Monarch and the Supreme Court.

2. Before becoming the permanent home of Parliament, who lived in the Palace of Westminster? (1 point) a) The Monarch. b) The Archbishop of Canterbury. c) The Lord Chancellor. d) The Lord Mayor of London.

3. How many MPs are there in the House of Commons? (1 point) a) 350 b) 500 c) 700 d) 650

4. How many different political parties are represented in the House of Commons? It’s a difficult question, but see how many you can think of and have a guess. (1 point) a) 5 b) 7 c) 11 d) 13

5. What was the national average voter turnout in the last election? (1 point) a) 35% b) 45% c) 55% d) 65%

6. How have the majority of Peers (Lords and Baronesses) come to sit in the House of Lords? (1 point) a) By inheriting the title from their father. b) By having a specialism and being chosen for being an expert in their field. c) By being friends with the Queen. d) By a public lottery.

SHORT PARLIAMENT QUIZ

TRUE OR FALSE

1. The Palace of Westminster was originally built on an island in the Thames called Thorney Island. (1 point)

2. The Speaker’s Chair used to be a commode that could be used during debates. (1 point)

3. Michael Jackson tried to buy the Queen’s Throne in the House of Lords. (1 point)

4. Since the gunpowder plot, the Queen’s Yeomen of the Guard (Beefeaters) still search the cellars of Parliament before each State Opening of Parliament. (1 point)

TOTAL POINTS /10

Note: Interactive suggestions for answering by running to different areas of room/hall:

D A

C B

FALS

E

TRUE


1. Answer c) Every Bill must pass through and be agreed by both Houses. The Queen must still give Royal Assent to every Bill that is passed.

2. Answer a) Henry VIII was the last Monarch to live at the Palace. He gave the Palace of Westminster to Parliament.

3. Answer d) There are 650 MPs as the UK is split into 650 different constituencies.

4. Answer c) There are currently 11 parties represented in the House of Commons. These are: Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green, Respect, Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru and the four Northern Irish parties: Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Fein, Alliance and the Socialist Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP).

5. Answer d) 65%. This is higher than most people think. The percentage voter turnout among young people aged 18-25 was much lower.

6. Answer b) Peers are chosen for having a particular specialism so that they can share their expertise during debates in the House. This is why a lot of Peers seem to be older as you have to build up a career to become an expert.

1. True. They have gradually reclaimed the land. At the time the Palace was on Thorney Island – a bramble-covered island surrounded by the Thames and River Tyburn (which is now completely underground).

2. True. As the Speaker has to be in the chair for the House to sit, the Speaker used to have to stay in the chamber all day. They would pull a curtain around the chair while the Speaker went about his business, then they would pull back the curtain and carry on the rest of the debate.

3. True. He was not allowed to as it is a Pugin original and is priceless. (Pugin was the decorator of the Palace after a fire in 1834 and is responsible for the majority of the Palace interiors.)

4. True. The ‘Beefeaters’ line up in the Prince’s Chamber behind the House of Lords and search for gunpowder. It is a tradition; they haven’t found anything since Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the building in 1605.

SHORT PARLIAMENT QUIZ ANSWERS TRUE OR FALSE


1. Parliament is made up of three parts which must come together to pass laws. What are they? (1 point)

2. What is Big Ben? (1 point)

3. Before becoming the permanent home of Parliament, the Palace of Westminster was the monarch’s official residence. Who was the last monarch to live here: Henry VIII, Queen Victoria or Charles I? (1 point)

4. How many MPs are there in the House of Commons? (1 point)

5. Name the leaders of the three main parties (Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour) (1 point for each)

6. How many different political parties are currently represented in the House of Commons? (1 point)

TRUE OR FALSE

1. The Palace of Westminster was originally built on an Island in the Thames called Thorney island. (1 point)

2. The Speaker’s Chair used to be a commode that could be used during debates. (1 point)

3. The red lines on the Commons chamber carpet in front of the Government and Opposition front benches are two sword widths’ apart, dating back to the time when sword fights were common. They were put in to prevent opposing MPs injuring each other. (1 point)

7. What percentage of the House of Commons is female: 15%, 22% or 38%? (1 point)

8. How old do you have to be to try and become an MP? (1 point)

9. Which was the first chamber in Parliament to be televised? (1 point)

10. How many Bishops and Archbishops sit in the House of Lords? (1 point)

11. How old is the youngest member of the House of Lords: 28, 35 or 46? (1 point)

12. How many times does the Queen usually come to Parliament each year? (1 point)

4. Since the gunpowder plot, the Queen’s Yeomen of the Guard (Beefeaters) still search the cellars of Parliament before each State Opening of Parliament. (1 point)

5. Michael Jackson tried to buy the Queen’s Throne in the House of Lords. (1 point)

6. When members are called to the chamber to vote by the division bell, it rings not only throughout the Parliamentary Estate but also in some pubs outside. (1 point)

TOTAL POINTS /20

LONG PARLIAMENT QUIZ


1. The House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch. Every bill must pass through and be agreed by both Houses. The Queen must still give Royal Assent to every Bill that is passed.

2. It is the bell behind the clock in Queen Elizabeth II tower.

3. Henry VIII. He gave the Palace of Westminster to Parliament, before this Parliament would follow the Monarch around the country and sit wherever he was.

4. There are 650 MPs as the UK is split into 650 different constituencies.

5. The Conservative Leader and Prime Minister is David Cameron. The Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister is Nick Clegg. The Labour Party Leader and leader of the opposition is Ed Miliband.

6. There are currently 11 parties represented in the House of Commons. These are: Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green, Respect, Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru and the 4 Northern Irish parties Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Fein, Alliance and the Socialist Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP).

7. 22%. This is lower than a lot of our counterpart democracies around the world.

8. Age 18, so as soon as you are old enough to vote you can stand for election. It was 21 until the general election in 2010.

9. The House of Lords was televised first in 1985 and the Commons followed in 1989. Now all debates and Committees can be observed either in person or on the TV and internet.

10. There are 26 seats given to the UK’s most senior Bishops and Archbishops in the House of Lords. The right to sit in the House of Lords comes as part of the job role, when a Bishop retires from his position he loses the right to be a member of the House of Lords, unless he is given a peerage.

11. 35. This is Lord Wei who is a Life Peer. This is how people come to sit in the House of Lords in the present day. They are chosen for having a particular specialism so that they can share their expertise during debates in the House. This is why a lot of Peers seem older as you have to build up a career to become an expert.

12. Once. For the State opening of Parliament where she addresses both Houses and reads the Queen’s speech, which sets out what the Government is going to do in that year of Parliament.

1. True. They have gradually reclaimed the land.

2. True. As the Speaker has to be in the chair for the House to sit the Speaker used to have to stay in the chamber all day. They would pull a curtain around the chair while the Speaker went about his business, then they would pull back the curtain and carry on the rest of the debate.

3. False. This is a common myth but the MPs have never been allowed to take their swords in to the chamber. There are still ribbons hanging in the Member’s cloakroom that the MPs had to hang their swords on before entering the Commons chamber.

4. True. The ‘Beefeaters’ line up in the Prince’s Chamber behind the House of Lords and search for Gunpowder. It is a tradition, they haven’t found anything since Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the building in 1605.

5. True. He was not allowed to as it is a Pugin original and is priceless. (Pugin was the decorator of the Palace after a fire in 1834 and is responsible for the majority of the Palace interiors).

6. True. The Members have exactly eight minutes to get to the Commons Chamber for a division (vote) when the bell goes off.

LONG PARLIAMENT QUIZ ANSWERS TRUE OR FALSE


1. The Mace. This is present in every sitting of both the Commons and the Lords and it represents the authority of the Monarch as the third part of Parliament.

2. The Budget Box. It is tradition that The Chancellor of the Exchequer holds this up outside 11 Downing Street on the day the budget is announced. The first red budget box was used by William Ewart Gladstone in about 1860.

3. The Speaker’s Chair. This is where the Speaker of the House of Commons sits to preside over debates. It is the Speaker’s job to choose who is going to speak and how long they are going to speak for. The Speaker must know each MP by sight and know which constituency they represent.

4. The Woolsack. This is where the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords sits. The House of Lords is self regulating, which means they decide amongst themselves who is going to speak next. The Woolsack was originally stuffed with English wool as that was how the country made a lot of its money. It is now stuffed with wool from around the Commonwealth.

5. Big Ben. Often people think that Big Ben is the clock or the tower, but it is the largest bell, which strikes every hour.

6. State Opening of Parliament. The Monarch addresses both Houses and reads the Queen’s speech, which sets out what the Government is going to do in that year of Parliament.

7. Prime Minister’s Questions. This happens once a week on a Wednesday for half an hour. It is an opportunity for MPs of all parties to hold the Government to account by asking the Prime Minister questions.

8. The Speaker of the House of Commons, currently John Bercow.

9. The Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Dr Rowan Williams.

10. The Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, and Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, Nick Clegg.

Name the object (1 point each) Name the event (1 point each)

Name the person/job (1 point for person/1 point for job)

PICTURE QUIZ ANSWERS TOTAL POINTS /13

See appendix 1 for Parliament Picture Quiz handout

TALK THIS WAY: making laws 9

One of the most important things that Parliament does is pass new legislation. This activity looks at how that process works and why it is important. The leader should read through the activity and then give out instructions to the Group.

Making Laws: Introduction (10 mins approx.)

Activity instructions Begin by asking the Group to think about what laws are and why we might need new ones. They can discuss this in pairs or smaller groups and then feed back their ideas.

Before the next activity, you can give your Group the ‘How is a Law Passed?’ handout. From here there are two options, depending on the age and skill-level of the Group. Making Laws: Activity A is the easier activity and Making Laws: Activity B is more advanced.

Making Laws: Activity A (easier option)

Activity instructionsGet the young people to form pairs or small groups of about three or four. Get each group to spend a moment looking at the ‘How is a Law Passed?’ handout. Get each group to think about their local area, their country or their own Scout Group and ask them to think of one thing that they would like to change.

During this activity they must think about why they want the new Bill, who it will affect, how it will work and how much it would cost. The groups can be as serious as they want to be with these Bill ideas. Get each group to think about the following and then write down the answers to the questions:• The name of the new Bill?• Why do we need this new Bill?• Who will this new Bill affect?• Does this Bill cost anything to set up, and if so how will you pay

for it?• How will the new Bill be enforced?• What will the Bill achieve? Get each group to feedback their ideas and have a brief discussion about each one. The next step is to move on to the Debating activity.

PART 2. MAKING LAWSLEADER’S NOTES

Items needed:• How is a Law Passed? handout• Paper & pens• Newspapers• Scissors (optional)

TALK THIS WAY: making laws 10

Making Laws: Activity B (harder option) Activity instructionsGet the young people into groups and hand out one or two newspapers per group. The idea is that the groups look through the papers picking out the top five issues that affect them as young people (they can cut these or rip them out of the papers). Each group must then discuss which one issue they think is most important to them. All of the groups can then feed back their option to the larger group. Back in the smaller groups, the young people can then look at the one issue they have identified and come up with a Bill that they think would help to address the issue. They can refer to the ‘How is a Law Passed?’ handout for reference. Get each group to think about the following and then write down the answers to the questions:• The name of the new Bill?• Why do we need this new Bill?• Who will this new Bill affect?• Does this Bill cost anything to set up, and if so how will you pay

for it?• How will the new Bill be enforced?• What will the Bill achieve? Finally, get each group to nominate a party leader who will read out their Bill idea to the rest of the group. If there’s time, let the rest of the group ask questions and have a brief discussion about each Bill.

The next step is to move on to the Debating activity.

PART 2. MAKING LAWSLEADER’S NOTES(CONTINUED)

TALK THIS WAY: debating 11

PART 3. DEBATINGGLEADER’S NOTES

Items needed:• Paper and pens/pencils• Guide to Good Debating handout• Issue Cards handout

(Optional: these will ideally be printed out and cut into individual cards, but you can just read out the titles if no printer is available.)

These activities are designed as a warm-up to having a House of Commons-style debate. The debate can be based on any issues picked by the young people (or chosen by leaders beforehand). Print and hand out the ‘Guide to Good Debating’ to the Group before the activities begin.

Debating Activity A: Favourite film (5-10 mins approx.) Activity instructionsGet the Group to think of their favourite film and then get them to stand in a circle. Get one person in the middle of the circle to say what their favourite film is and why they think it is so good. Then invite anyone else in the circle who thinks that their favourite film is better, to share what their film is and why. Carry on for as many people as want to share.

Each person should try to persuade the Group as to why their favourite film is better than all of the others. Ask the young people to think about why they like it and get them to justify these reasons to the Group. It’s no good just saying they like a film ‘just because’.

The idea of this activity is to warm up young people’s debating and persuasion skills. Get them to feedback on who they think put forward the best case for their film.

Debating Activity B: Aye and No (10 mins approx.) Activity instructionsGet the Group to stand in the middle of the room and designate one side of the room to the answer ‘Aye’ and one side to the answer ‘No’. Read out the below ‘Aye and No’ statements one by one and get the young people to move to opposite sides of the room depending on their opinion. If they agree with the statement they stand on one side and if they disagree they stand on the other. This means that as they all have to move everyone has to be able to justify why they have chosen to stand where they are. Ask a selection of young people from each side their opinions and encourage them to respond to each other’s points. Feel free to add in your own ideas for statements.

Aye and No statements (you can also add your own):• The working week and weekend will be swapped around so that

people work for two days and then get five days off.• Young people should be allowed to leave school at 14 to pursue

employment or training.• Advertisement breaks during TV programmes will be banned.• People who don’t vote should lose their right to vote.

Note: • These activities are suitable for all

age groups. • The topics for debate can be chosen

accordingly to be appropriate for the age group that are doing the activity, eg more contentious issues can be debated by older participants.

• This could also work well if the young people debate the Bill ideas that they thought of during the Making Laws Activity (if doing all activities together).

TALK THIS WAY: debating 12

PART 3. DEBATINGGLEADER’S NOTES(CONTINUED)

Debating Activity C: Issue cards (10-15 mins approx.)For this activity, print off and cut out the ‘issue cards’ provided. Activity instructions Divide the larger Group into smaller groups of roughly five. Each group is given an issue/issue card and one member of the group will read out the question and give their answer (either ‘yes’ or ‘no’). They then provide a reason. The next person must then give an opposing point, and so on around the circle, with each answer alternating between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. This will get the young people thinking about an argument from all sides and not just from their own point of view. Give each group a different issue/issue card and then go around the circle again, but this time everyone can now give their own personal view on the question. To feed back, get the groups to discuss if it was easier thinking about a point objectively the first time around or giving their own opinions the second time around, and why this might be. After these activities, your budding politicians and public speakers should now be ready for a House of Commons Debate.

TALK THIS WAY: House of Commons debate 13

PART 4. HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATELEADER’S NOTES

The leader can take the role of the Speaker of the House or they can nominate one of the Group members to take the role. The House of Commons Debating Procedure can be printed off for the whole Group for reference. The debate can run for as long as there are still people wanting to contribute. It will end with a decision or ‘division’ to decide whether, in theory, the group are going to pass the Bill on to the next stage. In terms of which way people are arguing the debate there are two different ways of doing this:

Option oneThe participants are split in half. One side has to argue for the motion and the other side has to argue against, no matter what their personal opinions are. When it comes to the division at the end, they may vote whichever way they choose.

This means that someone who may have been arguing one way during the debate may vote for the opposite side if they wish to. This way of debating is good for using with contentious issues as it somewhat takes people’s personal opinions out of the debate.

If this way is chosen it may be wise to give the young people a bit more time in preparation to formulate their arguments.

Option two The participants may argue their own opinion throughout the debate and then vote how they choose at the end. If doing it this way, get the students to sit in two lines opposite each other. They can then get the feel of the adversarial style even though they are free to argue however they wish no matter what side they are on. There is a risk that the debate may become one sided if most people all share the same view, so it is a good idea to select a motion that is likely to divide the Group to ensure a more balanced debate.

Items needed:• House of Commons Style Debating

Procedure handout

Notes: • If the ‘Making Laws Activity’ has

been used beforehand, then the Bill ideas that the groups came up with make ideal motions for debate.

• See ‘House of Commons Debating Procedure’ for a full explanation of how to run the debate. How closely the debate sticks to the procedure is totally up to the leader’s discretion; it can be as formal or informal as you like.

• The motion for debate can be picked in advance either by the young people or the leader (or one of the ‘issue cards’ could also be used).

• The main points to ensure are that someone acts as the speaker and that the two sides are facing each other in an adversarial style (simply splitting the room in half and having people face each other as in the House of Commons).

TALK THIS WAY: appendix 1

PARLIAMENT PICTURE QUIZ

Name the object:(1 point each)

Name the event: (1 point each)

Name the person/job: (1 point for person/ 1 point for job)

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.

activity handout


Parliament and Legislation

If a new law is going to be introduced the three

parts of Parliament have to agree

House of Lords

Hou

se o

f Com

mons

MonarchStages of a Bill

House of LordsFirst ReadingSecond ReadingCommittee StageReport Stage

Third ReadingConsideration of Amends

Royal Assent

House of Commons First reading

Second ReadingCommittee StageReport Stage

Third Reading

Bills can start in the House of Commons or the

House of Lords. Once stages are completed in the

first house, the Bill will pass to the other house.

What is a Bill?

A Bill is simply the

term given to an

idea for a new law.

Once a Bill has been agreed

by the three parts of Parliament

it becomes a law, officially

known as an

Idea

Agreed

Act of Parliament

Why have laws?

New inventions

Law

s aim

to m

ake the world a better place

Changing lifestyles

Old laws might be out of date

Why do we need to have new ones?

HOW IS A LAW PASSED?activity handout


EXAMPLE/ EVIDENCEREASON

POINT

good debating

The key to good debating is sticking to a simple three-point system: P.R.E.

For an effective debate, you need to be able to:

1. Balance arguments for and against a motion

2. Respond to the points of others in an actual debate

3. Answer people’s criticisms quickly and convincingly

effective debate

GUIDE TO GOOD DEBATINGactivity handout


Should assisted suicide be made legal for those who are terminally ill?

Should smacking your own child become illegal?

Is giving police the power to stop and search the best

way to tackle crime?

Would reintroducing the death penalty significantly

reduce serious crime?

Should all countries be forced to give up nuclear weapons?

Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

Do social networking sites have a positive or negative

effect in today’s society?

Are computer games harmless entertainment or do they

desensitise players to real life?

ISSUE CARDSactivity handout


1. The House is brought to order (starting the debate) The Speaker of the House of Commons has the power to call the House to order and decide who is to speak and for how long. The Speaker will normally call the House to order by simply saying ‘order, order’, at which point all MPs in the chamber must stop talking and pay attention. If at any point during the debate there is interruption or conversation breaks out, ‘order, order’ can be repeated until calm is restored. The Speaker will then start the debate by calling on the proposing opening Speaker to introduce the motion for debate. The Government side (those proposing the motion) will always sit to the right hand side of the Speaker.

2. ‘Moving’ the motion and ‘proposing the question’ (opening speeches) The Member proposing the motion will announce the motion for debate by saying, ‘I beg to move that…’ followed by the motion for debate. They will then give a brief speech, explaining their support for the motion. Speeches are addressed to the Speaker, and any reference to another Member must be in the third person (‘he’ or ‘she’, not ‘you’), and Members refer to each other as ‘the honourable gentleman/lady’ or ‘my honourable friend’ if they belong to the same party.

3. The opposition replies to the motion Once the Speaker has ‘proposed the question’ and introduced the motion for debate, an opposition Member will be called to speak and give a brief speech in opposition to the motion.

4. Other speeches (general open debate) Any member who wishes to speak during the debate is now able to do so. Only the Member called by the Speaker is allowed to speak at any one time. Members who wish to contribute to the debate try to ‘catch the Speaker’s eye’ by standing up in their seat. Once a member is called, any others must sit down and wait until the Member chosen has finished before trying again. There is no clapping allowed in the House of Commons Chamber so if someone wants to show their support to a point made during the debate they can say ‘hear, hear’.

5. ‘Winding up’ speakers (closing speakers) When the debate runs out of time or there are no more Members on the Floor who wish to speak, the Speaker will call on two members to conclude the debate and sum up each side’s argument. The first to speak is a Member opposing the motion, followed finally by a member proposing the motion.

6. ‘Putting the question’ and division (the vote) After the two ‘winding-up’ speeches, the Speaker reads out the motion and ‘puts the question’ by saying ‘the question is that…’, and repeating the motion. The Speaker will then ask those in favour to reply by saying ‘aye’ if they agree and ‘no’ if they disagree. If one side has noticeably more voices than the other the Speaker says, ‘I think the ayes/noes have it’. If the result is unclear from the voice vote, the Speaker will call for a division. During this physical division those voting ‘aye’ (agreeing with the motion) will stand to the right of the Speaker and those voting ‘no’ (disagreeing with the motion) will stand to the left of the Speaker. The numbers will be counted and the Speaker will announce the result.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-STYLE DEBATING PROCEDURE

activity handout

Documents

AY - Scouts This Way - final.pdf · a) House of Commons, House of Lords and the Government. b) House of Commons, Government and the Cabinet. c) House of Commons, House of Lords and