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What happens in the Chamber on Budget day

The Chancellor usually makes the Budget statement on a Wednesday after Prime Minister’s questions and any urgent questions, oral statements or points of order. There is no Ten-minute Rule Bill, as there usually would be on a Wednesday.

Traditionally, the Chairman of Ways and Means (the principal Deputy Speaker) chairs the opening part of the Budget debate, rather than the Speaker. The statement usually lasts around an hour and you shouldn’t intervene on the Chancellor.

At the end of the statement, the Chancellor will usually move two motions:

  • a Provisional Collection of Taxes motion to give immediate effect to some of the proposals outlined in the statement (for example, increases in duty on products such as tobacco or alcohol), which the House is asked to agree immediately, without debate; the relevant proposals then usually come into effect at 6pm on Budget day or overnight
  • the motion for the first Budget resolution; the debate on the Budget takes place on this motion

The Leader of the Opposition will speak next. You shouldn’t intervene during this speech.

The debate on the Budget usually lasts four days. The debate is adjourned at the moment of interruption on each day and starts again the next day the House meets. The debate may cover anything included in the Budget or the Budget resolutions.

On the second day, the shadow Chancellor will make the first speech. On following days, a different Secretary of State will open the debate each day and speeches on that day will often relate to the subject area covered by that Secretary of State. A Treasury minister will usually close the debate on every day apart from the first day, when there are no winding-up speeches. You can’t make more than one speech in the Budget debate, even on different days.