MPs' Guide to Procedure

How to present a Ten-Minute Rule Bill in the Chamber

Step-by-step:

These steps are for you as an MP, rather than your staff. You have to present the bill yourself. Other MPs can’t do it for you.

On your allocated day, your bill will appear on the Order Paper. It will be taken after Question Time and any urgent questions or oral statements.

  1. When the Speaker calls you, begin by saying “Mr Speaker, I beg to move that leave be given to bring in a bill to [words of the long title]”. You can speak for up to ten minutes. No other MPs are allowed to intervene during your speech.
  2. When you are finished, another MP who opposes the motion may also speak for up to ten minutes. They have to speak against: there can’t be a second MP speaking to support your bill. The minister responsible for the area of your bill will usually be present for the speeches.
  3. The Speaker puts the question on whether you have leave to bring in the bill, and, if necessary, calls a vote. If there’s a vote, you need to be prepared to tell the Clerks the names of two tellers (MPs who count the votes) for the Ayes, so should organise that in advance among your supporters.
  4. If leave to bring in the bill is granted, the Speaker asks “Who will prepare and bring in the Bill?”. You reply “Ms A, Mr B .....[reading out the list of supporters from the dummy bill] ...and myself, Sir/Madam.”
  5. You then go to the Bar of the House (the white line on the floor across the width of the Chamber) holding the dummy bill (which the Public Bill Office will have emailed you), bow once, walk five paces forward, bow again, and walk to the ceremonial Mace and bow a third time. Next, go down the Government side of the table in front of the Speaker and hand the dummy bill to the Clerk.
  6. The Clerk reads the short title of the bill and the Speaker says “second reading, what day?” You should name the day which you have chosen.
  7. Once presented, your bill will be added to the queue of others on the list for debate on the 13 Private Member’s Bill Fridays.

You can watch a video of walking to the Bar of the House (steps 4 to 7):

You can watch a video of a Ten-Minute Rule Bill (unopposed) being presented in the Chamber:

Read the Hansard transcript of the videos.