Practice
Backbench MPs wishing to ask a question must enter their names on the Order Paper. The names of entrants are then shuffled in a ballot to produce a random order in which they will be called by the Speaker. The Speaker will then call on MPs to put their questions, usually in an alternating fashion: one MP from the government benches is followed by one from the opposition benches. MPs who are not selected may be chosen to ask a supplementary question if they "catch the eye" of the Speaker, which is done by standing and sitting immediately before the prime minister gives an answer.
The Leader of the Opposition usually asks six questions at PMQs, either as a whole block or in two separate groups of three. If the first question is asked by a government backbencher, the Leader of the Opposition is the second MP to ask questions. If the first question is asked by an opposition MP, this will be followed by a question from a government MP and then by the questions from the Leader of the Opposition. Before the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in May 2010, the leader of the third largest parliamentary party (usually the leader of the Liberal Party, or Liberal Democrats) would then ask two questions. However, because the incumbent leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, is a member of the government, he no longer asks questions at PMQs. The leader of the second largest parliamentary opposition party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Nigel Dodds, usually asks one question later in the session: if he does not, at least one MP from either the DUP or another smaller party such as the Scottish National Party will ask a question.
The first formal question on the Order Paper, posed by simply saying "Number one, Mr. Speaker", is usually to ask the prime minister "if he will list his engagements for the day". The prime minister usually replies:
| “ | This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further such meetings later today. | ” |
Before listing his engagements, the prime minister sometimes extends condolences or offers congratulations after significant events. During the Iraq War, Tony Blair introduced the practice of naming any British military personnel who had been killed in service since the last time he addressed the House. The practice has been continued by Blair's successors as prime minister. After this, the MP may ask a supplementary question about any subject which might occupy the prime minister's time. Most MPs table the same engagements question and so after it has been asked for the first time, any other MPs who have tabled the same question are simply called to ask an untabled question, meaning that the prime minister will not know what questions will be asked of him.
Occasionally the first question tabled is on a specific area of policy, not the engagements question. This, though, is quite rare as it would allow the prime minister to prepare a response in advance; the non-descript question allows some chance of catching him or her out with an unexpected supplementary question.
At times of national or personal tragedy or crisis, PMQs have been temporarily suspended. The last such suspension occurred on 25 February 2009 when the Speaker, at the request of prime minister Gordon Brown, suspended the Commons until 12:30 p.m. as a mark of respect following the unexpected death of Opposition leader David Cameron's son. Prime minister's questions was also suspended after the sudden death of the leader of the Labour Party, John Smith, in 1994.
If the prime minister is away on official business when PMQs is scheduled, the next most senior member of the Cabinet takes the questions. This duty usually falls to the Deputy Prime Minister, or if the office is not occupied, the Deputy Leader of the party in government or the First Secretary of State.
PMQs is broadcast outside the United Kingdom, most notably on the U.S. cable channel C-SPAN (the segment is broadcast live on C-SPAN2 on Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET, and re-run on C-SPAN on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET) and has been spoofed on the American late-night television sketch comedy Saturday Night Live.
Read more about this topic: Prime Minister's Questions
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