When parliamentary session comes to an end, the House is prorogued until the next session begins.
Following prorogation all outstanding business falls. Any uncompleted
Bills have to be re-introduced afresh in the next session.
The Queen formally prorogues Parliament on the advice of the Privy Council.
As during the state opening of Parliament the
Speaker and members of the Commons attend the House of Lords Chamber where they listen to a speech by the Lord Chancellor in which he reviews the session's work. The Speaker then returns to the
Commons and reads out the same speech. Following this the House is officially prorogued and the Commons will not meet again until the next state opening of Parliament.
The next date of
prorogation is Thursday 20th November. This is subject to the progression of business in both Houses.
PRIVY COUNCIL
The Privy Council is one of the oldest parts of Government, but it has, over time, adapted to reflect the fact that the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Appointment
to the Privy Council is for life, but only Ministers of the democratically elected Government of the day participate in its policy work. The Ministerial head of the Privy Council Office is the
President of the Council. The Privy Council Office provides Secretariat services for the Privy Council (that part of Her Majesty's Government which advises on the exercise of prerogative powers
and certain functions assigned to The Queen and the Council by Act of Parliament). Much of the day-to-day work of the Privy Council Office is concerned with the affairs of Chartered Bodies, the 400 or so
institutions, charities and companies who are incorporated by Royal Charter. The Privy Council also has an important part to play in respect of certain statutory regulatory bodies covering a number of
professions and in the world of higher education.
Another major function of the Privy Council, exercised through its Judicial Committee, is the provision of a final Court of Appeal for a number of
Commonwealth countries who have chosen to retain it. The Judicial Committee also deals with appeals from medical and veterinary disciplinary bodies and in certain ecclesiastical cases. The Committee
consists of Lords Justices of Appeal and some senior commonwealth judges. The Judicial Committee is also responsible for considering devolution issues (that is questions of whether acts of the devolved
administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are fully in accordance with the legislation which set them up).
