Sitting hours
This House of Commons briefing paper outlines changes to the Commons sitting hours that were implemented 15 October 2012. It charts how the sitting hours have changed since 1997.
From 15 October 2012, the House has sat at the following times (the moment of interruption, rather than the rise of the House is quoted):
Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm
Tuesday 11.30am – 7.00pm
Wednesday 11.30am – 7.00pm
Thursday 9.30am – 5.00pm
Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm
These hours were agreed on 11 July 2012, when the House debated proposals for changes to sitting hours on Monday to Thursday that were outlined in a report from the Procedure Committee. Following the debate, the House agreed to changes to sitting times on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The previous sitting hoursThe previous sitting hours, from the beginning of the 2005 Parliament had been (the moment of interruption, rather than the rise of the House is quoted):
Monday 2.30pm – 10.00pm
Tuesday 2.30pm – 10.00pm
Wednesday 11.30am – 7.00pm
Thursday 10.30am – 6.00pm
Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm