The House and Its Members / Miscellaneous

Business of Supply: formula for determining allotted days

September 26, 2005

Debates, p. 8015

Under the provisions of the Standing Order 81(10), if, for any reason, the number of sitting days in any supply period is fewer than the number prescribed under the parliamentary calendar, the number of allotted days in that period is reduced in proportion to the number of sitting days the House stands adjourned. Likewise, should the House sit more than the prescribed number of sitting days, the total number of allotted days will be increased by one day for every five additional days the House sits. June 23, 2005, was the last sitting day in the supply period ending June 23 and the last sitting day prior to the summer adjournment. Pursuant to the Standing Orders, the House was scheduled to meet again on September 19, 2005. However, on June 23, the House adopted a motion adjourning it to June 27 and providing that β€œat any time on or after June 27, 2005, a Minister of the Crown may propose, without notice, a motion that, upon adjournment on the day on which the said motion is proposed, the House shall stand adjourned to a specified date not more than 95 days later; the said motion immediately shall be deemed to have been adopted.”^[1] Under the terms of this Order the House sat on June 27 and 28, thus adding two additional sitting days to the supply period ending December 10, 2005. At the end of the sitting on June 28, 2005, Toni Valeri (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) moved the adjournment of the House until Monday, September 26, 2005, five sitting days later than prescribed under the parliamentary calendar. Pursuant to the Order made on June 23, the motion was deemed adopted.^[2]

On September 26, 2005, the Speaker made a statement with regard to the allotted days for the supply period ending December 10, 2005. He noted that, the House had sat two additional days, but had resumed sitting five days later than usual. Thus, in total, there had been a net reduction of three sitting days over the entire supply period. He added that upon applying the formula contained in Standing Order 81(10)(b), it had become clear that a reduction of three sitting days was insufficient to cause a reduction in the number of supply days. Accordingly, the Speaker informed the House that a total of seven days would be allotted for the supply period ending December 10, 2005.

Statement of the Chair

The Speaker: As hon. Members know, the Standing Orders set out the number of supply days in each supply period. The Standing Orders also set out for the Speaker a formula for calculating the addition of supply days when the House sits on days it is not scheduled to sit and another formula for subtracting supply days when the House does not sit on days when it is scheduled to.

We find ourselves in the unusual situation where both formulae could be applied.

Since the end of the last supply period, that is June 23, the House has sat two additional days, namely June 27 and 28.

Similarly, the House, in resuming its sittings today, did so five sitting days later than usual.

The Chair has decided to view this as a net reduction of three sitting days for this supply period. According to the formula contained in paragraph (b) of Standing Order 81(10), a reduction of three sitting days is insufficient to cause a reduction in the number of supply days.

Accordingly it is my duty to inform the House that pursuant to Standing Order 81(10) a total of seven days will be allotted for the supply period ending December 10, 2005.