Standing Orders: Time Limits on Speeches During Debates

STATES OF JERSEY

STANDING ORDERS: TIME LIMITS ON SPEECHES DURING DEBATES

Lodged au Greffe on 4th January 2011 by Senator P.F. Routier

STATES GREFFE

2011   Price code: B  P.1

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. to agree that the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey should be amended to introduce maximum time limits for speeches made by members during the debate on any proposition;
2. to agree that time limits should be as follows –

1. proposer of proposition – maximum of 30 minutes (except during any debate on the Strategic Plan, the Annual Business Plan  or  the  Budget  where  the  maximum  would  be 45 minutes);
2. any  member  speaking  during  the  debate  –  maximum  of 15 minutes (except during any debate on the Strategic Plan, the Annual Business Plan or the Budget where the maximum would be 30 minutes);
3. proposer replying to debate – maximum of 30 minutes (except during any debate on the Strategic Plan, the Annual Business Plan  or  the  Budget  where  the  maximum  would  be 45 minutes);

3. to request the Privileges and Procedures Committee to bring forward for approval the necessary amendments to the Standing Orders of the States to give effect to the proposal.

SENATOR P.F. ROUTIER

REPORT

Having looked at various jurisdictions and the rules and standing orders that apply to debating propositions in their legislatures it is common that there are time limits on the length of speeches. I am proposing that members' speeches are limited to reflect the principle of what is common practice in many jurisdictions. I have attached in the Appendix extracts of debating rules from other jurisdictions for the information of members.

Having compared the various time limits across jurisdictions I believe I am proposing reasonable time limits which are not as tight as some and do not infringe on members' ability to get their points across to enable them to influence a debate.

Members who have spoken to me and encouraged me to bring this proposition have had different reasons for supporting the principle of maximum time limits and I will leave them to articulate those to members.

For my part there are two main reasons:

Firstly, it is because limiting members to a specific time will require members to give clear focused speeches which are aimed at influencing the outcome of a debate rather than a speech which covers unrelated topics.

Secondly, there have been occasions in the past when a member has spoken for a long time and, because of time constraints on a particular day, other members have found it difficult and sometimes impossible to get their own points over in what would have been a short speech because the end of day adjournment has been looming.

This proposition aims to give all members an equal opportunity to take part in a debate and to influence the outcomes of the decision making process.

I am asking members to agree that Standing Orders be amended to allow time limits to be introduced and for the Privileges and Procedures Committee to bring forward the necessary amendments. If this proposition is accepted by members I would anticipate that PPC would also look at the practicalities involved and the possibility of having a visible time clock in the chamber so that members were aware of the time remaining available to them to complete their speech.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial and manpower implications other than if it is decided to place a new visible countdown time clock in the Chamber.

APPENDIX

EXAMPLES OF PROVISIONS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS UK House of Commons Standing Orders (Public Business)

Time limits on speeches

47.(1)  The Speaker may announce that he intends to call Members to speak in a

debate, or at certain times during that debate, for no longer than any period he may  specify,  and  he  may  at  any  time  make  subsequent  announcements varying the terms of an announcement under this paragraph.

2. Whenever the Speaker has made an announcement under paragraph (1), he may, subject to paragraph (4), direct any Member (other than a Minister of the Crown, a Member speaking on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, or not more  than  one  Member  nominated  by the  leader  of  the  second  largest opposition party) who has spoken for that period to resume his seat forthwith.
3. The Speaker may announce, at or before the commencement of any debate (other than a topical debate) in respect of which he has made or intends to make an announcement under paragraph (1) of this order, that speeches by a Minister of the Crown, Members speaking on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, and not more than one Member nominated by the leader of the second largest opposition party shall be limited to twenty minutes and he may direct any such Member who has spoken for that period to resume his seat forthwith.

(3A)  The Speaker may announce, at or before the commencement of a topical

debate in respect of which he has made or intends to make an announcement under paragraph (1) of this order, that speeches by a Minister of the Crown and any Member speaking on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition shall be limited to ten minutes and he may direct any such Member who has spoken for that period to resume his seat forthwith.

4. In relation to any speech, the Speaker shall add to any period specified –

1. under paragraph (1) of this order –

1. one minute if one intervention is accepted, plus the time taken by that intervention;
2. two minutes if two or more interventions are accepted, plus the time taken by the first two such interventions;

2. under  paragraph  (3)  or  (3A)  of  this  order,  one  minute  for  each intervention accepted up to a maximum of fifteen minutes.

Scott ish Parliament – Standing Orders

Rule 7.2 Calling speakers and content of speeches

1. No member except the Presiding Officer may speak unless called upon to do so by the Presiding Officer. In deciding who should be called, the Presiding Officer shall have regard to the nature of the business under consideration. Normally, members shall speak standing at their places and shall address the Presiding Officer.
2. The Presiding Officer may allocate speaking time, whether for proceedings in relation to a particular item of business or for a particular speaker in any proceedings, and may do so whether or not the proceedings have started or the speaker has started to speak. The Presiding Officer may not allocate speaking time in a manner which would disrupt any timetable of business set out in the daily business list.
3. The Presiding Officer may order a member to stop speaking if that member continues to speak beyond any time allocated to him or her or to that item of business (whether by the Presiding Officer or in the daily business list or under these Rules) or if, in the opinion of the Presiding Officer, the member departs from the subject or repeats himself or herself.
4. A speaker may not be interrupted except by the Presiding Officer. The speaker may, however, give way to allow another member to intervene.

National Assembly for Wales – Standing Orders

Rules of Debate

1. Members called by the Presiding Officer to speak must address the chair.
2. Members may speak in English or Welsh and simultaneous interpretation facilities must be provided for speeches made in Welsh.
3. The Secretary of State for Wales is entitled to participate in plenary meetings but not to vote. The Presiding Officer may call the Secretary of State to speak in any debate in which the Secretary of State is participating.
4. Speeches must be relevant to the business before the Assembly, and avoid tedious repetition.
5. The Presiding Officer may announce a time limit on Members' speeches and may direct a Member who has spoken for too long to stop speaking.
6. A Member, other than the proposer of a motion or an amendment who is exercising a right of reply, may not speak more than once on any matter except,  with  leave  of  the  Presiding  Officer,  for  the  purpose  of  briefly explaining some material point of his or her original speech.
7. A Member who is speaking may allow other Members to intervene for the purposes of clarification before resuming a speech.

8. A Member may not speak after the proposer of a motion has exercised a right of reply.

Canadian House of Commons – Standing Orders

Time limit and comments on speeches when Speaker in Chair

43(1)(a)Unless otherwise provided in these Standing Orders, when the Speaker is in

the  Chair,  no  Member,  except  the  Prime  Minister  and  the  Leader  of  the Opposition,  or  a  Minister  moving  a  government  order  and  the  Member speaking in reply immediately after such Minister, shall speak for more than twenty minutes at a time in any debate.

2. Following any speech by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, a Minister  moving  a  government  order,  or  the  Member  speaking  in  reply immediately after such Minister, and following any twenty-minute speech, a period not exceeding ten minutes shall be made available, if required, to allow Members to ask questions and comment briefly on matters relevant to the speech and to allow responses thereto.
3. Except  as  provided  in  Standing  Orders  95,  97.1(2)(c)(i)  and  126(1)(a), following any ten-minute speech, a period not exceeding five minutes shall be made available, if required, to allow Members to ask questions and comment briefly on matters relevant to the speech and to allow responses thereto.

Period of debate divided in two

(2)(a)  The Whip of a party may indicate to the Speaker at any time during a debate governed by this Standing Order that one or more of the periods of debate limited pursuant to section (1) of this Standing Order to twenty minutes and allotted to Members of his or her party are to be divided in two.

(b)  Any Member rising to speak during a debate limited by section (1) of this Standing Order to twenty-minute speeches, may indicate to the Speaker that he or she will be dividing his or her time with another Member.

Canada – Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories – Standing Orders

Member speaking

21  Every Member recognized to speak shall stand in his or her place and address

the Speaker.

Time limit and exceptions

22  No Member shall speak for more than twenty minutes at any time in debate,

but this Rule does not apply to –

1. Members' Statements;

2. Emergency Debates;
3. Replies to Opening Address; and
4. Petitions.

Australian House of Representatives 1  Maximum speaking times

The maximum time limits that apply to debates, speeches and statements are as follows –

Australia – Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory 77.  SPEECH TIME LIMITS

The maximum period for which a Member may speak on any subject indicated in this Standing Order and the maximum period for any debate, shall not, unless otherwise ordered, exceed the period specified opposite to that subject in the following schedule.

In the Assembly

In Committee

In the Assembly or in committee