Adjournment Proceedings
The final category of business conducted on a sitting day is the Adjournment Proceedings. A 30-minute
period is set aside for Members to seek further information from the government on questions raised. (For
further details, see Chapter 11, “Questions”.)
In a review of the Standing Orders in 1964, the House adopted a procedure committee proposal for the
first-ever Standing Order to regulate Question Period. At the same time, the House agreed to the committee’s
suggestion that a rule on the Adjournment Proceedings be adopted to complement the Question Period Standing
Order. The committee proposed a procedure whereby any Member who felt dissatisfied with an answer given by
the government to his or her question during Question Period could give notice that he or she wished to
speak further on the subject matter of the question during the Adjournment Proceedings. [330]
In addition, since 1991, any Member concerned that a written question he or she submitted for the Order
Paper has remained unanswered after 45 calendar days may give notice of his or her intention to
transfer the question to the Adjournment Proceedings. [331]
The question is then removed from the Order Paper and the Member’s name is placed on a list
along with the names of other Members who have given notice of their intention to proceed in the
Adjournment Proceedings.
At the conclusion of the sitting, from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a
motion to adjourn the House is deemed to have been moved and seconded, and a debate ensues for a maximum of
30 minutes. [332]
During this period, up to five topics may be debated. The Speaker must have indicated to the House, at no
later than 5:00 p.m., which matter or matters are to be raised. [333]
Debate on any one item can last no more than six minutes. [334]
Within this six-minute time frame, the Member raising the matter may speak no longer than four minutes with
the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary speaking in response thereto for no longer than two minutes. [335]
Points of order and questions of privilege may not be raised during this period. After 30 minutes or upon
completion of debate, whichever comes first, the motion to adjourn is deemed to have been adopted, and the
House is ad-journed to the next sitting day. [336]
(On Friday and on days where there are no questions scheduled for debate during the Adjournment Proceedings,
the Speaker adjourns the House at the conclusion of the sitting.)
Suspension or Delay of the Proceedings
The Adjournment Proceedings may be suspended on certain occasions, namely when the sitting has been
extended for an emergency debate, [337]
on the day designated for the Budget presentation, [338]
or on any day when the House continues to sit beyond the ordinary hour of daily adjournment for the
election of a Speaker. [339]
The Adjournment Proceedings may be delayed when a sitting is extended due to a ministerial statement [340]
or when Private Members’ Business has been extended on the second sitting day set aside for the
consideration of the report and third reading stages of a bill. [341]
The Adjournment Proceedings may also be delayed on the last allotted day in the Supply periods ending
December 10, March 26 and June 23. [342]
If a motion has been adopted to extend the hours of sitting during the last 10 sitting days in June, the
Adjournment Proceedings are delayed until the agreed upon hour of adjournment. [343]
If a motion has been adopted to continue a sitting pursuant to Standing Order 26, the Adjournment
Proceedings take place at the conclusion of the sitting. [344]
On other occasions, when the sitting of the House has been extended for the consideration of legislation
or for a special debate, the House has opted to preserve the adjournment debate at its normal time; after
the adjournment debate has concluded, instead of being automatically adopted, the motion to adjourn the
House has been deemed withdrawn. [345]
The Adjournment Proceedings have been interrupted by Royal Assent and resumed upon the return of the House
from the Senate following the ceremony. [346]