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Each sitting of the House customarily occurs on a separate day. However, in the nineteenth century, the holding of two or more sittings on a single day was used in an effort to expedite the business of the House by creating a mechanism to circumvent the rule prohibiting a bill receiving more than one “reading” on a single day.[33] Generally, some time prior to the prorogation or dissolution of Parliament, the House would adopt an order specifying that there would be two sittings a day, stating the times of meeting and adjournment.[34] This practice was abandoned with the extension of sittings, the introduction of extended hours prior to the June adjournment, and time limits for debate on certain items of legislation through time allocation or agreements to suspend the rules. In the twentieth century, the holding of two sittings on one day has occurred for entirely different reasons, such as the end and opening of successive sessions of a Parliament,[35] and to allow Members to attend special ceremonies.[36] Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the House has never held more than one sitting on a single day, although it has extended its sitting hours on many occasions, notably during the last sitting days in June,[37] for an emergency or a take-note debate,[38] or to continue consideration of a particular item of business.[39] The Standing Orders provide for the House to meet on Monday at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.[40] Once the House meets and begins its proceedings, it generally does not adjourn until the scheduled adjournment time: 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 2:30 p.m. on Friday.[41] At the ordinary hour of daily adjournment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a motion to adjourn the House is deemed to have been made and seconded. Officially referred to as the Adjournment Proceedings and informally as the “late show”,[42] this motion is debatable for not more than 30 minutes, after which the Speaker deems the motion to adjourn to have been carried and adjourns the House until the next sitting day.[43] On Friday, no motion to adjourn the House is proposed; the Speaker adjourns the House without question put.
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