Publications / Guides

What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill?

Debate in the House of Commons Chamber, 31 January 2022. (©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor)
Debate in the House of Commons Chamber, 31 January 2022. (©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor)

Ten Minute Rule Bills are essentially policy aims put into legislative language in order to secure a 10-minute speaking slot during 'primetime' in the House of Commons Chamber after Question Time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (but not on Budget day).

Last updated: 4 May 2022 Under Standing Order No.23, MPs may move a motion to bring in a Ten Minute Rule Bill (TMRB) by giving notice to the Public Bill Office between five and 15 sitting days beforehand.

However, under Standing Order No. 14(11), notice of a motion for a TMRB cannot be made until after the fifth Wednesday of the session, in order to protect the priority given to Ballot Bills on PMB sitting Fridays (the fifth Wednesday being the day usually set aside for First Reading - introduction - of Ballot Bills).

Only one TMRB can be presented each day. The opportunities are allocated by the Whips with slots divided up between the parties according to their share of representation in the House.

The MP moving a 10 Minute Rule Bill is permitted 10 minutes to make his or her case, after which a Member opposed to the bill has a similar amount of time to state his or her objections. Interventions are not permitted.

If no MP indicates to the Speaker that they wish to oppose the bill then it is introduced without a vote.

If an MP does oppose the bill, then, following the two speeches, the Speaker will put the Question (whether the MP should have leave to bring in the bill). If no MP objects, then the bill is introduced without a vote. But if an MP objects (by saying 'No') then a vote will be required. In the event of a vote, the MP promoting the TMRB must provide the names of two tellers (MPs who count the votes) for the 'Aye' lobby.

If the House supports the bill then the MP promoting it must go to the bar of the House with a 'dummy bill' (provided by the Public Bill Office), bow towards the Speaker's chair, walk five paces and bow again, before bowing a third and final time before the ceremonial Mace. He or she must then present the 'dummy bill' to the Clerk at the Table.

The Clerk will read the short title of the bill and the Speaker will ask the MP "2nd Reading what day?" The MP will give the day (s)he has chosen and the 10 Minute Rule Bill will then be added to the queue of other Private Members' Bills listed for debate on that day.

The bill need not be printed - if an MP is primarily interested in achieving publicity for the issue through their speech in the Chamber then they are unlikely to go to the trouble. However, if the bill is not printed before Second Reading then it cannot progress.

Realistically, there is rarely time for TMRBs to be considered beyond their introductory stage. Few TRMBs become law, but they are a useful mechanism to enable MPs to generate debate about an issue and to test the opinion of the House on a subject.

Hansard Society (2022), Guide to Private Members' Bills, (Hansard Society: London)

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 10-14 February 2025

MPs will debate the Government’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill for the first time, as well as two bills that have faced multiple defeats in the House of Lords: the Water (Special Measures) Bill and the Data (Use and Access) Bill. MPs will begin their clause-by-clause scrutiny of the assisted dying bill in Committee. Peers will continue consideration of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill and the Great British Energy Bill. Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s former Chief of Staff, will be introduced in the House of Lords. The Welsh First Minister will appear before the Welsh Affairs Committee, and the Treasury Committee will hold a special evidence session in Darlington.

09 Feb 2025
Read more

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #3 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 72

The assisted dying bill is about to undergo detailed scrutiny by the Public Bill Committee - a group of 23 MPs tasked with reviewing the Bill’s text and proposing amendments to refine and improve it. But what exactly happens during this amendment process? Former House of Commons Clerk, Paul Evans CBE, breaks it down. Plus, we hear from Dr Ben Spencer MP, a former consultant psychiatrist turned parliamentarian, who has proposed dozens of amendments to the Bill.

07 Feb 2025
Read more

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #2 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 71

In this special episode we have an exclusive conversation with Dame Elizabeth Gardiner, the former head of the government’s Office of Parliamentary Counsel, who drafted the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. This is a rare insight into the legislative process from the person who crafted the bill that MPs are now scrutinising.

31 Jan 2025
Read more

Blog / Six things we learnt from the 2024 election of select committee members

Following a series of internal parliamentary party elections, the House of Commons nominated the members of its select committees last October. But what do the election results tell us about the makeup of the select committees? Are the parties represented proportionally? Are men and women equally represented? How many ethnic minority MPs were elected to committees? What role did parliamentary experience and the size of an MP's majority play?

28 Jan 2025
Read more

Briefings / Assisted dying - The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Rolling news

Stay informed with updates and analysis on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as it moves through Parliament. Learn about the debates, procedures, decisions, and key milestones shaping the assisted dying legislation.

21 Jan 2025
Read more