15 years of the Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee was created in 2010 to schedule business in the House of Commons proposed by backbench MPs.

House of Commons sittings lasting longer than 24 hours since 1901.
Sittings of the House of Commons over 24 hours since 1901 (33 KB , Excel Spreadsheet)
The House of Commons normally sits at the following times:
Monday |
2.30pm – 10.30pm |
Tuesday |
11.30am – 7.30pm |
Wednesday |
11.30am – 7.30pm |
Thursday |
9.30am – 5.30pm |
Friday (if sitting) |
9.30am – 3.00pm |
These sitting times have been in place since 2012. The times of sittings may be changed at short notice if the House agrees or may finish earlier. The House generally sits on thirteen Fridays in a session. While the House sometimes sits past midnight, it is rare for a sitting to last more than 24 hours.
Parliamentary records normally record the entire sitting as taking place on the date on which it began. For example, there is no record of the House sitting in the Commons Chamber on 26 January 2000, as it had not yet risen from the sitting which began on the 25 January 2000.
The downloadable Excel file lists the session, main item of business, date, time and length of a sitting for each sitting lasting more than 24 hours. Source details are available in the Excel file.
The Parliament: facts and figures series covers topics including elections, government, legislation, Members and parliamentary business.
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Sittings of the House of Commons over 24 hours since 1901 (33 KB , Excel Spreadsheet)
The Backbench Business Committee was created in 2010 to schedule business in the House of Commons proposed by backbench MPs.
On 16 July 2025, MPs will debate expanding the scope of the Register of Interests of Members’ Staff to include all MPs’ staff with access to the parliamentary network, rather just staff with parliamentary passes.
Heads of state and dignitaries who have addressed MPs and Members of the House of Lords since 1935.