Parliament is pointless without debate. It is there in the definition of the word itself: the Old French parlement derives from parler, to talk or discuss. Parliament is a forum in which our elected representatives debate how we live as a society and a nation. It has not been as effective or interested in that central purpose as it should for some years. This week, however, a House of Commons select committee drew a line in the sand and prevented debate being further marginalised.

Being in the Chamber and participating in the main business of the House should never be seen by MPs as ‘wasting’ their time

In December 2024, the Procedure Committee began an inquiry into whether parliament should adopt ‘call lists’, which would mean MPs could apply before a debate to speak, and a running order would then be produced ahead of time.

Currently, an MP who wants to participate in a debate is encouraged to inform the Speaker of the House in advance, but he or she must be present in the Chamber and stand between each individual contribution to ‘catch the Speaker’s eye’. The Speaker then has total discretion in choosing whom to call and when.

The arguments in favour of call lists are that they would let MPs know when during the debate they would be called, allowing........

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