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September 8, 2010 | 8:20
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British Prime Minister's Question Time
Saturday 12pm ET / 9am PT
Saturday 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT
Sunday 8pm ET / 5pm PT
This program takes viewers across the pond to the House of all houses —the House of Commons— in England for the weekly British Prime Minister's Question Time. During this half-hour session, the Prime Minister answers questions from the floor. MPs raise issues as well as grievances and seek information about the Government's plans. As with Canada's Question Period, British Prime Minister's Question Time is particularly important for the leaders of the main political parties. For many voters, a key measure of the members' overall performance is based on how one handles the questions.
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Prime Minister's Question Time is an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the British prime minister on any subject. The prime minister answers questions every week that Parliament is in session.


Please note that regularly scheduled programming may be pre-empted due to live CPAC programming. Please check listings for rebroadcast dates and times.

 
About Prime Minister's Question Time
 
  • The British prime minister must appear in the House of Commons each Wednesday (while Parliament is in session) at noon for 30 minutes of questioning. The practice of setting time aside specifically for the prime minister began with Harold Macmillan in 1961 but doesn't exist in Canada.
  • The leader of the opposition asks up to six questions, followed by other party leaders along with MPs from the government and opposition benches. Only the leaders of the two largest opposition parties are allowed to ask questions each week. 
  • MPs wishing to ask a question enter their names on the Order Paper. The names are shuffled in a ballot to produce a random order for the Speaker of the House. Questions normally alternate between the government and opposition benches. 
  • The first question is also known as an “open question” and means that the MP can then ask a supplementary question on any subject. The prime minister has no knowledge beforehand of what is to be asked, though questions tend to be topical.
  • Question Time used to be split into 15-minute segments on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The incoming Labour government changed the schedule in 1997. 
  • The first question asked each week traditionally leads to the prime minister stating their engagements for the day. 
  • The prime minister and opposition leader face each other at opposing dispatch boxes at a table in the middle of the Commons chamber. The carved boxes were donated by New Zealand after the Second World War, when the House of Commons was rebuilt. 
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ORAL QUESTIONS IN BRITISH AND CANADIAN PARLIAMENT
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