Dissolution

What happens when a General Election is called?

The Dissolution took effect
from 5pm on Monday 14 May 2001.

Here are copies of several information sheets from House of Commons Departments setting out guidance on the rules during the Dissolution. There's a large volume of information here which should answer any queries you may have. Just click on the items below.

1. "DISSOLUTION ARRANGEMENTS 2001" from the Serjeant at Arms Office

2. "GUIDANCE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF ON THE USE OF THE OFFICE COSTS ALLOWANCE DURING A DISSOLUTION/ELECTION CAMPAIGN" from the Fees Office.

3. "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON PARLIAMENTARY PAY AND ALOWANCES FOR MEMBERS DURING A DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT AND GENERAL ELECTION" from the Fees Office.

4. "SPEAKER’S ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS GOVERNING PARLIAMENTARY SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES ENTITLEMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT DURING AND AFTER A DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT" from The Speaker

All this material was written for Members but it is all relevant to MPs' staff, of course. There's not much information on continuing to handle casework, etc. so you will still find the information below useful.

Following the meeting for staff of MPs which was held at Westminster on Wednesday 28 February 2001, we now have a good deal of useful information for you. Click on the links below.

Congratulations to the Secretaries' and Assistants' Council and the Transport and General Workers Union Parliamentary Branch who jointly sponsored the meeting. Well over 300 staff packed into Committee Room 10 to hear explanations from Judy Scott-Thompson, Clerk in Charge in the Serjeant at Arms Department, Neil Crawley and Georgie Jessiman of the Fees Office and Colin Myers of the Parliamentary Communications Directorate.

It is quite legitimate to carry on with casework, but your MP will be doing it (or you will on her/his behalf) as a candidate, not as an MP any longer. So you cannot use House of Commons stationery, envelopes, etc. You will continue to receive replies from Government departments and other agencies, of course.

As you will see in the papers below, an official guide to the arrangements for the Dissolution will be issued - but this will not be made available until the General Election is announced by the Prime Minister. The House authorities are being pressed for clearer and earlier information for staff and for Members.

Meanwhile, have a look at the following:

Arrangements for the General Election and After. Briefing Notes by the TGWU Parliamentary Staff Branch: summary of the meeting on 28 February 2001.

Word version | PDF version

FACTSHEET for Members' Staff - prepared by the Fees Office dated February 2001. This was distributed at the meeting on 28 February 2001.

Word version | PDF version

These are available either as Word files (.doc) which you can open in your word processor, or as Portable Document Format (.pdf) files. Find out more about PDF. If you are reading this via the PDVN (i.e. on the Parliamentary Intranet), don't worry, Acrobat Reader is already installed. Some PDVN "remote users" may have problems with accessing Word versions of the Guides and Resources pages. Use the PDF version instead.

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