Dates for 2004

We have a number of parliamentary dates for next year to put in your diary now.

RECESS DATES 2003/04

Subject to the progress of Business, the Commons calendar for the next session of Parliament will be as follows:

	THE HOUSE WILL RISE ON	THE HOUSE WILL RETURN ON

CHRISTMAS	THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER 2003	MONDAY 5 JANUARY 2004
HALF TERM	THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2004	MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2004
EASTER	THURSDAY 8 APRIL 2004	MONDAY 19 APRIL 2004
WHITSUN	THURSDAY 27 MAY 2004	MONDAY 7 JUNE 2004
SUMMER	THURSDAY 22 JULY 2004	TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2004
CONFERENCE	THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2004	MONDAY 11 OCTOBER 2004

Recess, Prorogation, Queen's Speech, Dissolution....some definitions

Recess - a break within a session e.g. Christmas, Easter, Whitsun, Summer.

Prorogation - the gap between the end of one session and the State Opening which begins the next session. Following prorogation all remaining business falls and has to be re-introduced afresh in the next session.

Queen's Speech - The Queen reads the Queen�s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament. It is a reminder of times when the King or Queen actually chose the legislation to be debated in Parliament. Today the Government prepares the Queen's speech. The speech details the Bills and policies that the Government will introduce in the next session. Once the speech has been read out, the House of Commons return to their Chamber to debate its contents. This is known as the Debate on the Address.

Dissolution - the end of one Parliament before an election and the beginning of the next.

See our Events page for all these dates plus a number of others including Sitting Fridays and Training Events for MPs' Staff. A current schedule of Training Events can be found together on the Training page.