Members of Parliament (MPs) meet in the House and in Committees to carry out the functions of the legislature, which include making and changing laws, debating the issues of the day, and scrutinising and approving Government spending. When MPs meet in the House, they will follow the business set out in the day’s Order Paper, which outlines the various documents that will be looked at each day; this could include Bills, Reports, Statements, or Parliamentary Questions among other items.

Separate from House Meetings are Committees, which are established in the Constitution and in Standing Orders. Committees are either Standing Committees, which are established throughout each elected Term through the Constitution, or Select Committees, which are established by the House to deal with a closer examination of a bill or item if the House agrees to do so. An example of a Standing Committee would be the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a bi-partisan Committee that meets regularly with the Auditor General to examine public spending and value for money.

The business of the House and Committees are both carefully regulated through the Parliament Standing Orders, which gives Members and the Clerks clear procedures and rules to follow for the effective carrying-out of the functions of Parliament.