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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister's Questions: Cameron to face Harman and SNP | Prime Minister's Questions: Cameron to face Harman and SNP |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Cameron is preparing to face MPs at the first Prime Minister's Questions since he won the general election. | David Cameron is preparing to face MPs at the first Prime Minister's Questions since he won the general election. |
| The prime minister will be grilled by acting Labour leader Harriet Harman in the House of Commons from 12 noon. | The prime minister will be grilled by acting Labour leader Harriet Harman in the House of Commons from 12 noon. |
| Ms Harman will be limited to six questions - the traditional number afforded to the main opposition party. | Ms Harman will be limited to six questions - the traditional number afforded to the main opposition party. |
| The SNP's leader at Westminster Angus Robertson will get two questions, in recognition of the party's big increase in numbers in the chamber. | The SNP's leader at Westminster Angus Robertson will get two questions, in recognition of the party's big increase in numbers in the chamber. |
| The SNP had previously not been guaranteed questions at the weekly half hour session but with 56 MPs the nationalists have now replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the Commons. | The SNP had previously not been guaranteed questions at the weekly half hour session but with 56 MPs the nationalists have now replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the Commons. |
| The Lib Dems who before they were in government as part of the coalition were given two questions each week will now be given one question every three weeks, in rotation with Plaid Cymru and the DUP. | The Lib Dems who before they were in government as part of the coalition were given two questions each week will now be given one question every three weeks, in rotation with Plaid Cymru and the DUP. |
| Special session | Special session |
| Ms Harman - who is standing in as Labour leader following the resignation of Ed Miliband - has promised to hold the government to account while her party is choosing a new leader. | Ms Harman - who is standing in as Labour leader following the resignation of Ed Miliband - has promised to hold the government to account while her party is choosing a new leader. |
| Her possible lines of attack might include Mr Cameron's efforts to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU, controversial plans to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants or planned cuts to public services. | Her possible lines of attack might include Mr Cameron's efforts to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU, controversial plans to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants or planned cuts to public services. |
| Party leaders and MPs are likely to use Prime Minister's Questions to pay tribute to former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who has died aged 55. | Party leaders and MPs are likely to use Prime Minister's Questions to pay tribute to former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who has died aged 55. |
| What is prime minister's questions? | |
| Each week on Wednesday afternoon the prime minister must come to the House of Commons to answer oral questions for half an hour. | |
| This system was changed by Tony Blair's Labour government shortly after they came to power in May 1997. Previously PMQs took place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for 15 minutes. | |
| Prime minister's questions follows a different format to those of questions to other ministers. MPs do not normally give the prime minister prior notice of the subject which they are going to raise. | |
| This element of surprise allows opposition MPs, in particular, to try to catch the prime minister out with an awkward question. although they are not allowed to ask follow-up questions which limits their scrutinising powers. | |
| Government backbenchers can normally be relied upon to ask a "helpful" question which will allow the prime minister to tell the House about successful government policies. | |
| The relative performance of each of the main party leaders is closely watched and each is under great pressure to get the better of their opponent. | |
| The names of the MPs who will get the chance to ask the prime minister a question are drawn in a weekly lottery. | |
| Speaker John Bercow has also called a special session to give MPs chance to speak at greater length about Mr Kennedy, who was a popular figure on all sides of the House, immediately following prime minster's questions. | Speaker John Bercow has also called a special session to give MPs chance to speak at greater length about Mr Kennedy, who was a popular figure on all sides of the House, immediately following prime minster's questions. |
| Four newly-elected MPs - Labour's Cat Smith, representing Lancaster and Fleetwood, Flick Drummond, Conservative MP for Portsmouth South, SNP MP Patrick Grady, who represents Glasgow North and Labour's Rachel Maskel, representing York Central - are among those to have been granted a question. | Four newly-elected MPs - Labour's Cat Smith, representing Lancaster and Fleetwood, Flick Drummond, Conservative MP for Portsmouth South, SNP MP Patrick Grady, who represents Glasgow North and Labour's Rachel Maskel, representing York Central - are among those to have been granted a question. |
| Other backbench MPs may get a chance to quiz the prime minister if they manage to catch the Speaker's eye. Mr Cameron does not know the subject of MPs' questions in advance. | Other backbench MPs may get a chance to quiz the prime minister if they manage to catch the Speaker's eye. Mr Cameron does not know the subject of MPs' questions in advance. |
| Here is the full list of MPs on the order paper: | Here is the full list of MPs on the order paper: |
| Q1 Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative, Elmet and Rothwell) | Q1 Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative, Elmet and Rothwell) |
| Q2 Julian Sturdy (Conservative, York Outer) | Q2 Julian Sturdy (Conservative, York Outer) |
| Q3 Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour, Ogmore) | Q3 Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour, Ogmore) |
| Q4 David T. C. Davies (Conservative, Monmouth) | Q4 David T. C. Davies (Conservative, Monmouth) |
| Q5 Mr Adrian Bailey (Labour, West Bromwich West) | Q5 Mr Adrian Bailey (Labour, West Bromwich West) |
| Q6 Cat Smith (Labour, Lancaster and Fleetwood) | Q6 Cat Smith (Labour, Lancaster and Fleetwood) |
| Q7 Mrs Flick Drummond (Conservative, Portsmouth South) | Q7 Mrs Flick Drummond (Conservative, Portsmouth South) |
| Q8 Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative, Stafford) | Q8 Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative, Stafford) |
| Q9 Richard Graham (Conservative, Gloucester) | Q9 Richard Graham (Conservative, Gloucester) |
| Q10 Glyn Davies (Conservative, Montgomeryshire) | Q10 Glyn Davies (Conservative, Montgomeryshire) |
| Q11 Patrick Grady (SNP, Glasgow North) | Q11 Patrick Grady (SNP, Glasgow North) |
| Q12 Stephen Timms (Labour, East Ham) | Q12 Stephen Timms (Labour, East Ham) |
| Q13 Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative, Shrewsbury and Atcham) | Q13 Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative, Shrewsbury and Atcham) |
| Q14 Rachael Maskell (Labour, York Central) | Q14 Rachael Maskell (Labour, York Central) |