On 28 January 2019, the House debated the Procedure Committee’s report and agreed to implement a one-year pilot scheme to allow new parents and those adopting children to have a proxy vote in divisions in the House. She confirmed that she intended “to bring forward a substantive motion as soon as possible”. At the end of the debate, she concluded that she was “minded to accept the majority of the recommendations of the Procedure Committee’s report, which provides a good basis for a pilot scheme”. At the outset of the debate, Andrea Leadsom said that she “wanted the fullest opportunity to consider all the implications” before bringing forward a substantive motion. On 13 September 2018, the House held a general debate on proxy voting. On 1 February 2018, the House had agreed that MPs “who have had a baby or adopted a child should for a period of time be entitled, but not required, to discharge their responsibilities to vote in this House by proxy”.įollowing this decision, the Procedure Committee developed a scheme for proxy voting, publishing its report, Proxy voting and parental absence, on. On 22 October 2020, the House further extended these temporary arrangements until 30 March 2021. Thereby extending temporary arrangements that had been in place since June 2020, until 3 November 2020. On the same day the House also agreed that the proxy votes should be available for medical or public health reasons related to the pandemic. Proxy votes are indicated in division lists published by the House. Proxy votes can only be cast if the Speaker has issued a certificate confirming that the MP is eligible. Proxy votes can also be exercised in secret ballots for electing a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, select committee chair or chair of the Backbench Business Committee.
It allows a proxy vote to be cast in any division in the House or in any legislative grand committee, except for the purposes of counting a quorum or for allowing the closure. The Proxy Voting Scheme has been published on the parliamentary website. The decision followed a review, by the Procedure Committee, of a pilot scheme it had developed. On 23 September 2020, the House agreed to make permanent arrangements for proxy voting, for MPs who are away from Westminster because of childbirth or care of an infant or newly adopted child or where there have been complications relating to childbirth.