A quick guide to some of the things an MP can do in Westminster...
- Ask an oral question
Oral and written questions are known as parliamentary questions (PQs). Oral questions are tabled two weeks in advance of the particular session (eg "Oral questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs") and go into a ballot - those higher up the ballot are more likely to be raised during the session. They are useful for stimulating debate in the House. - Table a written question
Written questions will be answered approximately two weeks after they are tabled. They are useful for eliciting information from the Government. - Table an adjournment debate
Adjournment debates are tabled by MPs and sometimes the Government, to discuss particular subjects. Like oral questions, they are useful for stimulating debate and sometimes for eliciting information from the Government as the relevant Minister has to respond to the debate. - Speak in a debate
- Try for a Private Members' Bill
A Private Members' Bill is a bill "taken through by Members in their capacity as private Members rather than Ministers or Opposition" (HC Factsheet L2 http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/fs04.pdf). There is little time scheduled for debating Private Members' Bills, so a Ballot is held with the 20 MPs who are successful getting their bill debated. A large proportion of MPs have no particular Bill in mind and if they are drawn high in the Ballot find themselves the target of a great deal of lobbying, from their own colleagues as well as pressure groups! - Table an Early Day Motion (EDM)
EDMs are petitions for MPs. The more MPs sign them, the more effective they are. They are a way for MPs to publicly support a position, but are often no more than that. The equivalent in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are taken more seriously. - Write to a Minister
For more information on the House of Commons and what MPs do, please see the House of Commons factsheets
