What are the time limits for Zero Hour submissions?

Zero Hour submissions are strictly limited to three minutes per member. A bell rings after two minutes to warn the member they have only one minute remaining, and the microphone cuts off automatically after three minutes to enforce this limit.

Understanding the rationale: The strict time limit reflects the practical reality of parliamentary time management. With potentially dozens of members wanting to raise issues each day, strict time discipline is essential. The three-minute constraint forces members to be concise, focused, and well-prepared, eliminating extraneous details and rhetoric. This brevity actually enhances the effectiveness of Zero Hour by allowing more diverse issues to be raised and preventing any single matter from dominating the proceedings. The automatic microphone cutoff removes discretion and prevents time violations, ensuring equitable treatment of all members regardless of seniority or party affiliation.

Key citations:

• Rule 9.1 definitively states: "Only three minutes are to be allotted to each issue raised during the zero hour" - establishing the fundamental time constraint.
• Rule 5.1(x) describes the warning system: "The Chair may ring the bell on the completion of two minutes to indicate to the Member that he or she has only one minute left" - providing a fair notification before time expires.
• Rule 9.2 reinforces that "Every member should conclude his speech within three minutes during the zero hour" - emphasizing the universal application of this rule.
• Rule 5.1(xi) emphasizes that "The time limit of three minutes for raising a matter is to be strictly complied with" - removing any ambiguity about enforcement.
• Chairman's ruling (1 August 2019, Rule 10.2) further refined the procedure by stating members "should not read their Zero Hour Submission" but instead "can refer to points" - ensuring the limited time is used for genuine communication rather than verbatim reading of prepared texts.