An Act to make provision about the dissolution of Parliament and the determination of polling days for parliamentary general elections; and for connected purposes. [15th September 2011]

1. Polling days for parliamentary general elections

After this Act is passed, next parliamentary general election’s polling day will be 7 may 2015.

Each polling day for parliamentary general elections will be the first Thursday in may in the fifth calendar year following that in which the polling day for the previous parliamentary general election fell.

PM may by order made my statutory instrument provide that the polling day in a specified calendar year is to be later, but no more than two months later.

2. Early parliamentary general elections

An early parliamentary general election is to take place if:

• The House of Commons passes a motion “That there shall be an early parliamentary general election.”

• If the motion is passed on a division, the number of members who vote in favour of this motions is a number equal to or greater than 2/3 of the number of seats in the House.

An early parliamentary general election is also to take place if:

• The House of Commons passes a motion “That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government.”

• The period of 14 days after the day on which that motion is passed ends without the House passing a motion as “That this House has confidence in Her Majesty’s Government.”

3. Dissolution of Parliament

Parliament can only be dissolved at the beginning of the 17th working day before the polling day for the next parliamentary general election. Than Her Majesty may issue the proclamation summoning the new Parliament which appoint the day for the first meeting of the new Parliament.

4. General election for Scottish Parliament not to fall on same date as parliamentary general election.

5. General election for National Assembly for Wales not to fall on same date as parliamentary general election.

6. This Act does not affect Her Majesty’s power to prorogue Parliament. This Act does not affect the way in which the sealing of a proclamation summoning a new Parliament may be authorised.

7. An amendment or repeal made by this Act has the same extent as the enactment or relevant part of the enactment to which the amendment or repeal relates.

The Prime Minister must make arrangements—

1. (a) for a committee to carry out a review of the operation of this Act and, if appropriate in consequence of its findings, to make recommendations for the repeal or amendment of this Act, and

2. (b) for the publication of the committee’s findings and recommendations (if any).

A majority of the members of the committee are to be members of the House of Commons.