Proceedings in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords were halted last Thursday following news of the monarch’s death. While they are due to resume next Wednesday – two days after the Queen’s funeral – both houses are due to stand down once again from September 22 to allow Labour, Conservative and SNP conferences to take place. They are then not expected to return until Monday 17 October. The halt in proceedings came at an unusual time as the country saw a newly appointed Liz Truss take office amid pressure to act on the cost of living crisis. Mourners queue through the night as coffins pass out – follow the latest updates The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said on Thursday it was his “hope” and “expectation” that the upcoming shutdown period would be shortened – although he did not want to “hold anyone to ransom”. Now an order paper has been published on the Commons website, saying a motion will be put to the House on Thursday that MPs should return from the conference break on Tuesday 11 October – almost a week early. News of the Queen’s ill health broke in parliament as Mrs Truss outlined her plan to tackle rising energy bills. It has announced it will introduce an energy price guarantee (EPG) to cap bills at £2,500 for two years from October – around £500 higher than now, but £1,000 less than Ofgem’s incoming peak price increase. The new prime minister also promised that Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng would hold a “fiscal event” in the Commons to set out his mini-budget to further help households and businesses ease the burden. Read more: Cost of living mini budget due on September 23 MPs skip queue to see Queen – while public wait hours Sky News understands this is now expected to happen on Friday 23 September – although the date has not been officially confirmed. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 5:08 Silence in Commons and emotional speaker According to the order document, MPs will return on Wednesday to begin pledging allegiance to King Charles. Formal business will then pick up on Thursday, with an opportunity for urgent questions and statements, as well as a general discussion on the situation in Ukraine. “The House will also consider a number of procedural motions relating to the impending adjournment, sittings of the House, primary legislation and the Chamber of Westminster,” the order paper says. “This will include a motion proposing that the House return from conference recess on Tuesday, October 11.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:26 Three p.m. they pay homage to the Queen Speaking to Times Radio ahead of publication, the Commons speaker said he would “certainly expect” a debate on the energy crisis ahead of party conferences. “I think they could very well be shortened – and I don’t want to hold anyone to ransom by saying I may have misled people – but that would be my personal expectation … and hopefully, may I add,” he said. The prime minister’s official spokesman said on Wednesday: “We are considering changing the cutoff dates.”
