In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Committee of the whole House is a committee of the whole of one of the two Houses. In the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, the Committee of the whole House is used instead of a standing committee for the committee stage (clause-by-clause debate) of constitutional or ethical importance, or for contentious bills. The Finance Bill is always sent to a Committee of the whole House in the Commons. The sitting is presided over by the Chairman of Ways and Means, rather than the Speaker of the House, sitting in the clerk's chair (at the Table of the House) rather than the Speaker's chair normally occupied by the presiding officer, and is addressed as "Chair" instead of "Deputy speaker". In the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

, the Committee of the whole House examines the majority of bills.

References

Westminster system Committees of the House of Lords Committees of the British House of Commons {{UK-gov-stub