Work of the Council
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	The Legislative Council normally meets weekly from the third Tuesday in October to the last Tuesday in June, except in the third week of the month when Tynwald Court sits. The Council normally sits from 10.30 am to 1.00 p.m. The Council may, however, sit on any day and at any time and does not have formal recesses. It is not dissolved before a General Election to the House of Keys and thus its business does not terminate and it may continue to sit to consider Bills which have been received from the Keys. At the beginning of a sitting, the President of the Legislative Council processes into the Chamber preceded by the Clerk of the Council. The Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man then leads the Members in prayers. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION: The Legislative Council is largely concerned with the consideration of draft legislation, Bills, which have previously been considered by the House of Keys. The majority of these Bills are public Bills, which are Bills of general application. They have normally been introduced in the Keys either by the Government, or on the initiative of an individual member of the Keys who has been given leave to introduce the Bill (and, where the Bill has financial implications, has obtained Isle of Man Treasury concurrence). It is also possible for outside bodies or individuals to petition either the Keys or the Council for leave to introduce private Bills, which are Bills of a local or personal character. Although by convention, Bills normally originate in the Keys, a member of the Legislative Council may introduce a Bill in the Council, having obtained the leave of the Council and, where required, Isle of Man Treasury concurrence. The procedure for considering Bills in the Council is essentially the same for each category of Bill, regardless of its origin. The First Reading is to draw attention to the fact that the Bill is before the Council. Normally, it would, therefore, be sufficient for the member promoting the Bill to move that the Bill "be now read a first time". In practice, the member briefly outlines the purposes of the Bill. The Second Reading, which Standing Orders require to be taken at a subsequent sitting, is a debate on the principles of the Bill. If the second reading motion is carried the Bill is committed to a committee of the whole Council, unless it is resolved to refer it to a special committee. At the Committee Stage of the Bill, the Bill is considered clause by clause, unless the Council otherwise decides, and the clauses are agreed, amended or disagreed. The Bill then proceeds to its Third Reading, which Standing Orders require to be taken at a subsequent sitting. Amendments may also be moved at this stage. If the motion for third reading is carried, a Bill has completed its consideration in the Council. A motion for each reading of a Bill before the Council must be carried by a majority of the members present. If the Council has amended a Bill received from the Keys, it is returned to the Keys. The Keys may agree, disagree, or amend the Council amendments, or disagree the amendments with a view to a conference with the Council. The President of Tynwald presides when there is a conference. If an agreement is reached at the Conference this is reported to the Branches where the conference agreement may be approved or disapproved. Where a disagreement cannot be resolved, under the Isle of Man Constitution Act 1961 if a Bill is passed by the House of Keys and rejected by the Council, and is then passed by the House in the next session and not passed by the Council, it may proceed without the agreement of the Council. The power of the Council is, therefore, ultimately a delaying power. After a Bill has been passed, or deemed to have been passed, by both the House of Keys and the Legislative Council it must be signed by at least five members of the Council and thirteen members of the Keys in Tynwald Court before it may be submitted for Royal Assent. The Royal Assent is now commonly given to Bills by the Lieutenant Governor acting on behalf of the Crown but the Crown may reserve to itself the right to determine whether Royal Assent should be given to any particular Bill. There remains one final procedure. An Act of Tynwald must be promulgated within 18 months on Tynwald Hill, St. John's, or it ceases to have effect. OTHER PROCEEDINGS IN THE COUNCIL: Questions are from time to time tabled in the Council. Statements may also be made in the Council. The Council may, usually at the conclusion of its Agenda, sit in private to consider confidential matters. When the Council is sitting in private all persons other than the Members and the Clerk of the Council must leave the Chamber. PROCEDURE IN DEBATES: The procedure in debates is controlled by the President of the Council in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Council, as interpreted by Mr President. Members address the President of the Council, but there is a marked informality in debate which might be expected in a parliamentary assembly with a small number of members, the majority of whom have no party political affiliation.