- Latest available (Revised)
- Point in Time (04/03/2016)
- Original (As enacted)
Version Superseded: 24/03/2022
Point in time view as at 04/03/2016. This version of this provision has been superseded.
You are viewing this legislation item as it stood at a particular point in time. A later version of this or provision, including subsequent changes and effects, supersedes this version.
Note the term provision is used to describe a definable element in a piece of legislation that has legislative effect – such as a Part, Chapter or section.
There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, Section 3.
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.
(1)The Parliament then in existence dissolves at the beginning of the [F125th] working day before the polling day for the next parliamentary general election as determined under section 1 or appointed under section 2(7).
(2)Parliament cannot otherwise be dissolved.
(3)Once Parliament dissolves, the Lord Chancellor and, in relation to Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State have the authority to have the writs for the election sealed and issued (see rule 3 in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983).
(4)Once Parliament dissolves, Her Majesty may issue the proclamation summoning the new Parliament which may—
(a)appoint the day for the first meeting of the new Parliament;
(b)deal with any other matter which was normally dealt with before the passing of this Act by proclamations summoning new Parliaments (except a matter dealt with by subsection (1) or (3)).
(5)In this section “working day” means any day other than—
(a)a Saturday or Sunday;
(b)a Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Good Friday;
(c)a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in any part of the United Kingdom;
(d)a day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.
(6)But, if—
(a)on a day (“the relevant day”) one or more working days are fixed or appointed as bank holidays or days for public thanksgiving or mourning, and
(b)as a result, the day for the dissolution of a Parliament would (apart from this subsection) be brought forward from what it was immediately before the relevant day to a day that is earlier than 30 days after the relevant day,
the day or days in question are to continue to be treated as working days (even if the polling day is subsequently changed).
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 3(1) substituted (6.4.2014) by Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c. 6), ss. 14(1), 27(1); S.I. 2014/414, art. 3(a) (with art. 4)
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Point in Time: This becomes available after navigating to view revised legislation as it stood at a certain point in time via Advanced Features > Show Timeline of Changes or via a point in time advanced search.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: