Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor John Pugh (Liberal Democrat), on Tuesday, 20 October 2009, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 16 members in total.

---

SMARTPHONES AND HOUSE OF COMMONS ETIQUETTE

That this House while recognising the enormous benefits of the modern smartphone and the interest it generates, regrets the growing tendency of hon. Members to interact with these devices during select committee meetings and short debates when active engagement with the topic under consideration might be assumed, and the seeming, if at times quite understandable, greater interest shown in e-mails and messages than in the contribution of parliamentary colleagues; and encourages all hon. Members to limit their use of smartphones during proceedings of the House as part of the evolving courtesies and traditions of the House, helping to keep the proceedings of the House as genuinely interactive as the devices themselves.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received 2 amendments.

2113A1

leave out `while recognising' and insert `recognises'.

2113A2

leave out from `generates' to end and insert `congratulates hon. Members for productively multi-tasking during committee meetings.'

---

Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

2113 

2113A1 

2113A2 

Session

2008-09

Other sponsors

Iris Robinson

Frank Cook

Ann Cryer

Stephen Williams

Dai Davies

Subjects

Members Parliamentary procedure Telecommunications

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk