Editing Division bell

{{Short description|Bell rung in a parliament to signal a division}}
{{about|the bell that is rung in certain legislatures|the Pink Floyd album|The Division Bell}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=July 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2019}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
In some of the [[Commonwealth realm]]s, a '''division bell''' is a bell rung in or around parliament to signal a [[Division of the assembly|division]] (a vote) to members of the relevant chamber so that they may participate.<ref>[https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/divisions/ UK Parliament glossary - Divisions]</ref> A division bell may also be used to signal the start or end of parliamentary proceedings, and often produces different sounds or coloured lights to identify the chamber affected.<ref name="SN06041" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://lop.parl.ca/About/Parliament/Education/glossary-intermediate-students-e.html|title=Glossary of Parliamentary Terms|website=Parliament of Canada|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref>

== In the United Kingdom ==
[[File:Division-bell.jpg|thumb|Houses of Parliament Division bell]]
In the United Kingdom, division bells are used in the immediate neighbourhood of the [[Palace of Westminster]] (housing [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]) to signal that a division is occurring and that [[Member of Parliament|members of the House of Commons]] or of the [[House of Lords]] have eight minutes to get to their chosen [[Division of the assembly|division lobby]] to vote for or against the resolution. The call for a division is also displayed on [[Annunciator panel|annunciator]] screens throughout the Palace of Westminster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/Divisions.pdf|title=Divisions|website=UK Parliament|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/foi-and-eir/commons-foi-disclosures/estates-information/division-bells-2014/|title=Division bells (2014)|website=UK Parliament|language=English|access-date=2019-02-17}}</ref> The division bells are also sounded at the start of a daily sitting, at the end of the two-minute prayers that start each day, and when the house rises.<ref name="SN06041">{{cite web |title=Divisions in the House of Commons: House of Commons Background Paper |first=Mark |last=Sandford |date=2 August 2013 |id=Document ref:SN/PC/06401 |url=http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06401/SN06401.pdf}}</ref> Division bells have been used in this way in the [[United Kingdom]] since 1858.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/property/westminster-for-whom-the-division-bell-tolls-236519.html|title=Westminster: For whom the division bell tolls|date=2005-05-04|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament Division Bell |url=https://www.britishtelephones.com/belldivision.htm |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.britishtelephones.com}}</ref>

As of 2014, there were 384 division bells within the Parliamentary estate, and 172 outside it.<ref name=":1" /> Bells outside of the parliamentary estate are undergoing a phase out as of 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament Division Bell |url=https://www.britishtelephones.com/belldivision.htm |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.britishtelephones.com}}</ref>

Some Members may be in nearby offices, restaurants, pubs or shops, and therefore some of these establishments have their own division bells connected to those in the Houses of Parliament. MPs including [[Alec Douglas-Home]], [[Michael Portillo]] and [[Michael Heseltine]] reportedly had division bells fitted in their homes.<ref name=":2" />

Though the Commons and Lords share division bells, they are driven from separate ringing generator systems, so that the bells make noticeably different ring patterns for a division of the House of Commons and a division of the House of Lords.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament Division Bell |url=https://www.britishtelephones.com/belldivision.htm |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.britishtelephones.com}}</ref>

The generator for the House of Commons simultaneously sounds all the division bells with a 2 [[Hertz]] signal (i.e., twice per second) for exactly eight minutes, though this has been varied by the House of Commons in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament Division Bell |url=https://www.britishtelephones.com/belldivision.htm |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.britishtelephones.com}}</ref> As soon as the bells stop, the door keepers manning the entrances to the two division lobbies close and lock the doors. Any member who has failed to enter the lobby in time has lost the opportunity to vote in that division. Thus anywhere within an eight-minute journey of the Palace of Westminster is often said to be in the "division-bell area".<ref name=":2" />

A broadcast of the BBC's [[Antiques Roadshow (series 30)|''Antiques Roadshow'']] in October 2007 from the Banqueting House in Whitehall featured the original Ringing Generator System Number 1 from the House of Commons. The programme's expert, Paul Atterbury, with the help of former [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|House of Commons Speaker]] [[Baron]]ess [[Betty Boothroyd]], demonstrated the apparatus in use with one of the original Division Bells. The show valued the transmitter at £15,000.

Three Ringing Generator Systems were made at the end of the 19th century by the [[General Post Office|GPO]] at the request of the Government. They were numbered 1, 2 and 3. Numbers 2 and 3 were destroyed by a bomb in 1941 and replaced with copies bearing the numbers 4 and 5. Number 5 generator exists, but the whereabouts of number 4 is not known. The current generator is entirely electronic.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

===External division bells===

There are 172 division bells located outside the Palace of Westminster, in nearby government offices and even MP's private residences.<ref name=":2"/>  Public establishments fitted with division bells (as of 2013) include:<ref name="SN06041" />
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
*Osteria Dell'Angolo, Marsham St
*Hispaniola Restaurant, [[Victoria Embankment]]
*St. Ermin's Hotel, Caxton St.
*St. James Court Hotel, [[Buckingham Gate]]
*[[National Liberal Club]], [[Whitehall Place]]
*Green's Restaurant, [[Marsham Street|Marsham St.]]
*Red Lion Public House, [[Parliament Street, London|Parliament St.]]
*St. Germain Restaurant, Royal Westminster Hotel, [[Buckingham Palace Road]]
*The Cinnamon Club, 30 Great Smith St.
*[[Royal Horseguards Hotel]], Whitehall Place
*[[Quilon Restaurant]], 41 Buckingham Gate<!--Misspelled as "Quillon"; corrected per [[MOS:SIC]]-->
*Quirinale Restaurant, 1 Great Peter St.
*Marquis of Granby public house, 41 Romney St.
*Vitello d'Oro Restaurant, [[Church House, Westminster|Church House]]<!--Misspelled as "Vitello Dor"-->
*[[St. Stephen's Tavern]], 10 Bridge St.
*[[Westminster Arms]], 9–10 Storey's Gate
}}

The bells are connected by telephone lines,<ref name=":2"/> and proprietors of these establishments are responsible for the maintenance of the bells.<ref name="SN06041" />

== In Australia ==

Both State and [[Parliament of Australia|Federal Parliament]] buildings use electronic division bells. In most states with [[bicameral parliament]]s, and in the Federal Parliament, red and green lights near the division bells flash to indicate which house is being called.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_14_-_Making_decisions_-_debate_and_division|title=Infosheet 14 - Making decisions - debate and division|website=Parliament of Australia|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref> [[Parliament of Queensland|Queensland]] and the [[Territories of Australia|Territories]], which have [[unicameral parliament]]s, do not require the red light which indicates the [[upper house]]. In the [[Parliament of New South Wales]], the division bell rings differently for divisions in the Assembly and the council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/about/Pages/Procedures-and-Processes-of-the-Houses.aspx|title=Procedures and Processes of the Houses|website=Parliament of New South Wales|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref>

The bells are typically rung at the beginning of a sitting, because a member has challenged a vote (called a division), or because there are not enough members in the chamber to constitute [[quorum]].<ref name=":3" />

=== Federal Parliament ===
In both the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] and the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], the division bell is normally rung for four minutes, unless successive divisions are taken with no debate between, in which case they ring for one minute only. After this period has elapsed, the doors to the chamber are locked, and the vote takes place. The duration of the bell was increased to four minutes following the move to [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in 1988, and is measured by in the House of Representatives using a [[Hourglass|sandglass]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter8/Divisions|title=Chapter 8: Divisions|website=Parliament of Australia|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_11|title=CHAPTER 11 {{!}} Voting and Divisions|website=Parliament of Australia|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref> On one occasion, a young [[Paul Keating]] was furiously censured by his party’s whip for missing a division. Keating made the excuse that he could not hear the division bell in his office, when in fact he had simply turned it down.

== In Canada ==
[[File:Ontario Legislative Division Bell.webm|thumb|An electronic division bell rings in the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario|Ontario Legislative Assembly]]]]
The electronic bell of the House of Commons sounds to call members of the House for a sitting, a vote, or to announce the lack of a quorum. In the case of a vote, it is referred to as the division bell.<ref name=":0" />

The Ontario Legislative Assembly makes use of an electronic voting bell, combined with visual lights, to indicate an upcoming vote. Bells are spread throughout the legislative building and rung for either 5, 10, or 30 minutes, depending on the nature of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Standing orders {{!}} Legislative Assembly of Ontario |url=https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/standing-orders |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=www.ola.org}}</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Legislatures]]