Items of business are listed in the order they are to be considered. A better idea of the program of business each day can be obtained from the 'Daily Program'. The Daily Program shows only the business expected to be dealt with on a particular day. Unlike the Notice Paper it is not a formal document, but is a very useful guide. All Members are not present in the Chamber throughout the sittings.
Members are busy people with many demands on their time.
Besides their duties in the Chamber itself and in the Main Committee, they have meetings of parliamentary and party committees to attend, research to undertake, speeches to prepare and innumerable matters to deal with on behalf of their constituents. The demands on the time of Ministers and office holders, with more public duties to carry out and administrative responsibilities, are even greater. A quorum must exist when the House meets and when a division occurs. Otherwise the House can, and often does, conduct its business with fewer Members present. However, any Member may at any time insist on the presence of a quorum by drawing the Chair's attention 'to the state of the House'.