Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

3 Dissolution of Parliament

(1) The Parliament then in existence dissolves at the beginning of the 17th 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).