Abstain
To abstain is to refuse to take sides in a vote. MPs who decide to abstain in a division remain in the Chamber rather than enter one of the division lobbies. Abstentions are not officially recorded.

Accommodation and Works Committee
The Accommodation and Works Committee is one of the Domestic Committees of the House of Commons. It deals with the management of the parliamentary estate and buildings. There is a similar committee in the House of Lords which is called the Administration and Works Committee.

Act
Part of the work of Parliament is to make laws. These are called Acts of Parliament. Usually the House of Commons and the House of Lords both debate proposals for new laws. At this stage they are called Bills. If both Houses vote for the proposals then the Bill is ready to become an Act. It can only be described as an Act when it has received Royal Assent from the Monarch.

Additional Member System
The Additional Member System of voting is used for national elections in Germany and Japan and since 1999 it has been used for elections to the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. Under this system voters have two votes, one for a constituency candidate and the second for a political party. Constituency members are elected under the First Past the Post system. The remaining seats are grouped either regionally or nationally. Each time a party gains enough votes to be allocated an additional seat, the candidate at the top of its list of candidates is elected. The votes are counted first for the constituency seats and then the additional list seats are allocated in a way that aims to match the proportion of the total number of seats won by each party to their share of the vote. AMS therefore retains a constituency link while injecting some proportionality, since all votes count. In elections to the Scottish Parliament there are 73 constituency members and 56 regional (additional) members. In the Welsh Assembly elections, there are 40 constituency members and 20 additional members.

Adjournment Debate
When there is no need for the House of Commons to take a decision topics are often discussed on a motion "That this House do now adjourn". Half-hour adjournment debates introduced by a back bench MP take place at the end of each day’s business. The subjects raised are often local or personal issues. There is also a series of short adjournment debates on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings in the Westminster Hall Chamber . A ballot is held for these and those selected are first listed in the Future Business paper published on Thursday.

Administration Committee
The Administration Committee is one of the Domestic Committees of the House of Commons. This committee looks at the general services that the House of Commons provides for members of staff and MPs. The Administration and Works Committee in the House of Lords has a similar role.

Affirmation
Affirmation involves declaring acceptance of the Queen as the right and true monarch. The text of the affirmation is: - "I …… do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors according to law" Members may make an affirmation as an alternative to swearing the Oath of Allegiance. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M7 on the UK Parliament website.

All Party Groups
All party groups are groups of MPs and members of the House of Lords who share a particular interest in a subject or country. The groups are usually formed by Backbenchers.

Allocation of Time Motion
An Allocation of Time Motion, or 'Guillotine', is to ensure that certain stages of a Bill are completed by a certain date or within a fixed number of sittings. Traditionally, Allocation of Time Motions were moved when progress on a bill was slow. They have largely been replaced by Programme Motions which set out a timetable for a bill in the House of Commons at the start of its consideration.

Amendments
When Members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords are debating or examining Bills they often want to change some of the details. They can therefore propose changes or amendments, and debate and vote on them in the House. Amendments are usually made during the Committee Stage and in the Report Stage but in the House of Lords can also be made at Third Reading . Lords' Amendments are those amendments suggested by the House of Lords and Commons' Amendments are those that originate in the House of Commons. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L6 on the UK Parliament website.

Annunciators
Annunciators are television screens that are placed around the Palace of Westminster and display the business of both Houses, such as who is speaking, the topic being discussed and whether a division is being called.

Another Place
It is traditional that, when speaking in the House of Commons and House of Lords members do not refer to the other House by name. Instead they describe it as 'Another Place'.

Appellate Committee
The Appellate Committee is a committee made up of Law Lords (usually five or seven). Its job is to hear appeals from other British Courts in cases of public importance on a point of law. The Law Lords used to consider appeals in the chamber of the House of Lords, but when a bomb damaged the chamber during the war they temporarily moved to a committee room. The move was so successful that when the chamber was repaired the Law Lords decided to continue to listen to appeals in the committee room. Judgment by the Law Lords, however, is delivered in the House of Lords Chamber.

Attorney General
The Attorney General is the Government's principal legal adviser. Usually a Member of Parliament, he provides advice on a range of legal matters, including prepared legislation. As well as carrying out various civil law functions, the Attorney General has final responsibility for the Criminal Law. His deputy is the Solicitor General.

Aye
By tradition, Aye is a 'yes' vote in divisions in the House of Commons. To vote Aye is to vote in agreement with the proposal or 'Motion' being discussed.

Aye and No Lobbies
When there is a formal vote, or division, in the House of Commons, MPs leave their seats and walk into whichever division lobby corresponds to the way they want to vote. If they want to vote yes, they go into the Aye Lobby. The Aye Lobby is the room on the right of the Speaker, behind the Government benches. If they want to vote no, they go into the No Lobby. The No Lobby is the room on the left of the Speaker, behind the Opposition benches.