Father of the House
Father of the House is a title which is by tradition given to the most senior backbench Member of the House of Commons. This is usually the MP who has the longest unbroken service in the Commons. If two or more MPs entered the House at the same election each with unbroken service, their seniority is determined by the time of the original taking of the oath. The title is a fairly recent one. The first printed record of the phrase occurs in 1888, though there is an engraved portrait of Whitshed Keen MP by Charles Picart, dated 1st February 1816, subtitled “Father of the House of Commons”. The sole duty of the Father of the House is to preside over the House of Commons at the election of a Speaker but he may also be called upon in debates of an historical or ceremonial nature. Currently the Father of the House is Tam Dalyell who has been an MP since 1962. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M3 on the UK Parliament website.

Filibustering
Filibustering is the practice of an MP making a very long speech. This prolongs a debate - the purpose of this is to attempt to prevent a Bill passing through Parliament. MPs who do this hope that the House will run out of time to complete all the stages of the Bill before the session is over. Filibustering was used to great effect by Irish MPs in Parliament in the 19th Century. These MPs wanted independence for Ireland and so held up all kinds of legislation to cause problems for the Government.

Finance Bill
The Finance Bill is the Bill presented to Parliament each year which enacts the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget proposals for taxation. Once the Chancellor has read the Budget to the House of Commons, the Bill starts its passage through Parliament in the same way as any other Bill. The House of Lords, however, has no powers over money Bills so the reading of the Bill in this House is just a formality. The Bill receives the Royal Assent in the normal way.

First Past the Post
First Past the Post is the name usually given to the voting system used in the United Kingdom for general elections to the House of Commons. This system of voting is based on each area of the country (constituency) being represented by a single member. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency becomes its MP. First Past The Post has often come under attack as it can produce a House of Commons where the proportion of seats won by each party is not proportional to the votes cast. Its defenders argue that it is a route to stable and effective government. The system is also used in the United States, Canada and India amongst others.

First Reading
The First Reading is the first stage of a Bill's passage through Parliament. Over time this has become a formality. It now consists of the short title of the Bill being read out in the Chamber by the Clerk. It is then given a date for Second Reading and an order made for it to be printed, making it available to all Members.

Five o’clock shuffle
The five o'clock shuffle was the term used for the ballot to decide which questions would be asked during Question Time. It was so called because it took place at five o'clock. Since January 2003 the 'shuffle' has taken place at 12.30pm. At Question Time there is only enough time for fifteen to twenty questions to be asked, but more than seventy questions are usually tabled. At the ballot or shuffle the Questions are drawn out one by one to determine the order in which they will appear. It is therefore very important for an MP to have his or her question drawn out at the beginning rather than at the end. In recent years the shuffle has been mechanised and the House has decided to only include a certain number of the questions on the Order Paper rather than all of them as was the case before.

Floor of the House
The Floor of the House is the term used to describe the area in the House of Commons and the House of Lords occupied by either MPs or Lords. It is the part of the Chamber where the business of the house is conducted, beyond the Bar of the House as opposed to the galleries occupied by press and public.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the Government Department which is responsible for Britain's relations with other countries. Some of its duties include promoting British ideas and policies to people overseas, it negotiates with other countries and looks after the interests of British citizens who live abroad.

Courtesy of www.parliament.uk