Recall of Parliament
Parliament does not sit all year round. There are periods of recess when members can perform their other duties. Sometimes, however, if there is an important development, the House is recalled. For example the House was recalled during the first Gulf War, after the Northern Ireland agreement in 1998 and after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Recess
Parliament does not sit all year round. During periods called recesses, Members can carry out their other duties. The exact pattern of recesses can change but generally, both the House of Commons and House of Lords have recesses of about two weeks at Christmas and New Year, about a week at Easter and about a week at the end of May. They also have a summer recess from late July to early September and a conference recess from late September to mid October. Recess dates vary each year and are usually slightly different for the two Houses. Both Houses usually have a short additional recess during the February half-term.

Referendum
A referendum is the procedure by which a decision is referred to the electorate, who vote on it in a similar way to a general election. The only referendum to date in the whole of the UK was in 1975 on whether the UK should remain a member of the Common Market (now the European Union). Referendums were held in Scotland and Wales in 1979 and again in 1997 on devolution; in Northern Ireland in 1973 and 1998 on the Province's constitutional future; and in Greater London in 1998. The Government has planned future national referendums on a new voting system for general elections and about the single European currency.

Register of Members' Interests
The Register of Members' Interests is where MPs declare any interests that they hold outside Parliament. Interests include outside jobs or consultancy work, gifts or membership of organisations that might affect their position in Parliament.

Regulatory Impact Assessment
Government departments proposing legislation affecting businesses, charities or voluntary bodies prepare a Regulatory Impact Assessment which assesses the benefits and burdens. They are kept for Members by the Libraries of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and are often available on the website of the relevant government department.

Regulatory Reform Orders
The Regulatory Reform Act 2001 extended the provisions of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 enabling the Government to amend or repeal a provision in primary legislation which is considered to impose a burden on business or others. This is done through a Regulatory Reform Order formerly known as a Deregulation Order. The relevant Government Department must first draft a proposal for the order and consult representatives of those who are affected. After considering the results the Government may change all or part of the proposal or withdraw it completely.

Report Stage
The Report Stage is the stage in a passage of a Bill when it is returned to the House after its Committee Stage. The whole House, either the House of Lords or the House of Commons, reviews the amended form of the Bill. This is a useful opportunity for reconsideration and decision on points revised during the Committee Stage, and for further amendments to be proposed.

Returning Officer
The Returning Officer is the official who supervises the counting of votes and reads the results at an election.

Royal Assent
The Royal Assent is the Monarch's agreement to make a Bill into an Act of Parliament. The Monarch actually has the right to refuse Royal Assent but nowadays this does not happen - the Royal Assent is a formality. The last time that the Royal Assent was refused was in 1708, when Queen Anne refused her Assent to a Bill for settling the Militia in Scotland.

Royal Commission
A Royal Commission is a group of people appointed by the Government to investigate a matter of important public concern and to make recommendations on any actions to be taken.

Courtesy of www.parliament.uk