National Security (State Threats) Bill: Allocation of Time motion

Parliament voted on 17 June 2026 to approve an Allocation of Time motion for the National Security (State Threats) Bill, passing by 233 votes to 94. An Allocation of Time motion, sometimes called a "programme motion", sets the timetable for how long Parliament will spend debating a bill at its remaining stages. The result means the government has imposed a schedule on the bill's progress through the House. The practical effect is that debate on the National Security (State Threats) Bill will be time-limited, restricting how long MPs can spend scrutinising the legislation before it moves to its next stage. Such motions are commonly used by governments to manage parliamentary business but are often contested by opposition parties who argue they reduce opportunities for proper scrutiny of legislation, particularly on matters as significant as national security and state threats. The division split sharply along government and opposition lines. All 232 Labour and Labour Co-operative Aye votes drove the result, with no members of either grouping voting against. The Conservatives provided 83 of the 94 No votes, joined by the Greens with 5, independents, the DUP, Your Party, Traditional Unionist Voice, and one Reform UK member. There were no recorded votes from Plaid Cymru. The scale of Labour absence, 151 Labour MPs and 19 Labour Co-operative MPs with no vote recorded, is notable, though the government's majority was sufficient to carry the motion comfortably.