The House of Assembly comprises 30 members elected by adult suffrage on the first-past-the-post system.

The Presiding Officer of the House of Assembly is the Speaker. Visitors to the public gallery are called Strangers. The House of Assembly usually meets on Tuesday, but if there is urgent business a meeting can be called on any other day. Senate usually sits on Wednesday.

Highlights of the House of Assembly

The Speaker's chair is a gift from the Government of India to the People of Barbados on attainment of our Independence on November 30, 1966.

The stained-glass windows, which were manufactured in the 1870s by Clayton and Bell of the UK, feature the British Monarchs from 1603 to 1636 including Oliver Cromwell who was Lord Protector 1653-1958.

The life of a Parliament is for five years from its first sitting after a general election.

The Hallway

The main entrance to the House of Assembly has a Bust of Sir William Conrad Reeves the first black person to be knighted. His many achievements included many years of outstanding service in the practice of the law, as a law officer, as a member of the House of Assembly and 16 years as Chief Justice of Barbados. His career was a long record of faithful service to all classes of this country.

At the entrance to the Chamber is a list of all Members of the House of Assembly since adult suffrage in 1951.