The Board of Spokespersons is a parliamentary body of the Cortes Generales mainly entrusted with the task of ordering the agenda of the Parliament. As a bicameral legislature, the Cortes Generales are formed by two houses, the Senate and the Congress of Deputies. The Board meets every week.
Each House possesses its own Board of Spokespersons made up by the Speaker of the House and the Spokespersons of every parliamentary group. In addition, the minority groups without an own parliamentary group are represented by the Spokesperson of the Mixed Group.
The Chairperson of the Board of Spokespersons is the Speaker of the respective House.
Spokesperson
The Spokesperson of a Parliamentary Group is de facto leader of the Group (although normally they act by orders of the leader of the political party that acts as president of the Parliamentary Group) and a full member of the Board.
Mixed Group
The Mixed Group is a permanent parliamentary group made up by the members of political parties without enough MPs to form their own Parliamentary Group. From the members of the group a Spokesperson is chosen which represent them.
Other attendants
To the meetings of the Board also attends a representative of the executive branch (normally the Secretary of State for Relations with the Cortes or the Director-General for Relations with the Cortes). The Clerks of the Cortes Generales also attend to give legal advice.
The Board of Spokespersons of the Senate is made up by the Speaker of the Senate and the Spokespersons of the Parliamentary Groups. Normally, the Parliamentary Groups are sub-divided in Territorial Groups, and two representatives for each territorial group is allowed to attend (especially when what is going to be discussed affects a specific region).[1]
The Board of Spokespersons needs to meet to approve (Part III § 44):
The dates on which the sessions of the House begin and end.
The agenda of the sessions of the Senate.
The criteria that contribute to order and facilitate the debates and tasks of the Senate.
The interpretive or supplementary rules that may be dictated by the Speaker.
The Board of Spokespersons of the Congress of Deputies is made up by the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies and the Spokespersons of the Parliamentary Groups. The Spokesperson or the Deputy Spokesperson (if the Spokesperson can't attend) may be assisted by a member of its Parliamentary Group, although with no vote (Part III§ 39). To the meetings of the Board must to attend at least one of the Vice Presidents (or Deputy Speakers) of the Congress, one Secretary of the Congress and the Secretary-General of the Congress of Deputies (an administrative office held by the Senior Clerk).[3]
The Board of Spokespersons is responsible for discussing:
The agenda of the sessions of the Senate (Part III§ 67).
All the matters that the Speaker considers need to be discussed.
Congress' Board
Board of Spokespersons of the Congress of Deputies[4]
