An incidental motion, in parliamentary procedure

Parliamentary procedure

Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of clubs, organizations, legislative bodies, and other deliberative assemblies...

, is one of a category of motions that relate in varying ways to the main motion

Motion (parliamentary procedure)

In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action. In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary...

 and other parliamentary motions.

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR)

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised

Robert's Rules of Order

Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...

lists 11 motions or requests falling into this category, including to appeal the decision of the chair

Appeal (motion)

In parliamentary procedure, an appeal from the decision of the chair is used to challenge a ruling of the chair.-Explanation and Use:George Demeter notes that it "protects the assembly against the arbitrary control of the meeting by its presiding officer." The most common occasions for the motion...

, consideration by paragraph or seriatim

Consideration by paragraph or seriatim

The motion to consider by paragraph or seriatim is used to consider separately the different parts of a report or long motion consisting of a series of resolutions, paragraphs, articles, or sections that are not totally separate questions...

, division of a question

Division of a question

A motion for division of a question, in parliamentary procedure, is used to split a motion into a set of motions.-Explanation and Use:-Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised :...

, division of the assembly

Division (vote)

In parliamentary procedure, a division of the assembly is a voting method in which the members of the assembly take a rising vote or go to different parts of the chamber, literally dividing into groups indicating a vote in favour of or in opposition to a motion on the floor...

, objection to the consideration of a question

Objection to the consideration of a question

Objection to the consideration of a question is a method in parliamentary procedure of preventing a motion from coming before the assembly. It is often used to prevent an embarrassing question from being introduced and debated in the assembly....

, parliamentary inquiry

Parliamentary inquiry

A parliamentary inquiry is a question directed to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly to obtain information on a matter of parliamentary law or the rules of the organization bearing on the business at hand...

, point of information

Point of information (motion)

In parliamentary procedure, a point of information is a request directed to the chair, or through the chair to another person, for information relevant to the business at hand...

, point of order

Point of order

A point of order is a matter raised during consideration of a motion concerning the rules of parliamentary procedure.-Explanation and uses:A point of order may be raised if the rules appear to have been broken. This may interrupt a speaker during debate, or anything else if the breach of the rules...

, request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion

Request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion

The motion of request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion is made if the maker of the motion wishes to withdraw or change it after it has been stated by the chair.-Explanation and Use:...

, and to suspend the rules

Suspend the rules

In parliamentary procedure, suspension of the rules is a procedure in which a deliberative assembly sets aside its normal rules of order in order to do something that it could not do otherwise.-Background and rationale:...

. Most incidental motions are undebatable.

Unlike the privileged

Privileged motion

A privileged motion is a motion in parliamentary procedure that is granted precedence over ordinary business because it concerns matters of great importance or urgency...

 and subsidiary

Subsidiary motion

A subsidiary motion, in parliamentary procedure, is a type of motion by which a deliberative assembly deals directly with a main motion prior to voting on the main motion itself.-Explanation:...

motions, incidental motions have no order of precedence among themselves. They take precedence over any pending question out of which they arise. Some incidental motions are only legitimately incidental at certain times or under certain conditions. For instance, the objection to the consideration of a question can only be raised before there has been any debate.