| Term | Definition |
| Westminster | The Palace of Westminster in London where the Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords) are located. The word is also used to describe a parliamentary form of government modelled after the UK system, for example, "Westminster form of government". |
| Whip | A party manager in Parliament who is responsible for organising Members of his party to take part in debates and votes.32 The Government and the Opposition Whips have the same functions, the most crucial being to round up Members on their respective sides and ensure their support of the party’s stand during a vote or division. The term “lifting of the whip” is used when the party allows its Members of Parliament to vote according to their conscience.33 |
| White Paper | A policy document issued by the Government to explain or discuss matters. White Papers are often presented for debate in Parliament.34 (See also Green Paper, Blue Book, Command Paper and Parliamentary Paper.) |
| Withdrawal of a Bill | After its introduction in the House, a Bill can be withdrawn at any stage on a motion moved by the Member in charge. No notice is required. S.O. 84. |
32 The word is derived from the 18th century English fox hunting sport, in which a "whipper-in" was used to keep the hounds from straying from the pack.
33 In the UK House of Commons, reference is made to one-line, two-line and three-line whips to indicate the importance of a matter. For example, in debates designated as a three-line whip, Members cannot be absent from that debate.
34 An example is the White Paper on the "Report of the Junior College/Upper Secondary Education Review Committee" presented on 22 October 2002.
