The Federal Government has apologised to ABC Radio National presenter Patricia Karvelas after she was thrown out of Question Time for wearing a half-sleeve top.

Key points: Patricia Karvelas was wearing a "half-sleeve" pantsuit when she was kicked out

Patricia Karvelas was wearing a "half-sleeve" pantsuit when she was kicked out Ms Karvelas was told she was in breach of the Parliament House dress code

Ms Karvelas was told she was in breach of the Parliament House dress code Speaker Tony Smith has said the journalist should not have been asked to leave

Ms Karvelas was asked to leave the press gallery on Monday after an official in the House of Representatives decided her white pantsuit was in breach of the dress code.

The dress standards dictate what MPs, their staff, members of the media and visitors to the public gallery can wear.

Speaker Tony Smith said Ms Karvelas should not have been asked to leave and flagged a review of the parliamentary dress code.

"The journalist in question was attired in a way which would be reasonably considered professional business attire," he said.

"She should, in hindsight, not have been asked to leave."

Patricia Karvelas was asked to leave Question Time as she was in breach of parliamentary standards. ( Twitter: @PatsKarvelas )

Taking to Twitter after Mr Smith's statement, Ms Karvelas said she was pleased by the "sensible outcome".

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Mr Smith said he had asked that the dress code for female journalists be reviewed to bring it into line with "the definition of formal business attire …having regard to the attire of members generally".

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne, speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, apologised to Ms Karvelas.

"I would like to apologise on behalf of this side of the House to Ms Karvelas for being ejected yesterday from the press gallery," he said.