Ordinary standing committees do not have
enacted. The notes are not passed or endorsed by
names but are called simply Standing Committee
Parliament. The purpose is to provide background
A, B, C and so on; a new set of members is
information and to make it easier for the reader to
appointed to them to consider each Bill. Each
understand what the Bill is seeking to achieve.
committee has between 16 and 50 members, with
a party balance reflecting as far as possible that in
The main Bills forming the Government’s
the House as a whole. In the Lords, various sorts
legislative programme are announced in the
of committees on Bills may be used (such as
Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of
Grand Committees and Select Committees – see
Parliament, which usually takes place in
page 36) instead of, or as well as, a Committee of
November or shortly after a General Election, and
the Whole House.
the Bills themselves are introduced into one or
other of the Houses over the following weeks.
In the Commons the House may vote to limit the
time available for consideration of a Bill. This is
Before a Government Bill is drafted, there may be
done by passing a ‘timetable’ motion proposed
consultation with professional bodies, voluntary
by the Government, commonly known as a
organisations and others with an interest,
‘guillotine’.
including pressure groups looking to promote
specific causes. ‘White Papers’, which are
When a Bill has passed through all its
government statements of policy, often contain
parliamentary stages, it is sent to the Queen for
proposals for changes in the law; these may be
Royal Assent, after which it becomes an Act of
debated in Parliament before a Bill is introduced.
Parliament. The Royal Assent has not been refused
As part of the process of modernising procedures,
since 1707. In the 2000–01 session 21 Public Bills
some Bills are now published in draft for pre-
were enacted.
38
Government and foreign affairs
6 Government
Figure 6.3 How legislation is made in P
Figure 6.3
arliament
How legislation is made in the UK
House of Commons
House of Lords
Introduction and First Reading
First Reading
Lets MPs know that a piece of new legislation
There is no debate: the Bill is ordered to be
is coming up for consideration
printed
The Bill’s title is read out in the House and it is
ordered to be printed
Second Reading
Second Reading
Explains the main purpose of the Bill
The debate has the same purpose as its
counterpart in the Commons
There is a wide-ranging debate on the general
policy and principles of the proposed legislation
Points that proved contentious in the Commons
are likely to be raised again in the Lords
Bill as amended passes
Committee Stage
to the House of Lords
Committee Stage
The Bill is examined clause by clause
A Committee of the Whole House enables all
Members of the Lords to participate and suggest
Usually takes place in standing committee,
amendments
although it may occasionally come before a
Committee of the Whole House
MPs may suggest changes by way of amendments
Report Stage
Report Stage
Gives the whole House an opportunity to
Gives another opportunity to look at the
reconsider the Bill in its latest form
amended Bill as a whole
Often further amendments are made and there
is a debate on matters unresolved in committee
Third Reading
Third Reading
House considers the complete Bill as amended
Reviews the Bill in its final form
Only minor amendments can be made
Only minor amendments can be made
Commons’ consideration of Lords’ amendments
The Commons normally accepts most of the Lords’ amendments to non-controversial Bills Bills with contentious amendments pass back and forth between the Houses until agreement is reached If no agreement can be reached, the Bill can be reintroduced in the next session and would not then need the agreement of the Lords.
This happens very rarely
Royal Assent
The final stage of the legislative process and the point at which the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament 39
Government and foreign affairs
6 Government
expenditure must become law within one month
Private Members’ Bills
of being sent to the Lords, whether or not the
Early in each session backbench members of the
Lords agree to it, unless the Commons direct
Commons ballot for the chance to introduce a Bill
otherwise.
on one of the Fridays when such Bills have
precedence over government business. The first 20
The Parliament Acts also make it possible for a Bill
members whose names are drawn win this privilege,
to be passed by the Commons without the consent
but it does not guarantee that their Bills will pass