Legislative Process

Question 1

What is a legislative bill?

Answer 1

a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law that is brought between parliament
can be introduced in either Commons or Lords

Question 2

What is an act of parliament?

Answer 2

a bill that has completed all its stages in parliament and has become a law

Question 3

Who is a private members bill introduced by?

Answer 3

any MP/Lord from any part as long as they are not government minister

Question 4

How is a Private Members Bill selected?

Answer 4

either by ballot or ten minute rule
will only go through if it has support by the government
most don’t go through, most get defeated

Question 5

What is a Private Members Bill?

Answer 5

one that affects the whole population introduced by an individual backbench MP or a member of the Lords

Question 6

What is a public bill? Give an example.

Answer 6

proposal to change public policy
e.g. Abortion Act 1967, Marriage Act 1994

Question 7

What is a private bill? Give an example.

Answer 7

proposal that only affects individual people or corporations rather than public at large
e.g. Faversham Oyster Fishery Company Bill 2016

Question 8

What is a hybrid bill? Give an example.

Answer 8

a cross between a public and private bill where a government initiative affects particular people/groups
e.g. Heathrow new terminal or Crossrail

Question 9

How does a bill originate?

Answer 9

as a green paper or white paper

Question 10

What is a green paper?

Answer 10

a document setting out options for legislation and inviting consultation

Question 11

What is a white paper?

Answer 11

a more detailed statement of the government’s intentions

Question 12

What are the stages a bill must pass through?

Answer 12

1. First reading
2. Second reading
3. Committee stage
4. Report stage
5. Third Reading
6. Pass to next House
7. Royal Assent

Question 13

What occurs at the first reading?

Answer 13

• minister will introduce the bill
• no debate
• merely a formality

Question 14

What occurs at the second reading?

Answer 14

• first chance to have a debate
• only about the general principle of the bill
• there is a vote at the end of the second reading (‘ay’ lobby and ‘nay’ lobby)

Question 15

When occurs at the committee stage?

Answer 15

• bill is scrutinised in detail by a public bill committee
• picks the bill part line by line
• can suggest amendments
• ends with a vote

Question 16

What occurs at the report stage?

Answer 16

purely a minister reading off any amendments/changes from the committee stage

Question 17

What occurs at the third reading?

Answer 17

• amended bill is debated
• last chance to have a debate
• last chance for backbench MPs to suggest their own amendments
• final vote

Question 18

What occurs after the third reading?

Answer 18

bill is passed to the next House and the whole process repeats

Question 19

What is ‘royal assent’?

Answer 19

monarch signs the bill making it a law
act of parliament comes into force at midnight the same day the bill is granted royal assent

Question 20

What is ‘parliamentary ping pong’?

Answer 20

when a bill goes back and forth between the two houses for up to a year

Question 21

Give an example of when parliamentary ping pong occurred

Answer 21

2005 Prevention of Terrorism Bill which introduced control orders
parliamentary ping pong lasted 30 hours
The Lords backed down following a compromise but the government promised a review a year later