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Parliamentary Bills

Introducing bills, how they pass through Parliament, and how to engage with them.

What is a Bill?

A bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to change an existing law that is presented for debate before Parliament.

Bills are introduced in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords for examination, discussion, and amendment.

When both Houses have agreed on the content of a bill it is then presented to the reigning monarch for approval (known as Royal Assent).

Once Royal Assent is given a bill becomes an Act of Parliament and is law.

Different types of bills can be introduced by:

  • The government
  • Individual MPs or Lords
  • Private individuals or organisations

There are three different types of bills: Public, Private, and Hybrid Bills. There is also another kind of Public Bill called Private Members' bills.

You can access the amendments that have been tabled about a particular bill as well as view what happened to each amendment on the bill’s webpage Bills before Parliament. You can access the amendments through 'Bill documents' or through the 'Public Bill Committee' proceedings.

Public Bills

Public Bills change the law and are the most common type of bill introduced in Parliament. Government ministers propose the majority of Public Bills. Bills put forward by MPs or Lords are known as Private Members' bills.

Public Bills are introduced in either House and go through several set stages that usually involve Members of both Houses examining the bill. Bills that are largely financial or involve the public's money - like new taxes or public spending - are always introduced in the Commons.

Private Members' bills

Private Members' bills are Public Bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers. Their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population. A minority of Private Members' bills become law but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.

Like other Public Bills, Private Members' bills can be introduced in either House and must go through the same set stages. However, as less time is allocated to these bills, it is less likely that they will proceed through all the stages.

The life cycle of a bill

Bills can be introduced by any MP, including MPs who aren’t in government – in which case these bills are known as Private Members’ bills.

To introduce a bill in the House of Commons a Member needs to provide its short title (by which it is known) and its long title (which describes briefly what it does). Complete texts are not necessary and some Private Members' bills are never published in full.

An MP can introduce a Private Members' bill in the House of Commons in one of three ways: the Ballot, the Ten Minute Rule and Presentation. For further details please see the Parliamentary guide.

Once a bill has been given a place in the legislative programme, a bill team will be created in the relevant department to oversee its preparation as well as its journey through parliament. This team will coordinate with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and departmental lawyers to create a Draft Bill, which will then need approval by the Parliamentary Business and Legislation (PBL) Committee of the Cabinet. Then, the bill can be introduced to parliament.

Seven official stages of a Bill passing through Parliament

First reading: This stage involves the short title of the bill being read to parliament, as well as the full text being made public, in some cases. There is no debate or discussion at this stage.

Second reading: This stage includes the first debate of the bill in Parliament. However, no amendments to the bill can yet be made. Once the debate is complete, the bill is voted on. If the bill does not pass, it cannot be reintroduced in the same session of parliament – however, it is highly unusual for bills to be defeated in the second reading.

Committee stage: The bill will undergo the most rigorous scrutiny at this stage. For this reason, it is typically the longest stage.

The bill is referred to a ‘Standing Committee’ (or Public Bill Committee) if the bill is passing through the Commons. Standing Committees are made up of MPs, mirroring the party composition of the House. Important bills (relating to the constitution or are of unusual significance or controversiality) are referred to a committee of the whole House, rather than a Standing Committee. These committees scrutinise each clause of the bill, choosing to approve, amend, or remove each clause, or add new material. These committees must also consider any amendments tabled by other MPs.

In the Lords, this stage takes place in the chamber, and all peers can participate.

Report stage: This stage, known as Consideration in the House of Commons, involves the discussion of amendments or new clauses in the House, where any MP can propose these changes to the bill. The Speaker moderates the debate, choosing which proposals will be discussed and then voted on.

Third reading: There is a short debate in the House, followed by a vote on the bill. Again, it is highly unusual for a bill to be defeated at this stage.

Consideration of amendments: After a bill has been considered by one House, it is then sent to the other. The second House can then amend the bill, before returning it to the first House, which can choose to accept the amendments, reject them, or propose alternative amendments. This can continue back and forth – which is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘ping pong’. If no agreement is formulated between the Houses, the bill is defeated.

Royal assent: Once both Houses have agreed on the final version of the bill, it is taken to the monarch, who signs it off, causing it to become law.

Routes to influence changes to a Bill

There are two opportunities to influence bills going through the House of Commons.

Draft bills: The first opportunity to engage with bills is before they are presented to Parliament. When bills are in the process of being formulated and prepared to be introduced to Parliament, they are known as Draft Bills. These Draft Bills undergo ‘pre-legislative scrutiny’.

As part of this process, the government can publish consultation documents calling for public discussion and recommendations, commonly in the form of Green and White Papers. Green papers are typically published when the government is at the earliest stages of formulating proposals for future legislation, and they can offer a route to influence, but Green Papers are not always published, as sometimes only a White Paper is published. White Papers outline planned policy changes, forming a foundation for further consultation. You can find out more in this Government consultations and evidence requests guide.

Committee stage: During the committee stage, a committee is formed to scrutinise the bill. This committee can publish a consultation document. Standing Committees can also accept written and oral evidence.

Written evidence can be submitted by anyone to suggest amendments to the bill or make judgements on other proposed amendments. These can be submitted after the second reading of the bill and before the end of the committee stage. Please see parliament’s guidelines for written evidence and how to submit.

Oral evidence can also be collected if the bill started in the Commons. At the beginning of the committee stage, the Standing Committee will agree on a list of witnesses to invite to provide oral evidence. These are usually interested agencies, NGOs, and lobby groups.

Writing directly: An alternative method to voicing opinions on bills is to contact relevant people directly. For example, writing to an MP or Lord, or the government department responsible for the bill.

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