2.3 the legislative process

Question 1

What legislative bill?

Answer 1

a proposal for a new law, or a change to an existing law, which is brought before parliament

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

What is a government bill/public bill?

Answer 3

• most important type of proposal that can be debated in parliament
• brought forward by government ministers to change public policy

Question 4

What is an example of a government bill/public bill?

Answer 4

the reorganisation of the NHS which was brought about by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act

Question 5

What is a private bill?

Answer 5

• less common
• sponsored by an organisation such as a company or local authority, with the intention of changing the law as it affects that organisation
• a group affected by such a bill has the right to petition parliament against it

Question 6

What is an example of a private bill?

Answer 6

• 2013 London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act
• introduced new powers for dealing with obstructions caused by builders and road users in the capital

Question 7

What is a hybrid bill?

Answer 7

• characteristics of both a public and private bill
• proposes changes to the law which would affect the general public, but certain groups or areas in particular

Question 8

What is an example of a hybrid bill?

Answer 8

the bill to build HS2 rail link from London to Birmingham

Question 9

What is a private members bill?

Answer 9

public bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers

Question 10

What is an example of a private members bill?

Answer 10

• imposition of a duty on councils and NHS services to look after people with autism, passed in 2009

Question 11

What are the stages of a bill becoming a law?

Answer 11

1 - first reading
2 - second reading
3 - committee stage
4 - report stage
5 - third reading
-> goes to the Lords and repeats
6 - royal assent

Question 12

What is the first reading?

Answer 12

• first compulsory stage
• bill is made available to MPs but is not debated or voted on at this stage

Question 13

What is the second reading?

Answer 13

• principle of the bill is debated and a vote may be taken if it is not contested

Question 14

What is the committee stage?

Answer 14

• bill is scrutinised in detail by a public bill committee, whose membership reflects the strength of its parties in the commons
• amendments may be made at this stage is the government is prepared to accept them

Question 15

What is the report stage?

Answer 15

whole house considers amendments made at committee stage and may accept or reject them

Question 16

What is the third reading?

Answer 16

amended bill is debated and voted on by the whole house

Question 17

What are the house of lords stages?

Answer 17

• same stages as the commons other than the committee stage
• lords can propose amendments
• commons decides whether to accept, reject or further amend these
• bill can go back and forth between two houses for up to a year

Question 18

What is royal assent?

Answer 18

• monarch signs the bill, making it law
• a formality as the sovereign is a constitutional monarch, who would not get involved in politics refusing to sign a bill