Legislation Flashcards
Influences
Political
Public opinion
Pressure groups
Lobbyists
Political influence
Before an election each party produces a manifesto
The party who gains the most seats in the House of Commons forms government
Party brings in reforms to meet the aims of their manifesto through acts
Proposed reforms are put in the queens speech at the beginning of a parliamentary session
Pressure groups
Groups with particular interest and try bring matters to public attention
Sectional pressure groups
Represent interests of a particular section of society such as professions
Lobbyists
Persuading individual MPs to support a cause
Professional lobbyists do the most work
Try’s to persuade MPs to do questions in parliament
Legislative process steps
Pre-legislative - Types of bill - Green paper - White paper First reading Second reading Committee stage Report stage Third reading Repeat process Royal assent Date of commencement
Green bill
Public - General application of bill which affects whole region or jurisdiction
Private - Apply to a particular individual or group of individuals or corporation
White Bill
Private members - Introduced by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch
Hybrid bill - Affects Both the public but also specific groups or individuals
First reading
A formality
Title of the bill is read out in the house
No discussion takes place
Bill printed
Second reading
Main debate on the general bill points
Minister in charge of the bill explains main aims and objectives
Speaker controlled all debates and MPs who wish to ask questions must “catch the speakers eyes”
Not the specifics
Majority vote taken
Committee stage
Small group of MPs known as standing committee
Consisting of between 16-50 MPs
The majority represent the party in government
May be experts or have an interest
Go through each clause of the bill in close examination and make amendments where necessary
Report Stage
Committee report back to the main house on the changes
Amendments will be debated and voted on by the house
If there were no changes at the committee stage the bill would miss this stage and pass to the next
Useful to protect against a bill against the wishes of the house.
Opportunity for second thoughts
Third reading
Bill is put before the house for a final vote
No changes except for spelling, punctuation and gramma
Regarded as a formality
Unlikely to be defeated at this stage
May be another debate but only if at least 6 request it
Repeat process
Bill passed through the stages in the other house and repeat the process
If started in one house, process repeated in the other
If the other house changes anything it is returned for then to approve, disagree or propose alternatives
Ping pong effect
Parliament act 1911, 1949
Bill can still become law even if HOL rejects it as long as it is reintroduced at the next session
HOC has more power due to being elected
