The document provides an overview of how citizens can engage with the legislative process in the UK Parliament. It explains the core tasks of Parliament including proposing and passing laws, and describes the various stages a bill progresses through, from second reading debates to committee stages. Citizens are encouraged to get involved by contacting their MP, submitting evidence to committees, or attending debates to make their voices heard on issues.

1. Engaging with Legislation
Nerys Davies
Parliament’s Outreach Service
#GetInvolved

2. Parliament’s Outreach Service

3. What is Parliament?
House of Commons House of Lords
The Monarch
#GetInvolved

4. The core tasks of Parliament
Proposes and makes laws
(Legislation)
Holds Government
to account
Enables the Government
to set taxes
#GetInvolved

5. Parliament and Government
#GetInvolved

6. Legislation

7. Passage of a bill

8. Second reading
House of Commons
Off-patent Drugs Bill, 6 November 2015, Dr Rupa Huq, column
1292
Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab): My hon. Friend
talked about cost. Does he agree with my constituent, Elena,
of west Ealing, who wrote to me on this subject to say that it
would help MS sufferers in particular and that “it is crucial that
affordable treatments are used to their full potential
particularly at a time when NHS resources are stretched. The
Bill will tackle this issue head on and stand to benefit
hundreds of thousands of people in Ealing and beyond.”?
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhans
rd/cm151106/debtext/151106-0002.htm#15110644000871

9. Second reading
House of Commons
• Psychoactive Substances Bill [HL], 19 October 2015,
Andrew Stevenson, column 735
•
• When I raised this matter on my Facebook page yesterday
asking for the views of young people in my constituency,
one constituent said that some legal highs specifically say
on the packaging that they are not fit for human
consumption. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that such a
statement will not allow the producers of these drugs
simply to bypass the new law?
•
• http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmha
nsrd/cm151019/debtext/151019-
0003.htm#15101929000274

10. Passage of a bill

11. Public Bill Committee
House of Commons
Childcare Bill [HL], 8 December 2015, Christian
Matheson
If the Committee will allow me, I will quote a
constituent, and I may write to the Minister in
greater depth about this particular case, because it
is quite detailed. There is consternation—or concern
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm20151
6/cmpublic/childcare/151208/am/151208s01.htm

12. Passage of a bill

13. Second reading
House of Lords
Assisted Dying Bill [HL], 18 July 2014, Lord Vinson,
column 893
However, like other noble Lords, I have received
many heartfelt letters from those who are against
these measures. The common theme is that we
must not introduce the Bill because the vulnerable
might—I repeat, might—suffer.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415
/ldhansrd/text/140718-
0003.htm#14071860000307

14. Passage of a bill

15. Committee Stage
House of Lords
Modern Slavery Bill, 10 December 2014, Baroness Mobarik,
column 1904
Both the Ethical Trading Initiative and the British Retail
Consortium have written to me in support of the amendment.
Their members include global companies with thousands of
suppliers—familiar high-street brands such as Asda,
Debenhams and Marks & Spencer—so their views on this issue
should carry significant weight.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/
text/141210-0002.htm#14121069000110

16. Passage of a bill

17. Report stage
House of Lords
Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill [HL], 20 July
2015, Lord Campbell-Savours, column 912
I have spoken twice on this matter in the past month. On the
first occasion I read to the House a letter from a Mr Bill
Bewley in Keswick, the chairman of Keswick Community
Housing Trust, expressing anger and concern on behalf of the
trust in Keswick, which comprises an ecumenical gathering of
people
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldhansrd/
text/150720-0001.htm#1507203000858

18. Passage of a bill

19. Delegated/secondary
legislation
Regulations shall make provision authorising or
requiring the Secretary of State to make grants or
loans, for any prescribed purposes, to eligible
students in connection with their [F1undertaking]—
(a)higher education courses, or
(b)further education courses,
which are designated for the purposes of this
section by or under the regulations.

20. Pre-legislative scrutiny and
post-legislative scrutiny

21. House of Commons Library
House of Commons Library Blog: http://commonslibraryblog.com/
Twitter: @commonslibrary

22. Your next steps...
• Watch, read or attend a debate on a bill
• Use http://services.parliament.uk/bills/ to find information
on specific bills (e.g. Library briefing papers or amendment
papers)
• Use www.parliament.uk to research MPs and Peers with an
interest in your issue
• Write to an interested MP or Peer about your issue
• Read the advice on submitting evidence to Public Bill
Committees
• Submit evidence to a Public Bill Committee

23. Where can I get information?
• www.parliament.uk @UKParliament
• Commons Information Office
020 7219 4272
@HouseofCommons hcinfo@parliament.uk
• Lords Information Office
020 7219 3107
@UKHouseofLords hlinfo@parliament.uk
• Parliament’s Outreach Service
020 7219 1650
@UKParlOutreach outreach@parliament.uk