This document provides an overview of the legislative process in the UK. It discusses where legislation comes from, including government bills introduced by ministers and private members' bills introduced by individual members. It also outlines the different types of legislation and how interested parties can influence the process, such as through consultation on government bills or raising the profile of an issue with a private members' bill. The legislative process involves bills passing through both the House of Commons and House of Lords before receiving royal assent to become an act of parliament.

1. The legislative
process

2. Session aim
To give you the knowledge you need to understand
the basics of the legislative process and how
interested parties can influence it.
• Where does legislation come from?
• How is legislation scrutinised?
• Questions.

3. About me...
Joined the House of Commons in 2006 as Second
Clerk to the Trade and Industry Committee.
Spent a year on secondment to the Scottish
Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee.
Worked on the Public Administration and Treasury
Select Committees.
Two years as Parliamentary Adviser to the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
Now work in the Public Bill Office.

4. What types of legislation are
there?
• There many types of
legislation. Today we
will be focusing on:
• Primary legislation –
Bills and Acts of
Parliament.
• Public legislation –
Legislation that extends
to everyone.

5. Where does legislation come from?
• Either:
• Government Bill presented by a Minister.
• Or:
• Private Member’s Bill (PMB) presented by a
Member of either House (some PMBs are
Government supported).

6. Where does legislation come from?
HM Government:
30 Bills in current
Session.
Mr Phillip
Hollobone (Con,
Kettering):
18 Bills in current
Session.
Mr Peter Bone
(Con,
Wellingborough):
13 Bills in current
Session.
Mr Christopher
Chope (Con,
Christchurch):
11 Bills in current
Session.

7. Where does legislation
come from?
35
102
Bills in 2012/2013
Session
Government Bills
Private Members' Bills
28
10
Bills Reaching Royal
Assent in 2012/13
Session
Government Bills
Private Members' Bills

8. What is the purpose of
legislation?
 To make policy changes that require
changes in statute.
 To consolidate or update existing law.
 To make a political statement.
 To push a particular cause.
 To require the Government to account for
its actions.

9. How to influence legislation –
Government
• For a bill to get into the Government’s program it
needs “collective agreement”.
• Most Government legislation is preceded by some
form of consultation:
o Green Paper (discussion document).
o White Paper.
• Sometimes a draft Bill may be examined by a
Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament.

10. How to influence legislation
– Private Members
 There is no limit (yet!) on the number of
bills a Member can introduce.
 Only bills that have all-party support have
any chance of becoming law.
 However, debate on a private member’s bill
can raise the profile of an issue.
 The Government has to adopt a position in
respect of all PMBs.

11. How bills become law
OR

12. Passage of a Bill

13. How to influence legislation
- Lords and Commons
 Different focus:
◦ Lords on detail, Commons on principle,
◦ Commons privileged when it comes to money, and
◦ Government majority in Commons, not in the Lords.
 Successful backbench amendments rare in Commons, but a
number of recent ones – e.g. TV Licensing and Care Bill.
 Two thirds of Government defeats in the Lords lead to either
compromise or Government backing down.
 Just because an amendment is not successful does not mean
it has not influenced policy.

14. End of a Session – what difference does
it make?
 For most Private Members’
Bills this is the end of the
line.
 Some Government Bills
“carry over”.
 Otherwise, need to get
Lords and Commons to
agree before the end of the
Session.
 This can lead to all night
“ping pong”.