How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? Sign up View the step-by-step solution to: How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? torestutor200 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 1:38am Top Answer This relief fragment depicts one of the many wives of ________________, and is one of the only surviving pieces from his funerary complex at Deir el-Bahri. Recently Asked Questions Need an Ancient History tutor? brightkesenwa 44 Ancient History experts found online! Average reply time is 1 min Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses.

Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! Legislative Process - General Article - Compendium of Procedure Home - House of Commons . Canada More information—Legislative Process Overview Law-making is one of the most significant tasks of Parliament. It is therefore not surprising that the legislative process takes up a major portion of Parliament’s time. The parliamentary stages described here are the culmination of a much longer process that starts with the proposal, formulation and drafting of a bill. In the Parliament of Canada, as in all legislative assemblies based on the British model, there is a clearly defined method for enacting legislation.

A bill must go through a number of specific stages in the House of Commons and the Senate before it becomes law: notice of motion for leave to introduce a bill and to place it on the Order Paper; preparation of a bill by a committee (where applicable); introduction and first reading; consideration and passage by the Senate; passage of Senate amendments by the Commons (where applicable); Royal Assent, and coming into force. All bills must go through the same stages of the legislative process, but they do not necessarily follow the same route. Three possible avenues now exist for the adoption of legislation: After appropriate notice, a Minister or a Member may introduce a bill, which will be given first reading immediately. The bill is then debated generally at the second reading stage and sent to a committee for clause-by-clause study. A Minister may move that a bill be referred to a committee for study before second reading. A Minister or a Member may propose a motion that a committee be instructed to prepare a bill. A bill will be presented by the committee and carried through the second reading stage without debate or amendment.

Regardless of the avenue that the sponsor decides to take, the bill will then have to pass through report stage, be read a third time, and be sent to the Senate for passage before receiving Royal Assent. The process is complex, but a bill can become law only once the same text has been approved by both Houses of Parliament and has received Royal Assent. Detailed Articles Stages in the Legislative Process Notice The introduction of any public bill requires 48 hours’ written notice. A Member or a Minister who intends to introduce a bill in the House of Commons must first give notice to the Clerk of the House before 6:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. on Friday). The title of the bill to be introduced is then placed on the Notice Paper for the next sitting of the House. The day after it appears on the Notice Paper, the title of the bill will appear in the Order Paper for introduction in the House. The title will remain on the Order Paper until the day on which the Member or Minister decides to introduce the bill.

Once notice is given for the introduction of a bill, no further notice is required for motions to consider the bill at the other stages (with the exception of motions to amend at the report stage and motions to deal with Senate amendments). There are separate requirements that apply to the notice for private bills. There are special rules dealing with the introduction of bills that involve the expenditure of public funds and bills that are based on ways and means motions. Detailed Articles Top Introduction and First Reading of a Bill The first real stage in the legislative process is the introduction and first reading of the bill in the House of Commons. Once the notice period has passed, the Member or Minister seeks leave to introduce his or her bill when the item “Introduction of Government Bills” or “Introduction of Private Members’ Bills” is called during Routine Proceedings. A Member normally provides a brief summary of the bill he or she is introducing. A Minister rarely provides any explanation when requesting leave to introduce a bill but is permitted to and may do so later, under “Statements by Ministers”, during Routine Proceedings. Detailed Articles Top Second Reading and Referral of a Bill to a Committee The second reading stage of the legislative process gives Members an opportunity to debate the general scope of the bill.

Unless a bill has been referred to a committee prior to second reading, debate at this stage must focus on the principle of the bill and, accordingly, the text of the bill may not be amended before being read a second time and referred to committee. The motion for second reading may be amended. Three types of amendments are permitted: a three months’ or six months’ hoist, which seeks to postpone consideration of the bill; a reasoned amendment, which requests that the House not give second reading to a bill for a specific reason; or a motion to refer the subject matter of the bill to a committee. Detailed Articles Top Referral of a Bill to Committee Before Second Reading A Minister may move that a government bill be referred to a committee before second reading. Doing so allows members of a committee to examine the principle of a bill before it is approved by the House of Commons and to propose amendments to alter its scope. This procedure can also apply to bills based on ways and means motions. After the committee reports the bill to the House, the next stage is essentially a combination of the report stage and second reading. Members may propose amendments, after giving written notice two sitting days before the bill is debated in the Chamber.

Once agreed to at report stage and read a second time, the bill is slated for third reading. Detailed Article Top Committee Stage of a Bill Most bills are referred to the standing committee the mandate of which most closely corresponds to the bill’s subject matter. However, the House may choose to refer a bill to a legislative committee, a distinct type of committee created solely to undertake the consideration of legislation. A legislative committee is appointed by the House on an ad hoc basis to deal with a particular bill and ceases to exist once it presents its report to the House. This type of committee may also be created to prepare and bring in a bill. The role of the committee is to review the text of the bill and to approve or modify it. It is at this stage that witnesses may be invited to appear before the committee to present their views and answer members’ questions. Once the witnesses have been heard, the committee proceeds to clause-by-clause study of the bill. It is at this point that members may propose amendments to the bill. Each clause is considered separately. Once all the parts of the bill have been considered and adopted with or without amendment, the committee votes on the bill as a whole.

Once the bill is adopted, the Chair asks the committee for leave to report the bill to the House. Committees must report to the House on all bills referred to them. If numerous amendments have been adopted, the committee may order that the bill be reprinted for the use of the Members at report stage. Detailed Articles Top Report Stage of a Bill Following consideration in committee, there is an opportunity for further study of the bill in the House during what is known as report stage. Members, particularly those who were not members of the committee, may, at this stage, propose motions to amend the text of the bill. Written notice is required and debate focuses on the amendments and not on the bill as a whole. Generally, the same rules relating to the admissibility of amendments proposed at committee stage apply to those at report stage. However, in order to prevent report stage from merely becoming a repetition of committee stage, the Speaker is authorized to select and group amendments for debate. The Speaker also determines whether each motion should be voted on separately or as part of a group. This ruling is made at the beginning of the report stage debate.

The Speaker will not normally select any amendment that was considered or that could have been considered in committee or amendments that were ruled inadmissible in committee. When deliberations at report stage are concluded, a motion is put forward to approve the bill (with any amendments). The question is put immediately, without amendment or debate. The wording of the motion will vary depending on whether or not the original bill was amended, and on the stage at which the amendments were made. There is no debate at report stage unless amendments are proposed. If the bill as reported by committee is adopted at report stage with no amendments, it may go immediately to third reading for adoption. A bill that has been reported by a Committee of the Whole, with or without amendment, must be put to a vote immediately at report stage and may proceed to third reading the same day. Detailed Articles Top Third Reading and Adoption of a Bill Third reading is the final stage a bill must pass in the House of Commons. It is at this point that Members must decide whether the bill should be adopted. Debate at this stage of the legislative process focuses on the final form of the bill. The amendments that are admissible at this stage are similar to those at second reading stage.

Amendments for a three- or six-month hoist as well as reasoned amendments are permitted. An amendment to recommit the bill to a committee with instructions to reconsider certain clauses is also acceptable. Third reading and passage of a bill are moved in the same motion. Once the motion for third reading has been adopted, the Clerk of the House certifies that the bill has passed. The bill is then sent to the Senate with a message requesting that it consider the bill. Detailed Articles Top Senate Consideration The Senate follows a legislative process that is very similar to the one in the House of Commons. In cases where the Senate adopts a Commons bill without amendment, a message is sent to the House of Commons to inform it that the bill has been passed, and Royal Assent is normally granted shortly thereafter. Since most government bills originate in the House of Commons, the Government sometimes requests that the Senate consider a bill as quickly as possible. The Rules of the Senate of Canada provide for a procedure known as pre-study whereby the subject matter of a bill that has been introduced in the House of Commons but has not yet been sent to the Senate is sent to a Senate standing committee.

In this way, the Senate can consider the bill and form its opinion even before it receives the bill from the House of Commons. When the bill is received, the Senate is then in a position to adopt or amend it within a very short time frame. The Senate often makes amendments to bills, some of which involve corrections to drafting errors or improvements to administrative aspects. The House normally accepts such amendments. If the House does not agree with the Senate amendments, it adopts a motion stating the reasons for its disagreement, which it communicates in a message to the Senate. If the Senate wishes the amendments to stand nonetheless, it sends a message back to the House, which then accepts or rejects the proposed changes. If an agreement cannot be reached by exchanging messages, the House that has possession of the bill may ask that a conference be held, although this practice has fallen into disuse. Detailed Articles Top Royal Assent and Coming into Force of a Bill The ceremony of Royal Assent is one of the oldest of all parliamentary proceedings and brings all three elements of Parliament together (the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons). Royal Assent is the stage that a bill must complete before officially becoming an Act of Parliament.

A bill will not be given Royal Assent unless it has gone through all of the stages of the legislative process and has been passed by both Houses in identical form. Royal Assent may be granted in one of two ways—through a written procedure and through the traditional ceremony, during which Members of the House of Commons join their Senate colleagues in the Senate Chamber. The written procedure involves the Clerk of the Parliaments (the Clerk of the Senate), or his or her deputy, meeting with the Governor General, or his or her deputy, to present the bills with a letter indicating that they have been passed by both Houses and requesting that the bills be assented to. An Act that has been given Royal Assent in written form is considered assented to on the day on which the two Houses of Parliament have been notified of the declaration. The Royal Assent Act preserves the traditional ceremony by requiring that it be used at least twice in each calendar year, including for the first bill in each session that authorizes government spending. The traditional procedure for Royal Assent involves a formal ceremony that takes place in the Senate Chamber.

When the House is sitting, it suspends its proceedings in order that its Members may proceed to the Senate Chamber, where the Governor General or his or her deputy grants Royal Assent. Once a bill has been granted Royal Assent, it becomes law and comes into force either on that date or at a date provided for within the Act or specified by an order of the Governor in Council. Detailed Articles How a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament How a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament Home > About Parliament > How Parliament Works > The Parliamentary Process > How a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament Quick Launch How a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament A Bill is a draft Act of Parliament presented to either House by one of its Members. Before a Bill can become an Act and therefore the law of the land, it must pass through a number of similar stages in each House, and then receive Royal Assent. There are three 'readings' of a Bill in its progress through each House. In the past, before widespread literacy and the invention of printing, the only way of informing Members about the contents of a Bill was for the Clerk to read it aloud from beginning to end.

Today the circulation of printed copies of Bills and increased literacy makes it unnecessary to read Bills at length, and since the end of the Eighteenth Century it has been the practice for the Clerk to read only the title of a Bill to the House. Introduction and First Reading A Member's request for leave to introduce a Bill appears on the Notice Paper on the next sitting day. On the day it is to be considered the Member concerned seeks leave which is usually agreed to without discussion. The Member then presents to the House a copy of the Bill, which is 'read' a first time. One special class of Bills must be mentioned. These are 'Money Bills': Bills which appropriate revenue or other public money, or deal with taxation, or the raising, guarantee or repayment of any loan. These must be introduced in the House of Assembly first, as the Legislative Council has restricted powers in relation to money matters. Second Reading After the first reading in the Originating House, the second reading may be moved immediately or be taken into consideration on a future day.The second reading is acknowledged to be the most important stage of a Bill, for it is here that the principles of the Bill are agreed to or rejected.

To commence the second reading stage the Minister or private Member in charge of the Bill will rise and move 'That this Bill now be read a second time'. The Member will then proceed to make their main speech in favour of the Bill. This is known as the second reading speech. The Member will explain the reasons for introducing the Bill and outline the principles of the Bill and its benefits to society in general. The House may agree that the actual reading of the speech in the Chamber be dispensed with and a copy of it incorporated in Hansard. Usually the Leader of the Opposition, or another Opposition spokesperson, secures the adjournment of the debate. This gives the Members time to study the second reading speech, in conjunction with the Bill before debating it further. The second reading debate is closed when the Mover replies to the debate. The question is then put 'That this Bill be now read a second time' and submitted to the House by the Presiding Officer for its decision. If agreed the House of Assembly may proceed directly to the third reading but if there are tabled amendments or if Members wish to raise questions about the Bill, it goes through a Committee stage first.

Committee Stage The common conception of a committee is that of a small group appointed by a larger group. But when the Houses are 'in Committee', it means all the Members. When a Bill is to be considered in a Committee of the whole House of Assembly, the Speaker leaves the Chair, the Mace is taken off the Table and the Chairman of Committees assumes the role of Presiding Officer, taking the seat between the Clerks. In the Legislative Council, the President, who performs the dual duties of President and Chairman of Committees, leaves the Chair and takes the seat between the Clerks. The purpose of the Committee stage is to examine the Bill in detail, and make amendments where considered by the majority to be necessary. Every clause is considered separately by the Committee and agreed to, amended and agreed to, or rejected. Members may speak more than once about each clause or amendment before the Chair. When the Committee has concluded its deliberations, the Chairman reports to the House that 'the Committee has considered the Bill referred to it and agreed to the same with (or without) amendment'. In the Legislative Council the President reports the results of the Committee's deliberations to the Council.

Some Bills, either because they make special provision for some group in the community or need more detailed examination, are referred to a Select Committee. A Select Committee, usually comprising five Members, is able to take evidence and examine witnesses before reporting back to the House on whether a Bill should be further proceeded with or amended. Third Reading The third reading is also an important stage of the Bill, because Members now decide whether the Bill agreed to in the Committee stage should be finally approved. Often the third reading stage is just a formality with little if any debate because the details have been clarified and agreed at the second reading or Committee stages. The rules governing the third reading are similar to those which apply to the second reading. However, the debate on the third reading of a Bill is more restricted and cannot go beyond what is actually contained in the Bill as it emerged from the Committee stage. Agreement to the third reading completes the passage of the Bill through the House. Consideration of the Bill by the other Chamber When a House has agreed to the Bill, it is sent by written message signed by the Presiding Officer to the other House for its concurrence. The Bill again goes through three readings, with a Committee stage between the second and third readings, before being passed.

Any amendments made by one House in a Bill received from the other House are considered by the Originating House. If there is disagreement on these amendments the Bill may be laid aside or a conference between five representatives (called 'Managers') from each House is held and they attempt to settle the dispute. An officer from each House and a Parliamentary Counsel attend the Conference, but no Hansard record is taken of the proceedings. Conferences are usually successful in reaching a compromise but if not, the Bill will be laid aside in the second House unless that House decides not to further insist on its requirements. Assent to Bills When a Bill has finally passed both Houses, 'Royal Arms' copies are printed, certified by the Presiding Officer and the Clerk of the House in which the Bill originated, and then presented by that Presiding Officer to the Governor for assent. The Governor assents to Bills in Executive Council in the name, and on behalf, of the Sovereign. The Governor's signature and the impress of the public seal of the State are necessary formalities which represent the final stages in converting a Bill into an Act of Parliament.

Acts of Parliament - formal process of statute creation Passed to Lords for similar procedure Royal Assent Manifesto All political parties have a manifesto, which is their promise to the electorate of the actions they will take and the laws they will pass if they become the government. It is these promises that persuade us to vote for a party. Some parties are single-issue parties, for example, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has one electoral promise and that is ï¿½...British withdrawal from the EU...ï¿½ The manifesto of the elected party that contains some of the legislation that is to be enacted during their term of office. Not all their promises become law, when they get into office they are supplied detailed information by senior civil servants and then discover that the reforms are not realistic, or too expensive. Also, other laws will be enacted during a government's term of office because of unelected events, a war for example, or an unexpected ruling by the courts.

This happened in 1996; the government were faced with a ruling by the House of Lords that an alleged fraud by a man called Preddy was not unlawful, the case was R v Preddy [1996], and led to the Theft (Amendment) Act 1996. Queenï¿½s Speech The Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in November announces the main Bills constituting the Government's legislative programme. The government actually writes the speech. The Queen in her speech refers to ï¿½My governmentï¿½, which constitutionally is true; the party that has the most members of Parliament in an election forms the government on her request. Government departments are responsible for starting legislation that is within their field of work, for example the Home Office is responsible for law and order and prepares legislation affecting the police. The civil servants in the departments prepare the draft ideas for the minister of government who is responsible for that department. At this stage, there may be some consultation by the government who may ask interested groups what their opinions are.

Green Paper Green Papers - or Command Papers to give them their correct title - are actually printed on white paper, and are tentative proposals issued by the appropriate Government Minister, they are consultation papers that, set out government proposals, which are still taking shape and seek comments from the public. There is no actual requirement for there to be a White or Green Paper before a Bill is introduced into Parliament. The importance of consultation was seen when Prime Minister Blair, as part of a cabinet reshuffle attempted to abolish the role of the Lord Chancellor, without first consulting anyone. However, this could not happen without first dealing with over 500 statutes that referred to functions of the Lord Chancellor. White Paper Following the Green Paper, the Government will present to Parliament a ï¿½White Paperï¿½ which is a statement of policy and contains definite proposals for legislation and this is often published at the same time as the relevant bill. Some White Papers - or Command Papers to give them their correct title - are consultation documents on these firm proposals. The consultation or discussion is with interested parties such as professional bodies, voluntary organisations and pressure groups. Private individuals may also respond to White Papers.

Drafting After consultation is completed highly skilled lawyers called Parliamentary Counsel (Draftsmen) will draft a bill. The process is called drafting; the Bill is then ready for scrutiny (careful examination) by both houses. A Cabinet Committee, made up of senior government ministers called the Legislation Committee, controls the legislative programme for example deciding which bills will be dropped if they run out of Parliamentary time. Bills In order to become an Act of Parliament, a Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and receive Royal Assent. Acts of Parliament consist of the following main elementsï¿½ the Short Title ï¿½ e.g. "House of Lords Act 1999"; the Long Title ï¿½ e.g. "An Act to restrict membership of the House of Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage; to make related provision about disqualifications for voting at elections to, and for membership of, the House of Commons; and for connected purposes." The long title describes the contents of the Act; the sections ï¿½ which contain the main provisions of the Act; the Schedules ï¿½ which contain further provisions of the Act, often of a more technical nature than those in the sections.

Bills contain the same elements, but ï¿½sectionsï¿½ of Bills are called ï¿½clausesï¿½ (although, somewhat perversely, divisions of clauses are called ï¿½subsectionsï¿½). The start and finish of the process are formalities. The first reading of a Public Bill is a formality; Royal Assent is a formality. Public Bills can be introduced into either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Types of Bill Public Bills Most Bills are Public Bills that change the general law. The majority of Public Bills that become Acts of Parliament are introduced by a government minister and are known as government Bills. Private Members' Bills There are four types of these private Membersï¿½ bills. Few Private Members' Bills become laws; many are not even debated in the Commons. (1) Ballot In the Commons early in each session backbench MPs hold a ballot for the opportunity to introduce a Bill. This takes place on one of the Fridays during the session when such Bills have precedence over government business. No longer do MPs queue up behind the Speaker's Chair and draw names out of a hat. The ballot itself is done on a computer and is a purely random process.

The first 20 MPs whose names are drawn win this privilege. The ten Members placed highest in the ballot may claim up to ï¿½200 expenses in drafting their bills. The figure was fixed in 1971 and has never been revised. (A similar ballot exists for choosing MPs to ask questions at Prime Minister's Question Time each Wednesday). (2) Ten Minute Rule Bill On most Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the Commons is sitting, an MP may seek to introduce a Bill under the 'ten minute rule'. This allows the proposer to make a brief speech in favour and an objector to speak briefly against it. This process is often used more as a way of making a point about the need to change the law on a particular matter rather than a serious attempt at legislation. The Bail (Amendment) Act 1993 was introduced in Parliament using this procedure; the Act gives the prosecution the right to appeal against the granting of bail. Other Private Members bills are: (3) Presentation bills. (4) Private Membersï¿½ bills brought from the Lords. Successful Private Members Bills Some Bills tend to concern controversial subjects, upon which a Member or group of Members feel strongly.

If any Member shouts "Object!" when the title of a bill is read, the second reading is adjourned, even if all the other Members should be in favour of the bill. The following Bills were introduced as Private Members Bills and became Acts of Parliament. Leo Abse: Sexual Offences Bill 1967 - legalised gay sex. Sidney Silverman: Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill 1965 - Abolished Hanging: David Steel: Abortion Bill 1967 - legalised abortion in some circumstances. Janet Anderson: Protection From Harassment Bill 1997 ï¿½ outlawed stalking Stephen McCabe: Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Deceased Fathers) Bill 2003 - This Act contains provisions relating to the circumstances in which a man is treated in law as the father of a child where the child has resulted from certain fertility treatment undertaken after the man's death. This Act follows a High Court ruling that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Diane Blood, who wanted the right to have her late partner legally recognised as the father of her children (born from his frozen sperm after his death) on their birth certificates, had brought the case. This Act amends the 1990 Act to ensure that domestic law complies with both the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act). Michael Foster: Wild Mammals (Hunting with Dogs) Bill was one of five Private Members Bills on the subject of hunting; it was defeated in the House of Lords. Eventually the government sponsored a Bill to honour its manifesto pledge to stop foxhunting. Private Bills Private Bills should not be confused with Private Members Bills. Private Bills are available to local authorities, universities or companies. The enable them to obtain powers for themselves in excess of, or in conflict with, the general law. Private Bills affect the interests of individuals, or particular localities, and do not involve matters of public policy for example various Railway Acts have dominated the lists of private Acts, but the Transport and Works Act 1992 has provided an alternative method of gaining the special powers and permissions they need. The Bills are proposals for legislation affecting the powers of particular bodies, such as local authorities, or the rights of individuals.

These are subject to a special form of parliamentary procedure. There are only a few private bills in each session. Unlike Public Bills, Private Bills may be carried over from one session to the next. Personal Private Bills Personal private bills are very rare nowadays, an interesting example is the George Donald Evans and Deborah Jane Evans (Marriage Enabling) Act 1987 which allowed a marriage outside ï¿½permitted degreesï¿½. Personal Bills always start in the Lords. [ B and L v UK [2005] ECtHR on the same "permitted degrees" issue led to a Remedial Order changing the Marriage Act to allow such marriages (2006 order here )] Hybrid bills Hybrid bills are Public Bills that may affect the specific private rights of people or bodies. They are generally introduced by the Government, but are fairly rare. An example is the Bill that became the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, which enabled the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to proceed. This massive engineering undertaking required compulsory purchase provisions to buy land and houses that were in the path of the railway. As with Private Bills, the passage of such Bills through Parliament is governed by special procedures, which allow those affected to put their case.

First Reading The First Reading of a Bill is a formality, which involves a member reading the title of the Bill; the First Reading takes place without debate. The First Reading is essentially an announcement that the bill has been introduced. Soon after the first reading copies of the bill published are available for members to read, they are also made available on the Parliament website. There is a vote as to whether or not the Bill should continue usually by members shouting ï¿½Aye!ï¿½ or ï¿½No!ï¿½. If there is a clear ï¿½Aye!ï¿½, then there is no formal vote and the Bill proceeds to its next stage, which is the Second Reading, and this usually takes place some weeks or months later. Voting If the Commons take a vote, the Members leave the chamber and walk past one of two ï¿½tellersï¿½, who physically count each member who walks past. Second reading The Second Reading provides the first real occasion for debate on the general principles of a Bill; detailed discussion takes place during the committee stage.

In the Commons, the Opposition will usually decide to vote against a Government Bill on its second reading, or to move an amendment to the motion that the Bill is read a second time - unless the Bill is non-controversial. On second reading debates, a government minister (often the senior minister) in the department responsible for the measure normally proposes the Bill. He or she outlines the main principles of the Bill and summarises the most important clauses. The official Opposition spokesperson then responds and during the debate the views of other Opposition parties and backbenchers is heard. The debate normally concludes with a response from another government minister and he or she deals with some of the major points raised in the debate. If the House votes against the Bill at second reading, the Bill can progress no further, but this virtually never happens. Traditionally, the Second Reading was always taken on the floor of the House, but in recent years, some uncontroversial bills (e.g. Law Commission measures) have been referred to a Second Reading Committee; the House then accepts the Committee's report and passes a Second Reading motion without a formal debate.

The effect of Pepper v Hart Following Pepper v Hart [1993] HL the legislature needs to indicate what the purpose of the legislation is, and to clarify the meaning of any provisions that may be ambiguous. Committee stage House of Commons (Standing Committees, renamed General Committees since 2006) When a Bill has passed its second reading in the House of Commons, it is usually referred to a General Committee ï¿½upstairsï¿½ for detailed examination. The committee consists of from 16 to 50 Mps, but usually only about 18. The Committee examines the clauses of the Bill line by line and detailed amendments are considered. The Billï¿½s opponents, seeking to emasculate or destroy it, propose some amendments but many are technical improvements and clarifications proposed by the government itself. Occasionally a Bill may be referred to the whole House, sitting in committee, for example, Bills of great constitutional importance or a Finance Bill. At the committee stage, MPs study the Bill in depth, dealing with each clause in turn, line by line. Whilst individual provisions may be altered, the main principle of the Bill is preserved.

MPs are often 'briefed' by interest groups who wish to see amendments favouring their position. Rarely, the committee stage is held on the floor of the Commons, this happened in 2010 when the new Coalition government wished to pass a bill to allow schools to become academies. This process was criticised as it is normally used only for constitutional matters and matters of extreme urgency, for example terrorism. Committee stage House of Lords In the House of Lords, there are no second reading committees or standing committees. Bills normally go through the committee stage in a Committee of the whole House, although a few Bills are committed to committees of various kinds off the floor of the House. Report stage Any amendments made during the committee stage must be approved (or rejected) by the whole house during the report state. The report stage is a detailed debate where further amendments may be moved. This occurs on the Floor of the House (which means the main chamber) further amendments are discussed and made. In practice, it is very similar to the committee stage, but only amendments and not the clauses of a Bill are discussed. All members may speak and vote. Third reading The third reading a Bill often follows on immediately after the report stage.

It is generally quite short ï¿½ unless it is of constitutional importance - and the bill is reviewed in its final form including amendments made at earlier stages. Substantive amendments cannot be made at this stage to a Bill in the Commons. Then the final version of the bill is approved and passed by hand - bound in green ribbon - to the Lords, when the Lords return the bill it is bound in red ribbon. In the House of Lords, broadly the same procedure is followed. One difference is the committee stage, which is normally a committee of the whole House of Lords and amendments can be made at Third Reading as well as at Committee and Report. If the House of Lords amend the Bill, it must be sent back to the Commons for Commonsï¿½ approval because both Houses must agree on the wording of the Bill. Passage through the Lords After passing its third reading a Bill is sent to the House of Lords. The role of the House of Lords is to act as a check on the Governmentï¿½s power. The passage through the second House is not a formality, and Bills can be further amended.

The Commons have certain contempt for the Lords and refer to it, not as the House of Lords, but ï¿½another placeï¿½. Financial legislation is not scrutinised in detail by the Lords. The Commons must agree amendments made by the Lords, or a compromise agreement reached, such that both Houses have agreed the same text, before a Bill can receive Royal Assent. The Lords do not generally prevent Bills from the Commons becoming law, although they will often amend them and return them for further consideration by the Commons. The assent of the Lords is not essential, subject to certain conditions, in the case of fiscal (money Bills). Bills dealing solely with taxation or expenditure must become law within one month of being sent to the Lords. A Bill can start in Lords A Bill can start in the Lords, but usually this procedure is reserved for non-controversial matters, or because it is the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor, e.g. Human Rights Act 1998 started in the Lords. Most Government Bills introduced and passed in the Lords pass through the Commons without difficulty, but a Bill from the Lords, which proved unacceptable to the Commons, would not become law.

If, after the process of considering amendments, it proves impossible to reach agreement on a non-financial Bill, then the Bill may be lost. Government (political) Bills start in the Commons. Bills of a less party-political nature often go to the Lords first. Bills with a mainly financial purpose are always introduced in the Commons, because a government minister in the Commons must introduce new taxation or public spending. Programme and Guillotine Motions These are devices for ensuring speedy and timely progress of a Bill through the various stages. The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 After many clashes between the Lords and the Commons, matters came to a head in 1909 when the Lords rejected a Finance Bill. This led to the Parliament Act 1911, which was only passed by the Lords after a threat from the Commons that they would create several hundred new peers to ensure its safe passage. By this Act, the Lords cannot reject a Bill, which the Speaker of the House of Commons has certified as a ï¿½Money Billï¿½.

The Parliament Act 1949 further reduced the delaying power of the Lords, so the position now is that the Lords can only delay a Bill for about two years. In some circumstances, the Commons can present a Bill for Royal Assent after one year, even if the Lords object. The Parliament Acts have only been used on the following occasions: Government of Ireland Act 1914 Welsh Church Act 1914 Parliament Act 1949 War Crimes Act 1991 (the first time the Conservatives used the Acts) to prosecute war criminals who were not UK subjects at the time of the offence. European parliamentary Elections Act 1999 (having party list not individual candidates for EU elections) Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 (reducing the age of consent for gay sex to 16) Salisbury-Addison Conventions If a provision is in Governmentï¿½s manifesto, the Salisbury Conventions holds that the Lords should not oppose legislation to implement the provision. The reason is that the peers recognise that they are unelected and are said to have no ï¿½democratic mandateï¿½.

An example was the rejection by the Lords of the Government's plans to repeal Section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 (previously this was Section 28). Section 28, which has now been repealed by Sec 122 Local Government Act 2003, banned local authorities from promoting the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. Passing an Act of Parliament is a lengthy procedure involving considerable scrutiny and debate Rapid procedure However, emergency legislation can be processed quickly (e.g. Football (Disorder) Act 2000). A government with a secure majority can ensure its legislation passes, sometimes regardless of doubts as to its effectiveness (e.g. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 ). It is generally agreed that legislation made in haste can result in problems. For example, terrorists were able to avoid having their photographs and DNA taken because of faulty (hasty) drafting of legislation, press report here . The most rapid passing of a Bill is probably the Northern Ireland Act 1972, which took only seven hours and eleven minutes to reverse the effects of a court decision that undermined the powers of the armed forces in Northern Ireland. More detail here .

Royal Assent When a Bill has been passed in identical terms in both Houses, it is presented for the Royal Assent. This is a formality marking the Bill's official passage into law. The titles of Bills to be approved are read in both Houses, and then Royal Assent is achieved by quaint ceremony in the Lords. The Clerk of the Parliaments turns towards the Commons and pronounces, in Norman French the formula, "La Raine (or Le Roy) le veult" (the Queen wishes it), pronounced "a wren le vurlt". Royal Assent has not been refused since Queen Anne refused it for a Bill to raise an army to sort disorder in Scotland (Scottish Militia Bill) on 11 March 1708, this was the last occasion on which it has proved necessary to use the ominous formula "La Raine (or LeRoy) sï¿½avisera." (The Queen will consider it). A popular misconception is that Bills are or were signed by the Sovereign in fact this has seldom happened, certainly not since the 16th Century. Between 1603 and 1849, the monarch signed no Bills at all.

Before 1603, the Sovereign only sometimes signed the Acts. Royal Assent has, however been given in person, but since Queen Victoria, faced by a greater avalanche of legislation than any of her predecessors, was clearly unwilling to make frequent visits to Parliament, she eventually ceased to attend to give Royal Assents. Unless a Bill is urgent it is kept waiting until a number of Bills are ready for Royal Assent. The last occasion the Sovereign was present at the passing of an Act was 1854. What are signed are either Letters Patent which allows the Speaker of the Commons and the Lords (the Lord Chancellor) to announce that the Queen has given her assent, or she signs a Commission which commands the Royal Commissioners to announce Royal Assent. After Royal Assent, a Bill becomes part of the law of the land. It is then known as an Act of Parliament. Another misconception is the existence of ï¿½the statute bookï¿½; it is true that there are statute books of antiquity, but the expression simply means it becomes the law; there is no ï¿½statute bookï¿½.

Commencement of an Act Once a Bill has passed all the stages it becomes an Act of Parliament on the day appointed by the Bill. However, it has become the practice to allow the minister responsible for the Bill to decide the day a Bill becomes an Act. For example, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 did not become effective until 1986; this allowed police forces to train officers in its provisions. Similarly, the Human Rights Act 1988 did not take effect until 2000, again to allow the training of those who were going to implement it and the appointment of new judges in the High Court who were expected to deal with problems by way of ï¿½Declarations of Incompatibilityï¿½ . The Easter Act 1928 has never been brought into effect, but it remains an Act of Parliament. Parliament of WA - About Bills About Bills > About Bills About Bills One of the functions of Parliament is to make laws. To make a law, Parliament enacts legislation (also known as Statutes or Acts of Parliament). What is a Bill? A Bill is a draft law - a proposed Act of Parliament.

The majority of Bills deal with the management of public affairs, and are introduced into one of the Houses by the responsible Minister – however, any member is entitled to introduce a Bill, subject to the Bill conforming with the Standing Orders (rules of the House). A Bill introduced by a member other than a Minister is called a Private Member’s Bill . A Bill can commence its passage through the Parliament in either House, though all money bills (bills that appropriate revenue - require expenditure of taxpayer’s money; refer to section 46 of the Constitutions Act Amendment Act 1899) must commence in the Legislative Assembly. Money Bills require a message from the Governor recommending appropriations be made before they can proceed past the completion of the second reading stage of the Bill. Stages for the Passage of Legislation To become an Act of Parliament, a Bill must pass through a number of formal stages in each House. It should be noted that each House has slightly different procedures for dealing with a Bill’s passage. Notice of a Bill Standing Orders provide that every Bill (other than those transmitted from the other House) must be introduced by way of a notice of motion. This alerts the members that the Minister/member in charge of the Bill will be seeking its introduction into the House.

Introduction and First Reading Stage In almost every instance, the introduction and first reading of a Bill occurs on the sitting day after that on which notice of the Bill was given. The Minister/member in charge of the Bill will move for the Bill’s introduction and first reading, and present a copy of the Bill and an Explanatory Memorandum (an accompanying document which explains the Bill, usually in a “clause by clause” format). Whilst there is scope for debate on the first reading of a Bill, this rarely occurs; therefore, the question is put immediately and, if passed, the Clerk reads the title of the Bill. It is at the completion of this stage that the Bill and Explanatory Memorandum become public documents, and are released by the State Law Publisher and attached to the Parliament’s Internet site for public access. Second Reading Stage Immediately following completion of the first reading stage, motion for the second reading may be moved by the Minister/member in charge of the Bill, who then delivers his/her second reading speech, outlining the intended effect of the proposed legislation. After this speech, debate on the Bill is usually adjourned and the Bill is placed on the Notice Paper under “Orders of the Day”.

In the Legislative Assembly, Standing Orders prescribe that three weeks should pass before the Bill is further debated (unless the Bill is declared an urgent Bill). In the Legislative Council the convention is that a Bill is adjourned for a minimum of a week before it is brought on for debate. During this time, all members may study the Bill and its proposed effect, and may seek advice from relevant persons and community groups, and briefings from departmental/agency officers or the Minister’s staff (for a Government Bill). When the debate on the second reading re-commences, all members are entitled to make one speech on the general principle of the Bill. These speeches tend to be wide ranging within the subject matter of the Bill, and members may pose questions to the Minister/member in charge of the Bill, seeking clarification of matters relevant to the Bill. Advisers to the Minister/member in charge of the Bill usually locate themselves in the Speaker’s Gallery (in the Legislative Assembly) or the Ministerial Waiting Room (in the Legislative Council) when the second reading stage is progressing.

From these positions, advisers are able to send messages via the Chamber assistants to the Minister/member in charge of the Bill – this particularly occurs when other members request specific information from the Minister/member in charge of the Bill during their second reading speeches. Cognate Debate In some instances, a Bill introduced to the House is part of a package of Bills – that is, there are two or more bills which complement each other. An example of this is where a “principal” Bill is introduced at the same time as another Bill that seeks to make consequential changes to other Acts as a result of the “principal” Bill. Standing Orders specify that the Minister/member in charge of a Bill, where two or more Bills are complementary, may seek leave of the House to have the second reading stages of the Bills dealt with cognately (at the same time) in the second reading stage of the “principal” Bill (which is nominated by the Minister/member in charge of the Bills). When leave is sought and granted for this to occur, members will make their second reading speeches for all the Bills when the second reading stage of the “principal” Bill is being debated – when the question for the second reading of the remaining complementary Bill(s) is put, no further debate is permitted.

The second reading debate is closed when the Minister/member in charge of the Bill makes his/her second reading speech in reply, which will normally include responses to any queries raised by other members. After this speech, the main vote on the second reading of the Bill is taken. By agreeing to the second reading the Houses have agreed to the principle reflected in the Bill. After the Second Reading Stage If a Bill successfully passes the second reading stage, there are a number of options available to the House. Having agreed to the principle of a Bill, the House may choose then to consider it in detail, to ensure that the Bill will in fact adhere to this agreed principle. Whilst members may agree with the principle, they may also wish to make amendments to the Bill in order (in their view) to improve the Bill’s capacity to conform with that principle. The options available are – Proceeding straight to the third reading stage; Consideration in Detail/Committee of the Whole stage; or Referral to a committee. Proceeding straight to the Third Reading Stage Many Bills are non-controversial, making minor and/or simple changes to existing statutes.

For these Bills, when members on both sides of the House are confident that the agreed principle of the Bill will be applied into law by the Bill, the House may proceed straight to the third reading stage immediately after the second reading stage has been completed. In the Assembly, approximately 40% of the Bills are progressed in this manner. Consideration in Detail/Committee of the Whole House Stage When members wish to discuss the specific details of a Bill on a “clause by clause” basis, the House will move to the Consideration in Detail Stage (in the Legislative Assembly) or the Committee of the Whole House Stage (in the Legislative Council). During this stage, the Minister/member in charge of the Bill will come to the Table of the House, and (after permission is granted by the Chair) often is joined there by one or more advisers. The Bill is considered on a “clause by clause” basis, with members asking specific questions regarding the precise impact of certain clauses, and potentially moving amendments to these clauses (including the insertion of new clauses). Debate is strictly confined by the Chair to the subject matter of the clause under consideration.

Advisers sit at the Table to assist the Minister/member in charge of the Bill in responding to these queries, or to provide advice in relation to amendments moved by other members. However, advisers cannot directly address the House. Referral to a Committee On occasions (particularly in the Legislative Council), a Bill is referred to a Standing Committee (or more rarely a Select Committee) comprising members of the House to consider the Bill and report its findings and any recommendations back to the House. This Committee can meet separately from the House, and has the power to call witnesses to comment on the Bill and subpoena documents and other records. The Standing Orders of the Legislative Council also grant Standing Committees the power to travel to locations outside Perth to facilitate this process. If the Committee recommends amendments, these can be contained in a Schedule to the Committee’s report. The Council during consideration of the Bill in the Committee of the Whole House stage may adopt one or more of these amendments. The Legislative Assembly’s Standing Orders provide an option for the Assembly to refer a Bill to a Legislation Committee. The Assembly nominates a number of members to serve on the Legislation Committee (between 5 and 11 members, including the Minister).

A Legislation Committee may operate at any time considered convenient and appropriate by its members, including when the Assembly is sitting. The procedure used in the Consideration in Detail stage is followed, though advisers are able to address the Committee with the approval of and in the presence of a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary. The Standing Orders of both Houses provide for the Budget (appropriation) Bills to be referred to an Estimates Committee(s) {the Assembly currently uses two separate committees; the Council only establishes one}. These Committees are established for the sole purpose of considering the Budget Bills. The Committees debate the budget in accordance with a timetable, which specifies the times for considering the various divisions within the budget, and provide an opportunity for members to ask specific queries of Ministers. When the budgets for individual departments and agencies are considered by these Committees, the Minister will ensure he/she is accompanied by relevant senior advisers and departmental/agency officers from these organisations. As with the Assembly Legislation Committees, these advisers and officers are able to address the Committee with the approval of and in the presence of their Minister. After the Bill has progressed through the relevant process above, the next stage is the third reading.

Third Reading The third reading stage commences with the Minister or member in charge of the Bill moving that the Bill be now read a third time and, on occasions, making a short third reading speech in support of the Bill (and often, if applicable, thanking members for their support). Other members are then able to make one speech, though this only occurs when the Bill is particularly controversial and/or topical. Debate is not wide ranging and is restricted to the content of the Bill as agreed during the Consideration in Detail/Committee of the Whole House stage. The debate is closed when the Minister or member in charge of the Bill makes his/her speech in reply (this also occurs infrequently), and the final vote on the Bill is taken. If this vote is successful, the Bill has completed its passage through the House. If the Bill originated in that House it is then transmitted to the other House via message, seeking the concurrence of the other House where the same procedure for considering the Bill is undertaken. Amendments made in the Other House If, after receiving a Bill, the other House passes any amendments to the Bill, these amendments are communicated to the originating House by message.

The amendments are then considered by the originating House, with the outcome of that consideration being communicated to the second House by message. This process may recur on several occasions, with one House potentially disagreeing to the amendments made by the other House and substituting new amendments, or not insisting on their amendments in order to progress the Bill. Both Houses must agree on the final form of the Bill. To facilitate this outcome, informal negotiations between relevant members/Parties may occur external to the formal Parliamentary process. There also exists a formal process for the Houses to discuss their differences on a particular Bill – this is undertaken by a Conference of Managers, where each House appoints several members as “managers”, with the appointed members from the Houses conferencing to discuss their differing perspectives. The results of these deliberations are reported to each House. In contemporary times, the Conference of Managers has been rarely used. If both Houses disagree as to the final form of a Bill, the Bill is defeated. If the Houses do agree, the Bill is to be sent to the Governor for Royal Assent.

Royal Assent by the Governor and Proclamation Once the Bill has passed both Houses of Parliament, it is presented to Her Excellency the Governor who, as the representative of the third part of the Parliament, is authorised to grant the Royal Assent on behalf of her Majesty the Queen. The Bill thereupon becomes an Act of Parliament. At this time, the Act is in force, unless there is a specified date (in the Act) when the Act becomes operational or a specific provision in the Act that it comes into operation upon proclamation. A proclamation is a public announcement with statutory authority published in the Government Gazette and made by the Governor in Executive Council. Both Houses are advised by message of the Governor’s Assent of the Bill.

Question: How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House of Commons before being given royal assent?
Answer: Three