The Long Road: Uk Bills To Laws

The time it takes for a bill to become a law in the UK depends on several factors, including the length of the bill, its level of controversy, and whether it needs to be passed urgently. An emergency bill can become a law in a matter of days, while a larger bill may be introduced at the beginning of a parliamentary session and only passed at the end, up to a year later. Once a bill has been debated and approved by each House of Parliament and received Royal Assent, it becomes law and is known as an act.

The bill's journey through Parliament

The UK legislative process is a complex and lengthy one, with a bill undergoing several stages before becoming law. Here is a detailed overview of the bill's journey through Parliament:

Second Reading: During the second reading, the bill is debated in principle, and its general merits and objectives are discussed. MPs decide whether to give the bill a second reading, allowing it to proceed to the next stage.

Committee Stage: At this stage, the bill is scrutinised in detail by a committee of MPs or Lords. They examine the bill clause by clause, proposing amendments and making changes. This stage is crucial for refining the bill and ensuring its practicality and fairness.

Report Stage: After the committee stage, the bill returns to the House, where it originated for the report stage. The House considers any amendments made by the committee and may make further changes. This stage provides an opportunity for further debate and refinement before the final vote.

Third Reading: The third reading is the final stage in the bill's journey through the first House. The House considers the bill as a whole, including any amendments made during the previous stages. MPs or Lords then cast their votes to decide whether to pass the bill to the other House.

Passage through the Second House: The bill then moves to the other House (either the House of Commons or the House of Lords), where it undergoes similar stages of readings, committee scrutiny, and votes. Amendments may be proposed and debated in this House, further shaping the bill.

Agreement Between the Houses: Once the bill has passed through both Houses, they must agree on the final version, including any amendments. This stage can involve back and forth negotiations between the Houses until a consensus is reached.

Royal Assent: Finally, once both Houses have agreed on the bill, it receives Royal Assent. This means the monarch formally agrees to make the bill into an Act of Parliament, and it becomes law.

The role of the PBL Committee

The Parliamentary Business and Legislation (PBL) Committee is responsible for deciding whether a bill is authorised to be introduced. The committee also decides the broad timing of introduction and whether a bill is to be introduced in the House of Commons or the House of Lords.

The PBL Committee considers all the bids for a session and makes a recommendation to the Cabinet about the provisional content of the programme. The committee will consider factors such as the need for the bill, its relationship to the political priorities of the government, and the progress that has been made in working up the proposals for the bill.

Once the provisional programme has been agreed by the Cabinet, the PBL Committee will review it in the lead-up to the beginning of the session. About a month before the start of the session, the Cabinet will finalise the programme. This will be announced in the King's Speech at the state opening of Parliament, which begins the session.

If a bill is given a slot in the legislative programme, the relevant department will create a bill team to coordinate its preparation and passage through Parliament. The bill team will consist of a bill manager and other officials working on the bill.

The PBL Committee will also need to specifically clear a bill for introduction. The committee will consider the final (or near-final) draft of the bill, along with a range of other documents. If the committee is satisfied that the bill is ready and that other legal and procedural issues have been resolved, it will approve its introduction, subject to any necessary minor and drafting changes.

The PBL Committee also plays a role in the publication of a bill in draft for consultation. The publication of a bill in draft still needs the agreement of the PBL Committee, although it is normally cleared by correspondence rather than at a meeting.

Royal Assent

The Royal Assent by Commission Act 1541 allowed for the delegation of the power to Lords Commissioners, though assent was previously always given by the monarch in person. The last time this occurred was during the reign of Queen Victoria in 1854. The Act was repealed and replaced by the Royal Assent Act 1967, which allows for the granting of Royal Assent in writing by means of letters patent. This is now the standard method.

The legislation within the bill may come into effect immediately, after a set period, or only after a commencement order by a government minister. If there is no commencement order, the Act will come into force from midnight at the start of the day of Royal Assent.

The time it takes to become law

The time it takes for a bill to become a law in the UK depends on several factors, including the length of the bill, how controversial it is, and whether it needs to be passed quickly.

The process of taking a bill through Parliament follows several stages, from its introduction to becoming an act. Any Member of Parliament can introduce a bill, and the government will have a legislative programme for each session of Parliament, outlining the bills it will ask Parliament to consider.

Once a bill has been introduced, it goes through several stages in each House of Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords). These stages include:

• First Reading: A purely formal stage where the title of the bill is read out, with no debate.
• Second Reading: A debate on the main principles of the bill, where a government minister opens the debate, followed by the opposition, and then other members. Amendments cannot be made at this stage.
• Committee Stage: A line-by-line consideration of the bill's details, which can be carried out by a specially convened committee or in the chamber. Amendments can be proposed and discussed.
• Report Stage: Only amendments are discussed, and if none are proposed, this is a formal stage.
• Third Reading: Both Houses must agree on the text of the bill, and if amendments are made in the second House, it goes back to the first House for consideration. This stage is often called "ping pong" as the bill may move between the two Houses multiple times.

After a bill has been approved by each House of Parliament, it receives Royal Assent and becomes an act or law. There is no set time frame for this process, as it depends on the complexity and urgency of the bill. An emergency bill may be passed in a matter of days, while a larger bill may take a year or more to pass through all the necessary stages.

The bill's journey beyond Royal Assent

Once a bill has received Royal Assent, it becomes an Act of Parliament and is therefore passed into law. However, this does not necessarily mean that the law comes into force immediately. In some cases, the Act will come into force on the same day as Royal Assent is received, but it may also come into force on a later date specified in the Act or ordered by the Governor in Council.

The process of granting Royal Assent involves either a written declaration procedure or a traditional Royal Assent ceremony. The written declaration procedure involves the Clerk of the Parliaments meeting with the monarch's representative, who then presents the bills alongside a letter indicating that they have been passed by both Houses. Letters advising that Royal Assent has been signified are then delivered to the Speakers of both Houses by the Clerk of the Senate without delay.

The Royal Assent ceremony is one of the oldest of all parliamentary proceedings and brings together the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Commons. If Royal Assent is granted as part of a formal ceremony, it takes place in the Senate chamber. The Usher of the Black Rod, an officer of the Senate, proceeds to the House of Commons chamber to inform the Speaker that the monarch's representative is ready to grant Royal Assent to the bills in the Senate chamber. The House of Commons is then led to the Senate, followed by the Sergeant-at-Arms bearing the mace, the Speaker, the Clerk and table officers, and the members. Once in the Senate chamber, the Speaker and the members gather at the bar, and the Usher calls for order. The Speaker of the House raises their hat and bows to the monarch's representative, and a clerk at the table in the Senate chamber reads the titles of the bills that are to receive Royal Assent. If there is a supply bill to be assented to, the Speaker of the House of Commons brings it into the Senate chamber, reads a message asking that it be given Royal Assent, and hands it over to a Senate clerk, who reads the title of the bill and the declaration of Royal Assent. The monarch's representative then consents to the enactment of the bills by nodding their head, and the Usher of the Black Rod turns to face the main doors of the Senate chamber, indicating that the ceremony has concluded. The Speaker of the House then raises their hat, bows to the representative of the Crown, and withdraws from the chamber, returning directly to the Commons chamber.

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