© House of Lords 2015Thursday 25 June 2015

House of Lords procedure for primary legislation

Tom Wilson, Legislation Clerk, House of Lords

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Different stages of Bill scrutiny

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Lords / Commons proceduresthe similarities

• First and Second Reading (but few votes at Second Reading in the Lords)

• Commitment to Committee of the Whole House or away from the floor of the House

• Orders of consideration• Clauses and schedules stood part at

Committee but not at Report

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Lords / Commons procedures:the differences

• No formal programming of bills: timetabling is less certain

• Committee stage open to all members

• No evidence-taking• No votes in Grand Committee

(and increasingly rare in CWH)

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And more differences…

• Decisions on relevance (appeal to the House)

• No selection of amendments – all amendments tabled can be debated

• Groupings mutually agreed and non-binding

• Report Stage amendments - rules• Third Reading on a separate day –

and amendments can be tabled (tight rules)

• Money!

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Ping-pong

• Both Houses have to agree on every word of every Bill

• Ping-pong is how the two Houses resolve their differences

• Second House sends amended bill back to first House

• First House has three options on each amendment:– Agree with the amendment– Disagree with the amendment (reason given)– Propose something else (e.g. amendment in

lieu)• Packaging• Key is to avoid “Double Insistence”• Parliament Acts