Third reading

Introduction and first reading

First the proposed law is presented to the House of Commons. At this stage it is called a bill. All that happens at the first reading is that MPs are informed about the proposed legislation, and a date is given for the next stage. The bill is then printed.

SECOND READING

The bill is discussed or debated in the House of Commons and a vote is taken as to whether it is in principle a law of which MPs approve, or whether it should go no further. In this debate frontbench Government Ministers and their Opposition counterparts, who occupy the front benches of the debat­ing chamber, will make the opening and closing speeches. The rest of the debate will be given over to the backbench MPs, who occupy the remaining benches. Any MP with a special interest in the new law or whose own con­stituency is particularly affected by it will usually have priority in the queue of MPs wishing to speak.

COMMITTEE STAGE

The bill is now examined line by line, or 'clause by clause', in great detail by a small committee of MPs. These MPs may be chosen to serve on the commit­tee because they have a special interest and experience in the subject. At this stage the committee may agree to receive representations and suggestions for and against the proposed new law from anyone who is likely to be particu­larly affected by it. It may also hear evidence and take the advice of experts. Alterations to the bill known as amendments, made at the Committee stage, will be passed if a majority of the committee members vote for them. Most of the amendments passed at this stage will be proposed or supported by the Government, often in response to concerns raised in the Second Reading debate. The party in power is likely to have the most members on the com­mittee, and voting is generally along party lines; but this is not necessarily

in the hope of producing as good a bill as possible.

REPORT STAGE

A report is made to the House of Commons on what has happened at the Committee stage, and all MPs are given the chance to discuss the changes that have been made by the committee. Even at this time it is possible to make amendments to a bill, and experience shows that this often happens.

Third reading

At this stage little is done. It is a final debate, frequently held immediately after the Report stage. A vote is taken on whether the bill, as amended at the Committee and Report stages, should proceed or not. If the vote is for pro­ceeding, the bill is officially passed from the House of Commons on to the House of Lords.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14