Guide to Making Legislation July 2017 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND BIDDING FOR LEGISLATION ............... 4 1. How to use this guide and the role of PBL Secretariat .......................................................................................... 5 2. The Government’s legislative programme and the work of the Parliamentary Business and Legislation (PBL) Committee .................................................................................................................................................................... 8 3. Summary of stages in the legislative process ......................................................................................................11 4. Key players in making legislation ........................................................................................................................22 5. Securing a slot in the legislative programme ......................................................................................................25 6. The bill and Bill team management.....................................................................................................................31 7. Collective agreement ..........................................................................................................................................43 PREPARING THE BILL FOR INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................47 8. Preparing the bill for introduction: checklist of tasks to be completed by department ....................................48 9. Drafting the bill: general .....................................................................................................................................50 10. Drafting the bill: structure and content of instructions to OPC .......................................................................62 11. Explanatory notes .............................................................................................................................................77 12. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) ......................................................................................113 13. Other legal issues ............................................................................................................................................122 14. Impact assessments ........................................................................................................................................125 15. Devolved legislatures and administrations .....................................................................................................130 16. Delegated powers ...........................................................................................................................................138 17. Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories ..............................................................................................145 18. Queen’s and Prince’s consent .........................................................................................................................148 19. Tax and public expenditure .............................................................................................................................151 20. Handling strategies .........................................................................................................................................154 21. Queen’s speech and PBL Committee approval for introduction ....................................................................156 22. Publication in draft and pre-legislative scrutiny .............................................................................................162 ESSENTIAL GUIDANCE FOR BILL TEAMS ......................................................................................................... 170 23. Amendments ...................................................................................................................................................171 24. Explanatory statements ..................................................................................................................................185 25. Briefing Ministers for bill work and the use of Ministerial Statements in construing statute .......................187 26. English votes for English laws..........................................................................................................................190 COMMONS STAGES ........................................................................................................................................................ 194 27. The Commons: Overview of stages, minimum intervals between stages and sitting times ..........................195 28. Money resolution and ways and means resolution ........................................................................................200 29. Programming ...................................................................................................................................................204 30. Commons introduction and First Reading ......................................................................................................210 31. Commons Second Reading ..............................................................................................................................218 32. Commons Committee Stage ...........................................................................................................................223 33. Commons remaining stages (Report, Legislative Grand Committee, Reconsideration and Third Reading) ..241 34. Carrying over legislation..................................................................................................................................249 LORDS STAGES ................................................................................................................................................................. 252 35. The Lords: Overview of stages and differences from Commons’ stages ........................................................253 36. Lords introduction and First Reading ..............................................................................................................260 37. Lords Second Reading .....................................................................................................................................264 38. Lords Committee Stages .................................................................................................................................267 39. Lords remaining stages (Report and Third Reading) .......................................................................................272 FURTHER ACTION AFTER COMPLETING COMMONS AND LORDS STAGES AND AFTER ROYAL ASSENT ................................................................................................................................................................. 275 40. Consideration of amendments and ‘ping-pong’ .............................................................................................276 41. Royal Assent and commencement ..................................................................................................................284 42. Further action after Royal Assent ...................................................................................................................287 43. Post-legislative scrutiny ..................................................................................................................................292 OTHER TYPES OF GOVERNMENT BILL .............................................................................................................. 301 44. Hybrid bills.......................................................................................................................................................302 45. Consolidation bills ...........................................................................................................................................306 PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS ......................................................................................................................................... 310 46. Private members’ bills: introduction...............................................................................................................311 47. Private members’ bills: parliamentary procedure ..........................................................................................313 48. Private members’ bills: responding to non-government bills .........................................................................320 49. Government ‘handout’ bills ............................................................................................................................330 APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................ 334 APPENDIX B: CONTACT DETAILS .......................................................................................................................... 338 APPENDIX C: OTHER GUIDES .................................................................................................................................. 340 APPENDIX D: CODES OF PRACTICE AND LEGISLATION ........................................................................ 342 APPENDIX E: SECURING LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MOTIONS IN THE DEVOLVED LEGISLATURES