The Legislative Process (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

Types of legislation

• A bill is a proposed law that is debated in Parliament

  • If it is approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and then given Royal Assent, it becomes an Act of Parliament

Types of Bill

Public Bills

• Public Bills, which are the most common type, are proposed by the government

  • They apply to the whole country and deal with major national issues

• These bills take up most of Parliament’s time because the government controls the timetable

• Examples of Public Bills include

  • Budget and Finance Bills, which set out tax and public spending plans

  • Laws on areas such as education, health, crime or immigration

Private Members’ Bills

• Private Members’ Bills are introduced by MPs or members of the House of Lords who are not government ministers

  • They allow individual parliamentarians to raise issues that matter to them or their constituents

  • They are important because they can raise awareness and influence future government legislation

• Very few become law because:

  • There is limited parliamentary time set aside for them

  • The government may oppose them

• Some Private Members’ Bills have been successful

  • For example, the Smoking Ban in public places began as a Private Members’ Bill

Private Bills

• Private Bills are sponsored and paid for by outside organisations, not the government

• They apply to specific individuals, companies or local areas, rather than the whole country

• Common sponsors include:

  • Local councils

  • Transport authorities

  • Harbour boards

• A recent real example is the City of London (Various Powers) Act 2023

  • This law was requested and paid for by the City of London Corporation

  • It only applies to the City of London, not the whole country

  • It gives the local council extra powers over things like traffic and street trading

Hybrid Bills

• Hybrid Bills combine features of Public Bills and Private Bills

• They affect the general public but also have a direct impact on specific groups or areas and go through extra scrutiny

• A recent example is the Holocaust Memorial Bill

  • It is a government bill but affects a specific site and local community

• Other examples include bills related to major infrastructure projects, such as high-speed rail

The process of making a law

• The legislative process in the UK can begin in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords

• Most important government bills start in the House of Commons because it is the elected chamber

Legislative stages