Law Making and Influences on Parliament
Law Making and Influences on Parliament
Assignment 1 – Unit 2 – P2
How do Parliament create an act?
Every act of Parliament begins as a Bill. A Bill is a draft law and will fall into one of three categories:
Government (Public) Bills
The most common form of bill. These are put forward by the parliamentary party in power. Gov’t policies are set out in the party manifesto, which in itself is a list of things that the party say they will do should they come into power. Bills based on these rarely face any opposition as they are passed through Parliament as people know that the party was voted into power on these policies.
A recent example of a Public Bill is the Assisted Dying Bill 2013-14 which is currently passing through the House of Lords and has passed its first reading. This Bill is being put forward to “enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.”
Private Bills
These are the least common type of Bill. They might be introduced to parliament by large public corporations and only affect a specific area or group in the community, not the general public.
A recent example of a Private Bill is the Hertfordshire County Council (Filming on Highways) Bill [HL] 2012-13 to 2013-14 which started in the House of Lords and is now currently being passed through the House of Commons in its Committee Stage. This Bill is being put forward to “confer powers on Hertfordshire County Council in relation to filming on highways; and for related purposes.”
Private Members’ (Hybrid) Bills
Hybrid Bills are more of a variant on a public Bill and are put forward by a selection of backbench MP’s whose names have been selected via ballot (20 per annum). There is limited time for debate on these bills, so very few become law unless they have government support. However, some important Acts have been passed this way i.e. the Abortion Act 1967 and the Computer
Assignment 1 – Unit 2 – P2
How do Parliament create an act?
Every act of Parliament begins as a Bill. A Bill is a draft law and will fall into one of three categories:
Government (Public) Bills
The most common form of bill. These are put forward by the parliamentary party in power. Gov’t policies are set out in the party manifesto, which in itself is a list of things that the party say they will do should they come into power. Bills based on these rarely face any opposition as they are passed through Parliament as people know that the party was voted into power on these policies.
A recent example of a Public Bill is the Assisted Dying Bill 2013-14 which is currently passing through the House of Lords and has passed its first reading. This Bill is being put forward to “enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.”
Private Bills
These are the least common type of Bill. They might be introduced to parliament by large public corporations and only affect a specific area or group in the community, not the general public.
A recent example of a Private Bill is the Hertfordshire County Council (Filming on Highways) Bill [HL] 2012-13 to 2013-14 which started in the House of Lords and is now currently being passed through the House of Commons in its Committee Stage. This Bill is being put forward to “confer powers on Hertfordshire County Council in relation to filming on highways; and for related purposes.”
Private Members’ (Hybrid) Bills
Hybrid Bills are more of a variant on a public Bill and are put forward by a selection of backbench MP’s whose names have been selected via ballot (20 per annum). There is limited time for debate on these bills, so very few become law unless they have government support. However, some important Acts have been passed this way i.e. the Abortion Act 1967 and the Computer