The House of Commons. First reading (Introducing a Bill)

First reading (Introducing a Bill)

The First Reading is a way of letting Members know that a Bill is coming up for discussion. There is no vote on the First Reading, so a Bill automatically goes through that stage. Then it is printed so that Members have a chance to read it and decide what they think about it. Explanatory notes are often published to accompany the Bill.

Second Reading (Explaining the purpose of the Bill)

This is an important stage of a Bill, when its main purpose is explained and general questions answered by the Minister in charge.

Committee Stage (Looking at the details)

It is during the Committee Stage that MPs are, for the first time, allowed to examine all the detail of a Bill and suggest some changes or amendments to it. Most government Bills are considered by small committees of between 15 and 50 MPs known as Standing Committees. At least one Minister from the Government Department responsible for the Bill is on the committee, as is a front-bench spokesperson from each of the main opposition parties. A separate committee is formed for the consideration of each Bill.

There are several reasons why Bills have to be sent to committees. First of all, 15 to 50 is a better number than 659 for discussing the details of a Bill. The committee members can sit in a smaller room which provides a better atmosphere for discussion than the large House of Commons Chamber. Debates in the Chamber are governed by a fairly strict set of rules. Many debates are programmed to last only a few hours because the House is so short of time that it cannot afford to allow discussion on an individual Bill are to be properly examined. Committee proceedings are altogether more flexible than debates in the House of Commons.

Often a Bill which has constitutional significance or requires a very rapid passage will be heard by a Committee of the whole House, i.e. in the Chamber, so that all Members can contribute. Sometimes a suggested amendment to a Bill does not get as far as a vote. It may instead be withdrawn by a Member who is either satisfied that he or she has drawn the problem to the attention of the Minister or because the Member realizes that he or she cannot win the vote.

Report Stage (Further consideration and changes by the whole House)

After the Committee Stage, the whole House of Commons has to be told what changes have been instituted since only a small number of Members are involved in the committee meetings. If there have been amendments, the Bill will be reprinted before the Report Stage so that Members could see how the changes fit into the Bill as a whole. MPs can suggest further changes if they want to. The report Stage is not necessary if the Bill has been considered by a Committee of the Whole House.