What happens in the legislative process?

What happens in each stage(No pre-legislative content)

What happens during the first reading?

The short title of the bill is read out

What happens in the second reading

The aim of the bill is described by the minister and a majority vote is needed to continue

What happens during the committee stage

A committee of MPs carry out a detailed examination of every clause of every bill and suggests amendments(if its a finance bill, the whole house sits as a committee)

What happens during the report stage

The committee reports back to the House with suggested amendments, these changes are debated and are either rejected or accepted.

What happens during the Third reading

There is a debate on the amended bill, sometimes there is no debate and this stage is another formality which is followed by a vote in both cases.

What happens during the amendment consideration process

An identical bill must be passed by both houses, if the second house has made amendments these must be approved by the second house. This however may result in parlimentary ping pong which could take months.

What is Royal Assent

The monarch signs the bill and becomes an act, however it is just a formality.