The Journey of a Piece of Legislation

Green

Witches

Kill

Fairies

So

Counts

Run

Towards

Other

Redcaps

Green paper = very broad idea

White paper = first draft

• King’s speech

  • Legislative agenda read by the monarch at the opening of a new Plmtary term

• First reading

  • Introduced to the house

• Second reading

  • Full debate and vote in the initial house

• Committee stage

  • Scrutinised in detail by the Public Bill Committee (in Lords committee of the full chamber)

• Report stage

  • Committee report back to the house with amendment considerations

• Third reading

  • Final vote on the amended bill

• Other chamber

  • Same stages in the other chamber

  • Sometimes Plmtary ping-pong

• Royal assent

  • Bill agreed by both chambers and the monarch signs it into law