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UK Parliament

Acts of Parliament

Looking for the text of an Act? Do you need the text of the Act in the form it was passed by Parliament or are you looking for a revised version of the Act incorporating any changes that have been made by subsequent legislation?

Text of Acts as passed

Texts of Acts of Parliament as originally passed by Parliament since 1988 are available on the Legislation.gov.uk website. The Parliamentary Archives has copies of original Acts from 1497.

Text of Acts as amended

Texts of Acts of Parliament incorporating changes made by later Acts or delegated legislation are also available on the Legislation.gov.uk web site. The database contains all Acts still in force with Acts dating back as far as 1267.

Survey on explanatory notes

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel conducted a review of the explanatory notes that are published with Bills and Acts. Part of this review involved an online survey asking the public for their comments and suggestions. To view the results of this survey please click on the link below:

Bills v Acts

A bill is a draft law; it becomes an Act if it is approved by a majority in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and formally agreed to by the reigning monarch (known as Royal Assent). An Act of Parliament is a law, enforced in all areas of the UK where it is applicable.