Skip to main content
Menu

Lords EU exit regulations: 13 May

14 May 2019

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

On Monday 13 May the House of Lords examined eight statutory instruments preparing for Brexit.

A statutory instrument (SI), a type of secondary legislation, is a law created under powers given by an Act of Parliament. It is used to fill in the details of Acts (primary legislation).

The proposed SIs make changes to laws on:

1. Animal and plant health, seeds and seed potatoes
2. Trade in animals and related products
3. Alien species in aquaculture and invasive non-native species
4. Rail safety

The Brexit SIs under examination on Monday 13 May were all made under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and are changes to the law to be made in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

All these SIs are made under the draft affirmative procedure, meaning they need to be approved by both Houses of Parliament before they can be made (signed into law) and brought into effect as law. Draft affirmative SIs can be stopped if either House votes against the government's motion calling for the SI to be approved.

Following the debates on the floor of the House, all the SIs under consideration were approved.

Lords scrutiny

The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) examines every SI, including all EU Exit SIs. It publishes reports drawing members' attention to SIs.

Further information

Image: Photo by Vikas Sawant from Pexels