European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill proceeds to Royal Assent
9 September 2019
The European Union (Withdrawal) (No.6) Bill had its remaining stages, committee stage, report stage and third reading, in the Lords on Friday 6 September. Both Houses agreed the final text and the bill had Royal Assent on Monday 9 September.
This is a private member's bill. A private member's bill is a type of public bill (that affects the public). Private members' bills must go through the same set of procedures as other public bills.
- Catch up on Parliament TV
- Read the Lords Hansard transcript
- Bills and legislation: European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill
- Lords Library note - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages
- What is committee stage?
- What is report stage?
- What is third reading?
- What is Royal Assent?
Committee stage is the first chance for line-by-line examination of the bill and an opportunity for amendments (changes) to be put forward.
Report stage gives all members of the Lords a further opportunity to examine and make amendments (changes) to a bill.
Third reading in the Lords is the chance for members to ‘tidy up' a bill, concentrating on making sure the eventual law is effective and workable – without loopholes.
When a Bill has completed all its parliamentary stages in both Houses, it must have Royal Assent before it can become an Act of Parliament (law).
Royal Assent is the Monarch's agreement to make the Bill into an Act and is a formality.
Royal Assent took place on Monday 9 September. The Act's title is the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019.
Lords second reading: Thursday 5 September
Lord Rooker (Labour), the bill's sponsor in the Lords and former minister of state in the Northern Ireland Office, opened the debate on the bill.
Prior to second reading, Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour) proposed that the normal rules on how Lords business runs should be suspended for this bill, to allow the remaining stages (committee stage, report stage and third reading) to be brought to a conclusion at 5pm on Friday 6 September. This motion was agreed to.
Lords third reading: Friday 6 September
- Catch up on Parliament TV
- Read the Lords Hansard transcript
- What is third reading?
- What is Royal Assent?
European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill summary
This bill aims to make further provision in connection with the negotiating period for withdrawing from the EU.