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Private Members Bills presented to Parliament

5 February 2020

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

The Presentation of Private Members Bills took place today in the Commons Chamber after Prime Ministers' Questions.

Twenty MPs were drawn in a Private Members' Bills ballot which took place on 9 January, and these MPs have spent the past few weeks deciding which topic they wish to introduce legislation on.

What are Private Members' Bills?

Private Members' bills are public bills introduced by MPs who are not government ministers.

As with other public bills their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population.

A minority of Private Members' bills become law but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.

Ballot Bill titles

The Members and their bills are:

Sitting Fridays

13 Fridays in each Parliamentary session are allocated to debating these Bills, although they will need to go through all legislative stages in both Houses of Parliament before they can become law.

A list of the Fridays set aside for debating Private Member's Bills is available here.

Priority on debating time is given to those MPs who have appeared near the top of the ballot, although all twenty bills will formally appear on the House of Commons order paper.

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