Private Members' Bill ballot: 16 November 2023
16 November 2023
The ballot for House of Commons Private Members' Bills for the next session of Parliament took place on Thursday 16 November. Julie Elliott (Labour, Sunderland Central) was drawn in first place.
Ballot results
Chairman of Ways and Means, Rt Hon Dame Eleanor Laing, drew 20 numbered ballot balls and read out the names of the successful MPs.
The MP drawn at the top of the ballot has the first choice of a Private Members' Bill Friday to debate their Bill.
415 Members entered the ballot. The top seven will be guaranteed a full day of debate on their bill.
Positions on the ballot
- Julie Elliott (Labour, Sunderland Central)
- Chris Elmore (Labour, Ogmore)
- Laurence Robertson (Conservative, Tewkesbury)
- Wayne David (Labour, Caerphilly)
- Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op), Brighton, Kemptown)
- Selaine Saxby (Conservative, North Devon)
- John Spellar (Labour, Warley)
- Jack Brereton (Conservative, Stoke-on-Trent South)
- Anna Firth (Conservative, Southend West)
- Kim Johnson (Labour, Liverpool, Riverside)
- Jonathan Lord (Conservative, Woking)
- Sarah Champion (Labour, Rotherham)
- Gareth Johnson (Conservative, Dartford)
- Kevin Brennan (Labour, Cardiff West)
- Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour, South Shields)
- Gavin Robinson (DUP, Belfast East)
- Ruth Jones (Labour, Newport West)
- Liz Truss (Conservative, South West Norfolk)
- Harriett Baldwin (Conservative, West Worcestershire)
- Anne McLaughlin (SNP, Glasgow North East)
Presentation of Bills
The ballot bills will have their first reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday 6 December, and will then be debated over 13 sitting Fridays.
What is the ballot for Private Members' Bills?
The ballot for Private Members' Bills gives MPs the chance to be one of the first 20 to introduce a Private Members' Bill on a subject of their choice this session. Those drawn higher in the ballot are more likely to get time to debate their bill and therefore their bills will have a higher chance of becoming law.
Success of Private Members' Ballot bills
In the 2022-23 session, 16 bills from the Private Members' Bill ballot became law:
- Carer's Leave Act 2023
- Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023
- Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023
- Co-operatives, Mutuals and Friendly Societies Act 2023
- Electricity Transmission (Compensation) Act 2023
- Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023
- Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023
- Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023
- Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023
- Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023
- Powers of Attorney Act 2023
- Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023
- Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023
- Shark Fins Act 2023
- Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023
- Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023
Find out more about successful Private Members Bills:
What are Private Members' Bills?
Private Members' Bills are public bills introduced by MPs and Lords 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.
There are three ways in which an MP can table a Private Members' Bill, but ballot bills have the best chance of becoming law, as they get priority for the limited amount of debating time available.
The names of MPs applying for a bill are drawn in a ballot held at the beginning of the parliamentary session. Normally, the first seven ballot bills get a day's debate.
Image: UK Parliament