Automated Vehicles Bill undergoes further Lords scrutiny

The Automated Vehicles Bill will implement the recommendations of the four-year review carried out by the Law Commissions of England & Wales and Scotland to set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles across Great Britain.

Detailed scrutiny 

Report stage is an extra chance for members to closely scrutinise elements of the bill and make changes.    

Proposed changes   

Members speaking at report stage put down amendments (PDF) to be considered on subjects including: 

• safety standards that automated vehicles will be required to reach
• powers and functions of the Office of Rail and Road
• information sharing between the devolved administrations regarding passenger services
• accessibiltity features of automated vehicles.

Lords divisions 

There was one division (vote) on a proposed change to the bill.

Automated vehicle advisory council

Members voted on amendment 28, which would require the Secretary of State to establish a council to advise on the implementation of the legislation and the roll out of self-driving vehicles within six months of the bill becoming law.

Members voted 200 in favour and 204 against, so the change was not made.

Catch up

Watch or read the debate

• Watch on Parliament TV. 
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript. 

Explore further information 

Find out more in the House of Lords Library Automated Vehicles Bill briefing.

Next steps

Third reading, a chance for members to make sure the eventual law is effective, workable and without loopholes, is scheduled for Monday 19 February.

What's happened so far?

Committee stage

Line-by-line examination of the bill took place during committee stage on Wednesday 10 January and Monday 15 January. 

Second reading

Second reading, a full debate on the key principles of the bill, took place on Tuesday 28 November 2023.

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