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Third reading of Coinage Measurement Bill

4 April 2011 (updated on 4 April 2011)

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Mark Lancaster, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North, introduced the third reading of the Coinage (Measurement) Bill in the House of Commons on Friday 1 April 2011.

Coinage (Measurement) Bill

The Coinage (Measurement) Bill is a Private Member's Bill which has been sponsored by Mark Lancaster MP. The Bill had its second reading on 4 February 2011 and was considered by a Public Bill Committee.

The Bill was not amended at committee stage and was read a third time. The Bill will now be sent to the House of Lords for consideration.

The Bill would amend the Coinage Act 1971 to enable the Royal Mint to strike commemorative coins of one kilogram or more for the 2012 London Olympics.

Private Members' Bills

Private Members' Bills are Public Bills introduced by MPs and Members of the Lords who aren't government ministers. As with other Public Bills their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population.

Third reading

Third reading is the final chance for the Commons to debate the contents of a Bill. It usually takes place immediately after report stage as the next item of business on the same day.

What happens at third reading?

Debate on the Bill is usually short, and limited to what is actually in the Bill, rather than, as at second reading, what might have been included.

Amendments (proposals for change) cannot be made to a Bill at third reading in the Commons. At the end of the debate, the House decides (votes on) whether to approve the third reading of the Bill.

What happens after third reading?

If the Bill started in the Commons it goes to the House of Lords for its first reading. If the Bill started in the Lords it returns to the House of Lords for consideration of any amendments the Commons has made.