Commons consider amendments to the Public Bodies Bill [HL]
30 November 2011 (updated on 30 November 2011)
The House of Commons considered amendments to the Public Bodies Bill [HL] which the Lords insist upon on Tuesday 29 November. The Bill will now be sent to the House of Lords for Royal Assent.
Summary of the Bill
The Bill would allow Ministers, by order, to abolish, merge or transfer the functions of the public bodies listed in the appropriate schedules to the Act.
NB: [HL] denotes that the Bill was introduced into the House of Lords before being considered by the House of Commons.
Progress of the Bill
The Public Bodies Bill [HL] was introduced into the House of Lords on 28 October 2010 and completed its stages with significant amendment. The Bill was then introduced into the House of Commons on 10 May 2011 and received second reading on 12 July 2011.
The Bill was considered in a Public Bill Committee between 8 September 2011 to 11 October 2011. The report stage and third reading took place on 25 October 2011.
- Commons news: Second reading of Public Bodies Bill [HL]
- Commons news: Report stage and third reading of Public Bodies Bill [HL]
The Bill was sent to the House of Lords for consideration of Commons Amendments. The Lords insisted on their amendments to the Bill and these were considered by the Commons on 29 November 2011.
The Commons did not insist of their Amendments and agreed Lords Amendments in lieu. The Bill will now be sent to the House of Lords for Royal Assent.
Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation, including amendment papers, on the Public Bodies Bill [HL] and find out how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
Proceedings on Lords amendments
MPs considered Commons amendments in the following order; 47 and 53.
- Lords Disagreements, Reason and Amendments in Lieu
- Proceedings on consideration of Lords Message as at 29 November 2011
Commons Amendment 47 related to the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales and the Commons agreed not to insist of its Amendment.
Commons Amendment 53 related to the Chief Coroner and the Commons agreed to Lords Amendments in lieu (53A - 53C). An amendment to disagree was negatived on a division (Ayes 215; Noes 291).
Watch and read the proceedings on Lords amendments and the views expressed by MPs on Parliament TV and in Commons Hansard.
- Parliament TV: Consideration of Lords Message, Public Bodies Bill [HL]
- Commons Hansard: Consideration of Lords Message, Public Bodies Bill [HL]
Lords Amendments
When a Bill has passed through third reading in both Houses it is returned to the first House (where it started) for the second House's amendments (proposals for change) to be considered.
Both Houses must agree on the exact wording of the Bill. There is no set time period between the third reading of a Bill and consideration of any Commons or Lords amendments.
'Ping Pong'
If the Commons makes amendments to the Bill, the Lords must consider them and either agree or disagree to the amendments or make alternative proposals.
If the Lords disagrees with any Commons amendments, or makes alternative proposals, then the Bill is sent back to the Commons.
A Bill may go back and forth between each House (‘Ping Pong’) until both Houses reach agreement.
What happens after consideration of amendments?
Once the Commons and Lords agree on the final version of the Bill, it can receive Royal Assent and become an Act of Parliament (the proposals of the Bill now become law).