Remaining stages of Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill
15 March 2012 (updated on 15 March 2012)
The House of Commons held the committee stage and third of the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill on Wednesday 14 March 2012. The Bill will now be sent to the House of Lords for consideration.
Summary of the Bill
To make provision for the giving of financial assistance for the purpose of securing the reduction of charges for the supply of water and the provision of sewerage services and in connection with the construction of, and the carrying out of works in respect of, water and sewerage infrastructure.
Progress of the Bill
The Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 2 February 2012 and received second reading on 29 February 2012 and 6 March 2012.
The Bill was considered in Committee of the Whole House and third reading took place on 14 March 2012. The Bill has passed all its Commons stages and will now be sent to the House of Lords for consideration.
Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation on the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill and find out how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament
- Bills before Parliament 2010-12: Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill
- About Parliament: Passage of a Bill
The House of Commons Library produce briefing papers to inform MPs of key issues. The Library published a briefing paper for second reading of the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill.
Committee and report stage proceedings
MPs considered the Bill in Committee of the Whole House. MPs considered in the following order; Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 3 and New Clause 1.
Clauses 1 to 3 were agreed to without division. New Clause 1 was negatived on division (Ayes: 226, Noes 297).
The Bill was read a third time and passed and will now be considered by the House of Lords.
Watch and read the proceedings on committee stage and third reading and the views expressed by MPs on Parliament TV and in Commons Hansard.
- Parliament TV: Remaining stages of Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill
- Commons Hansard: Remaining stages of Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill
Committee of the Whole House
The term Committee of the whole House means that a Bill can be discussed in detail by all Members. In the Commons this usually takes place in a Public Bill Committee, outside the Chamber, but occasionally a Bill will be considered in a Committee of the whole House in the main Chamber.
Any Bill can be referred to a Committee of the whole House but the procedure is normally reserved for finance Bills and other important, controversial legislation.
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 will return to the House of Lords for consideration of any amendments the Commons have made.