Commons remaining stages: Insurance Bill
3 February 2015 (updated on 3 February 2015)
MPs debated the remaining stages of the Insurance Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday 3 February 2015.
The Insurance Bill passed the Committee Stage, Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons without amendment.
- Watch Parliament TV: Remaining stages of the Insurance Bill
- Read Commons Hansard: Remaining stages of the Insurance Bill
Related information
Summary of the Insurance Bill
A Bill to make new provision about insurance contracts; to amend the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010 in relation to the insured persons to whom that Act applies; and for connected purposes
Most of the Bill is derived from recommendations from the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission and the Bill will be treated according to the procedures associated with Law Commission measures.
The Bill includes provisions on disclosure; warranties and the treatment of fraudulent claims. The Bill requires insurers to act with ‘good faith’; limits the use of warranties in contracts and provides for the expansion of the groups of individuals or companies which can be affected by the existing third party rights against insurers provisions.
Progress of the Bill
The Insurance Bill is a Government bill introduced into the House of Lords on 17 July 2014 and completed all its stages in the Lords on 15 January 2015.
It was introduced into the House of Commons on 16 January 2015. The Bill is a Law Commission bill and was referred to a Second Reading Committee for its second reading debate on Monday 26 January 2015. The Bill passed Second Reading on Tuesday 27 January 2015.
Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation, including amendment papers on the Insurance Bill and find out how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
- Follow Bills before Parliament: Insurance Bill 2014-15
- About Parliament: Passage of a Bill
- House of Commons Standing Orders: Public business: Standing Order No. 59 - Law Commission bills
- Glossary: Second Reading Committee
House of Commons Library analysis
The House of Commons Library produces briefing papers to inform MPs of key issues. The papers contain factual information and a range of opinions on each subject, and aim to be politically impartial.
What happens at a Committee of the whole House?
When a bill passes its second reading and is considered in detailed, this usually takes place in a Public Bill Committee held outside the Chamber and made up of between 16 and 20 MPs.
Occasionally a bill will be considered by a Committee of the whole House and this discussion takes place in the Chamber itself, where all MPs can take part.
Any bill can be referred to a Committee of the whole House, but the procedure is normally reserved for finance bills and other important or controversial legislation.
What is the report stage of a bill?
The report stage gives MPs an opportunity, on the floor of the House, to consider any further amendments (proposals for change) to a bill which has been examined in a public bill committee or on the floor of the House. There is no set time period between the end of committee stage and the start of the report stage.
What happens at report stage?
All MPs may speak and vote. For lengthy or complex bills, the debates may be spread over several days. All MPs can suggest amendments to the bill or new clauses (parts) that they think should be added.
What happens after report stage?
Report stage is usually followed immediately by debate on the bill's third reading.
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 a 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.
Watching proceedings from the public gallery
UK residents and overseas visitors can watch proceedings in the House of Commons by visiting the public gallery.
This article was produced by the Commons Digital Outreach Team. Follow the @HouseofCommons on Twitter for updates on the UK House of Commons Chamber.