Table of fees and Chairman's rules
Table of fees to be charged at the House of Lords as at July 2005
[Referred to in Standing Orders 202, 215 and 217]
| I- Fees to be paid by the promoters of a private bill | |
| On the first reading of the bill | £4,000 |
| Following the third reading of the bill | £4,000 |
The promoters of personal bills may be charged one-twentieth of the preceding fees.
The promoters of the bills relating to charitable, religious, educational, literary or scientific purposes whereby no private profit or advantage is derived, and of bills other than bills promoted by local authorities from which the promoter appears unlikely to derive substantial personal or corporate gain, may be charged one- quarter of the preceding fees.
| II- Fees to be paid by petitioners and memorialists | |
On presentation of any petition relating to a private bill or of any memorial complaining that the standing orders have not been complied with, provided that no petitioner or memorialist shall be charged more than once under this head in respect of any one bill | £20 |
| III- Fees to be paid by applicants for and petitioners against a provisional order confirmation bill | |
| On the second reading of a bill to confirm one or more provisional orders, other than a bill to confirm an order or orders under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936, the applicants shall be charged a fee of | £4,000 |
| On the deposit of each petition | £20 |
IV- Fees to be paid for proceedings on a special procedure order | |
On appearance before a joint committee on a special procedure order, an applicant (other than a minister) shall be charged a fee of | £2,000 |
On the deposit of each petition or counter-petition, or copy of either | £20 |
V- Fees to be paid for proceedings on a hybrid instrument | |
| For a hybrid instrument on which an applicant other than a minister appears before the Hybrid Instruments Committee or a select committee of the House | £2,000 |
| On the deposit of a petition against a hybrid instruments | £20 |
VI- Fees to be paid on the taxation of costs on private legislation | |
For each £100 of any bill of costs allowed by the Taxing Officer | £1.60 |
Chairman's rules relating to parliamentary agents, petitioners and their representatives
Rules to be observed by the Officers of the House, and by all parliamentary agents, etc., engaged in prosecuting Proceedings in the House of Lords upon any petition or bill:—
Parliamentary Agents
Definitions
1. In these rules—
“bill” means—
(a) any private bill;
(b) any public bill with respect to which one of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills has reported that
any of the Standing Orders numbered 4 to 68 relating to Private Business are applicable,
and includes a provisional order or certificate against which a petition has been presented;
“solicitor” includes a solicitor in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland and a writer to the signet;
the expressions “special procedure petition” and “special procedure order” have the same respective meanings as in the Standing Orders numbered 204 to 214 relating to Private Business;
the expression “counter-petition” has the same meaning as it has in Standing Order 210 (counter-petitions) relating to Private Business; the expression “petitioner in person” means a person who is engaged in opposing a bill or special procedure order on his or her own behalf and not on behalf of any other person.
Register
2. A register of the persons entitled to practise as parliamentary agents in promoting bills shall be kept in the Private Bill Office.
No person to practise unless registered
3. No person shall be entitled to practise as a parliamentary agent unless he or she is so registered:
Provided that a person so registered, if a member of a firm, may carry on his or her business as parliamentary agent under the name and style of the firm notwithstanding that one or more other members of the firm are not so registered, but partnership with a person who is so registered shall not entitle any partner not so registered to practise as a parliamentary agent.
Declaration
4. No parliamentary agent shall be registered until he or she has signed a declaration in such form as the Chairman of Committees may prescribe engaging to obey and observe the orders and practice of the House of Lords and any rules prescribed by the Chairman of Committees, and also to pay all fees and charges due from the parties for whom he or she shall act.
Recognisance
5. Any person either before or after he or she has subscribed such a declaration shall, if required by the Chairman of Committees, enter into a recognisance or bond in a penal sum not exceeding £500, with two sureties each for half the penal sum, to observe the said declaration.
One member of firm may subscribe declaration, etc.
6. In the case of a firm, it shall suffice if one member of the firm subscribes the required declaration and enters into the required recognisance or bond on behalf of the firm.
No fee to be charged in respect of declaration, etc.
7. No fee shall be payable in respect of the said declaration, recognisance, bond or registration.
Qualifications necessary for registration as Parliamentary Agent in promoting bills
8. No applicant shall be qualified to be registered as a parliamentary agent entitled to practise in promoting bills unless he or she satisfies the Chairman of Committees that they have practical knowledge of the standing orders and procedure of the House of Lords regulating private business.
Advisory Committee
9. The Chairman of Committees may, if he or she thinks fit, appoint an advisory committee and refer to that committee for advice any question arising as to the qualifications of any applicant for registration.
Application to be in writing
10. Every application for registration must be in writing.
No person to print name on bill unless registered as Parliamentary Agent
11. No person's name shall be printed on any bill, as a parliamentary agent for such bill, unless and until his or her name has been duly inscribed upon the register of parliamentary agents.
One agent only to appear or be heard on behalf of Promoters
12. Except in cases where a bill is promoted by two or more companies, bodies or persons separately interested, one parliamentary agent or firm of agents only shall be allowed to appear and to be heard in the proceedings on the bill on behalf of the promoters.
No statement to be circulated without name of Parliamentary Agent
13. No written or printed statement relating to any bill shall be circulated within the precincts of the House of Lords without the name of a parliamentary agent or petitioner in person attached to it, who will be held responsible for its accuracy.
Sanction to notice for dispensing with Orders
14. The sanction of the Chairman of Committees is required to every notice of a motion prepared by a parliamentary agent, for dispensing with any standing order of the House.
Agents not to divide fees or pay commissions
15. A parliamentary agent shall not divide with or pay to any client, or any solicitor, clerk, officer, or servant of any client, any moneys which the agent at any time receives in respect of his costs charges and expenses in promoting, opposing or otherwise dealing with any bill or provisional order, or give any commission or gratuity to any person in respect of his employment as a parliamentary agent.
Agents personally responsible
16. Every parliamentary agent and solicitor conducting proceedings in parliament before the House of Lords shall be personally responsible to the House, and to the Chairman of Committees, for the observance of the rules, orders, and practice of parliament, as well as of any rules which may from time to time be prescribed by the Chairman of Committees and any practice prescribed by the Chairman of the Select Committee considering the petition, and also for the payment of the fees and charges due and payable under the standing orders.
Chairman of Committees may, on misconduct, prohibit Agent from practising
17. Any person registered as a parliamentary agent who shall act in violation of the orders and practice of the House of Lords or who shall be guilty of professional misconduct of any kind as a parliamentary agent shall be liable to an absolute or temporary prohibition to practise as a parliamentary agent at the discretion of the Chairman of Committees.
No person who has been suspended, etc., to act as Parliamentary Agent
18. No person who has been suspended or prohibited from practising as a parliamentary agent or who otherwise that at his own request has been struck off the roll of solicitors or disbarred by any of the inns of court shall be allowed to be entered or retained on the register without the express authority of the Chairman of Committees.
Application of rules to agents for special procedure petitions, etc.
19. These Rules shall apply with the necessary modifications to agents for special procedure petitions, agents for ministers of the crown responsible for laying special procedure orders before parliament, agents for applicants for such orders and agents for counter-petitions, and to petitioners in person in relation to special procedure orders.
Petitioners' Representatives
20. Any person may, with the permission of the petitioner, represent the petitioner in dealing with the House of Lords, the Promoters of the bill and their agents and may appear before the select committee on the bill as the petitioner's representative.
21. Every petitioner in person or a petitioner's representative conducting proceedings in parliament before the House of Lords shall be personally responsible to the House, and to the Chairman of Committees, for the observance of the rules, orders, and practice of parliament, as well as of any rules which may from time to time be prescribed by the Chairman of Committees and any practice prescribed by the Chairman of the Select Committee considering the petition, and also for the payment of the petitioner's fee due under the standing orders.
22. Any person representing a petitioner who acts in violation of the orders and practice of the House of Lords shall be liable to an absolute or temporary prohibition to practise as a petitioner's representative at the discretion of the Chairman of Committees.
Lord McFall of Alcluith
Chairman of Committees