Legislative Process

• Stage 1 : Green paper 


  Consultation stage
• Stage 2 : White paper 


  Firm proposals
• Stage 3 : First Reading


  Bill introduced to parliament, dates set for next stages
• Stage 4 : Second Reading 


  Detailed review, voted on
• Stage 5 : Committee Stage 


  Select committee/Lords scrutinise bill and can make edits
• Stage 6 : Report Stage 


  Any edits made reported back to the house, edits voted on
• Stage 7 : Third Reading 


  Finalised version of bill, voted on
• Stage 8 : Second House 


  Bill passed to the next House for approval : HoC to HoL (vice versa), repeat entire legislative process, "parliamentary ping-pong"
• Final Stage : Royal Assent 


  Monarch formally approves bill - is now an Act of Parliament
• Pre-legislative procedure

  1. Green paper
  2. White paper
• Legislative process

  1. First reading
  2. Second reading
  3. Committee stage
  4. Report stage
  5. Third reading
  6. Second house
  7. Royal Assent