European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill: Summary of Commons Stages

The European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill is a House of Commons private member’s bill sponsored in the House of Commons by Yvette Cooper (Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford). The bill creates provisions related to extensions under article 50(3). The bill had its second reading and remaining stages in the House of Commons in one day on 3 April 2019. This followed a business of the House motion moved by Oliver Letwin (Conservative MP for West Dorset), passed by 312 votes to 311, a majority of one. The motion also included provisions that would allow further parliamentary time in the Commons for the consideration of Lords amendments and messages on the bill. The bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons by 315 votes to 310, a majority of five.

The committee stage was taken in committee of the whole House. Three amendments were made to the bill without division. Two of these were drafting amendments moved by Yvette Cooper. The third amendment agreed to at committee stage was new clause 13 moved by the Government, which made changes to the procedure for amending the date of 'exit day' in domestic law.

The Chairman of Ways and Means reported that the committee had gone through the bill and made amendments. There was no further debate at this stage.

There was no further debate at third reading. The bill received its third reading by 313 votes to 312, a majority of one