Private members' bills
This briefing describes the stages a bill goes through when it is introduced to the House of Commons as a private member's bill.
Private members’ bills (PMBs) are bills introduced by a member of the House of Commons or the House of Lords who is not a government minister.
This briefing describes the stages a bill goes through when it is introduced to the House of Commons as a PMB.
How is time allocated to debate private members’ bills?Standing Order No 14 (8) provides 13 Fridays in a parliamentary session for the consideration of PMBs in the House of Commons Chamber.
On the first seven of these Fridays second reading debates take precedence. From the eighth Friday, bills that are furthest along in their progress through the Commons take priority.
How is the procedure for private members’ bills different from government bills?A PMB has to complete its passage through both Houses, like any other bill, before it can receive Royal Assent. However, unlike most government bills, PMBs are not timetabled: there is no programme order to specify the time available for debate after second reading. Stages of a PMB on the floor of the House can usually only occur on the 13 Fridays allocated for them. If a bill does not pass second reading on the first day it’s considered and the debate is adjourned, it goes to the bottom of the list of bills to be considered on the Friday nominated for the continuation of the debate.
An MP in charge of a PMB cannot table a money resolution to authorise spending that might occur because of the bill, which is required before a bill can go to a public bill committee: only the government can do this. However, if a private member’s bill passes second reading, the government usually tables a money resolution regardless of whether it supports it.
Additionally, only one private member’s bill can be considered in a public bill committee at any one time, unless the government tables a motion to establish another committee to consider another private member’s bill.
Academic contributorsDr Daniel Gover is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London. He is conducting academic research into the operation of private members’ bills at Westminster.
Professor Richard Whitaker, Professor of Politics, School of History, Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester, was a Thematic Research Lead in the Parliament, Public Administration and Constitution Hub, House of Commons.
Richard Kelly is the House of Commons Library contact.