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A private members' bill (PMB) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom is a type of
public bill Proposed bills are often categorized into public bills and private bills. A public bill is a proposed law which would apply to everyone within its jurisdiction. This is unlike a private bill which is a proposal for a law affecting only a single p ...
that can be introduced by either members of the House of Commons or House of Lords who are not Ministers. Less parliamentary time is given to such bills and as a result only a minority of PMBs actually become law.Private Members' Bills – UK Parliament
/ref> Such bills can be used however to create publicity for a cause or issue and can affect legislation indirectly.


Methods

There are three methods by which a Member of Parliament can introduce a Private Members' Bill: by ballot, by the Ten Minute Rule, and by presentation.


Ballot

Under this method Members who apply are drawn from a ballot and, if successful, are given Parliamentary time for their bill. Members of Parliament who are successful in the ballot often have a higher chance of seeing their legislation passed, as greater Parliamentary time is given to ballots than other methods of passing a PMB such as under the Ten Minute Rule. It is normal for the first seven ballot bills to get one day's debate each.


Ten Minute Rule

The Ten Minute Rule is a method of introducing a PMB after a brief debate. A member speaks for up to ten minutes on a motion under Standing Order 23 to introduce a bill, followed potentially by an opposing member's ten minute speech. If the motion is passed, the bill is introduced and given a formal first reading; it is unlikely to make further progress because it will not be given priority on the parliamentary calendar. The Ten Minute Rule can be used to generate publicity for a particular issue. Often they are used merely as an opportunity to criticise legislation rather than pass a bill.


Presentation

Under this method any Member of Parliament may introduce a PMB if they have previously given an indication that they intend to do so. Members then formally introduce the bill but do not speak to support it. It is rare for a PMB to succeed by this method.


Procedure

The second reading and subsequent readings of Private Members Bills take place on a sitting Friday. The sitting times for debate are 9.30am until 2.30pm, the debates for each bill must be concluded before 2.30pm in order to progress to the next stage of the bill passage. If the debate has not concluded before the time has run out, it will be moved to the bottom of the list of bills to be read and rescheduled for another time. For any sitting Friday there can be as many as 50 bills scheduled for debate on the
order paper The Order Paper is a daily publication in the Westminster system of government which lists the business of parliament for that day's sitting. A separate paper is issued daily for each house of the legislature. The Order Paper provides members ...
, however due to the short amount of time allotted to Friday sittings, Parliament has never progressed further than the 4th bill listed on the order of business for the day.


Criticisms

The current system of Private Members' Bills has been criticised for being easily susceptible to
filibustering A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
. Labour MP
Kerry McCarthy Kerry Gillian McCarthy (born 26 March 1965) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol East since 2005. A member of the Labour Party, she is the Shadow Minister for Climate Change. She was Shadow Secretary ...
has compared the system to the BBC radio game show '' Just a Minute'' but in reverse stating that the more hesitation, deviation and repetition an MP makes the more likely they are to defeat a bill. As Private Members' Bills are debated on Fridays attendance in debates is often poor as Members of Parliament return to their constituency.


Reform proposals

The low number of Private Members' Bill passed has resulted in calls for reform of the PMB system. The
Hansard Society The Hansard Society was formed in the United Kingdom in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. Founded and chaired by Commander Stephen King-Hall, the first subscribers were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The society's co-presidents a ...
has produced reform proposals in a pamphlet called 'Enhancing the Role of Backbench MPs'. The pamphlet calls for greater resourcing of PMBs and changes to the times when Private Members' Bills are debated.Private Members’ Bills: proposals for reform


Recent successful PMBs


1980s


1990s


2000s


2010s


Current parliamentary session

{, class="wikitable" , +2021–22 parliamentary session !Type!!Title of act!!Presented by!!Party!!Constituency , -, - , Ballot, , Animals (Penalty Notices) Act 2022, ,
Andrew Rosindell Andrew Richard Rosindell MP (; born 17 March 1966) is a British Conservative politician. He became the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Romford constituency in Greater London in 2001. He has been the international director of the European ...
, , Conservative, , Romford , - , Ballot, , British Sign Language Act 2022, , Rosie Cooper, , Labour, , West Lancashire , - , Ballot, , Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Act 2022, , Mel Stride, , Conservative, , Central Devon , - , Ballot, , Down Syndrome Act 2022, , Liam Fox, , Conservative, , North Somerset , - , Ballot, , Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022, ,
Mark Jenkinson Mark Ian Jenkinson (born 28 January 1982) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Workington since 2019. Early life and career Jenkinson was born in Whitehaven and raised in Workington. He was e ...
, , Conservative, , Workington , - , Ballot, , Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022, , Jane Stevenson, , Conservative, , Wolverhampton North East , - , Ballot, ,
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Pauline Latham Pauline Elizabeth Latham, (born 4 February 1948) is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Derbyshire. Early life Latham was born on 4 February 1948 in ...
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, , Independent, , Rutherglen & Hamilton West , - , Ballot, , Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022, , Jeremy Wright, , Conservative, , Kenilworth & Southam , - , Ballot, , Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022, ,
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, , Conservative, , Aylesbury , - , Presentation, , Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Act 2022, ,
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, , Conservative, , Wellingborough , -


References


External links


Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom