UK Parliament: How Bills Get Carried Over Between Sessions

This episode explores bill carry-over in the UK Parliament, a procedure that allows public bills to continue their progress from one parliamentary session to the next instead of falling at the end of a session. Initially suggested by the Modernisation Committee in 1997 to reduce legislative workload fluctuations and improve scrutiny, carry-over aims to increase flexibility in the legislative process. Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have adopted procedures for this, though the specific rules and frequency of use differ between the two Houses.

Key Takeaways

• Carry-over was first introduced on an experimental basis in the House of Commons in October 2002.
• Permanent procedures for carry-over were established in the House of Commons with Standing Order No 80A on 26 October 2004.
• Under Standing Order No 80A, proceedings on a carried-over bill usually lapse one year after its first reading, although motions can be agreed to extend this period. Extensions have been used for numerous bills.
• Specific arrangements were made in December 2011 to allow bills brought in upon a Ways and Means resolution (like Finance Bills) to be carried over under Standing Order No 80B.
• It is generally not possible for public bills (other than hybrid bills) to be carried over across a dissolution of Parliament.
• Three carry-over motions agreed before the 2017 general election did not take effect because the bills fell upon dissolution.
• On occasion, motions have allowed a two-year expiry period for carry-over instead of the standard one year, as seen with the Environment Bill 2019–21 and others.
• The House of Lords also has a procedure for carry-over, agreed in July 2002, often linked to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Discussion: Carry-over is seen as increasing flexibility in the legislative process, but some argue it weakens the traditional sessional discipline on the government. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of allowing bills to span parliamentary sessions?

Source: Carry-over of Public Bills - Research Briefing

Support the show

Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes Mon-Thurs: thebenchreport.co.uk

Subscribe to our Substack for in depth analysis of debates past and present.

Shape our next episode or article! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!

Email us: [email protected]

Follow us on YouTube, X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram @BenchReportUK

Support us for bonus and extended episodes + more.

No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....