Washminster

Washminster
Washminster

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Report Stage

When a bill has completed its committee stage, the whole House of Commons considers the bill at "report stage". The name can cause confusion - there is no report from the committee (as happens in the US Congress). The bill as amended is re-printed.

There is no set period between the committee stage and the report stage. This stage according to Erskine May "is an opportunity for the House to consider afresh the text of the bill. The rules of debate and procedure differ somewhat from those for the committee stage: in particular no question is put for the successive clauses (which become the 'sections' when the bill becomes an Act) and schedules to stand part of the bill"

It is usual in the Commons (but NOT the Lords) for the House to move immediately to the Third Reading. That is why in the details of business before the Commons this appears as "remaining stages".