Evidence-taking Public Bill Committees
The procedure by which the House of Commons considers legislation changed from the start of the 2006-07 Parliamentary Session. The changes arose from The Legislative Process, a Report from the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons published in September 2006, which stated:
"An effective, democratic legislative process must be as open as possible. This means not only that the public should be able to observe every aspect of it, but that they should wherever possible have the opportunity to become involved as active participants. This is a fundamental point of democratic principle, but also a prudent strategy. Members of Parliament have no monopoly on wisdom; the Government has no monopoly on effective consultation. A system which allows the individual or organisation who has spotted a way in which a pending piece of legislation might affect them to bring this readily to the attention of the legislature is less likely to produce laws which are defective or redundant, or which lead to unintended (even unforeseen) consequences" (paragraph 2).
The report was debated in the House of Commons on 1 November 2006, and changes were made to the House's standing orders relating to the legislative process. The main changes relating to Public Bill Committees are as follows:
New name
Standing Committees on Bills are now called Public Bill Committees. Individual Committees are named after the relevant Bill, e.g. the Offender Management Bill Committee. This makes it easier to tell what the Committee really does and which Bill it is considering.
Further information can be found through the House of Commons Information Office Factsheets, Legislative Series:
Evidence-taking powers
Public Bill Committees now have power to receive written evidence from outside organisations and members of the public, and to take oral evidence from interested parties, in the same way as Select Committees do, as part of their consideration of the Bill.
Written evidence
Anyone can submit written evidence to a Public Bill Committee.
Guidance on Written Submissions
Once the Committee has sat for the last time, no more evidence can be received.
The written evidence that the Committee decides to publish will be available on the internet as soon as possible after the Committee has started sitting, and may also be printed in hard copy at the end of the Committee's deliberations.
Oral evidence
Public Bill Committees usually take oral evidence at the start of proceedings, starting with evidence from the relevant Minister or Ministers and Departmental officials. This is in line with the Modernisation Committee's intent to "give the Minister a chance to respond to questions from the Committee, a process which is likely to be more fruitful that a series of debates on 'probing' amendments".
Further witnesses may also be called, in a programme which will be agreed by the Committee at its first meeting. These are likely to include related agencies, interested non-governmental organisations and lobby groups and even individuals with an interest.
If you think you or your organisation should be considered to give evidence to a Public Bill Committee, your first point of contact should be the Departmental officials responsible for the Bill.
Contacting government departments
All meetings of Public Bill Committees take place in public, except for a brief private session in which MPs on the committee discuss the line of questioning to witnesses. Meetings will be recorded by Hansard, with the official record usually available the following day in hard copy and on the Parliamentary website. Anyone can attend to watch proceedings, and no notice need be given. Please note that seats cannot be reserved.
Attending a Public Bill Committee evidence session
Debating the Bill
After the Committee has taken oral evidence, it goes through the bill, debating each clause of the Bill and any amendments proposed to the text. Once the Committee has gone through the Bill, it reports the Bill - in its amended form, if changes have been made - back to the House.
Further information
How Parliament works - Public Bills
Public Bills before Parliament currently under consideration by Public Bill Committees.
