Outline of the 2015 standing orders

27.8The EVEL standing orders were applicable only to government bills and to statutory instruments that were to be subject to certain further proceedings. The starting point for the application of the procedures in almost all cases was a system of certification, whereby the Speaker determined if a bill, provisions within a bill or an entire instrument met the two criteria: relating exclusively to England or to England and Wales, and within devolved legislative competence.

In relation to bills or provisions within them that were certified, an additional legislative stage was required when all other stages prior to third reading had been completed, under which Members representing only constituencies in England, or England and Wales, gave legislative consent in respect of the certified bill or provisions. This took place on the floor of the House in a Legislative Grand Committee or Legislative Grand Committees. Further stages were provided for in cases where no consent motion was agreed to or the motion or motions did not relate to all certified provisions, but, as consent was invariably obtained, none of these stages were ever required.

The principle of legislative consent in relation to provisions which related exclusively to a relevant territorial area and were within devolved legislative competence applied to consideration of Lords Amendments to a qualifying Commons bill and Lords messages in respect of subsequent stages on such bills and the stages arising from Commons amendments to a Lords bill.

Although the new procedures operated generally in relation only to legislation relating exclusively to England, or England and Wales, standing orders provided for adaptations of the procedures in respect of taxation measures which could apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to the tax powers of the Scottish Parliament. This affected Finance Bills, motions for founding resolutions for such bills and certain financial instruments.