Change of long or short title

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28.123If the long title of the bill has been amended, it is laid down in Standing Order No 65 that such amendment must be specially reported.1

If the citation clause of a bill has been amended (see para 28.119 ), it is necessary, in consequence, to change the short title by which the bill is known. The entry in the Votes and Proceedings and the Journal describes the bill as ‘… Bill (changed to … Bill)’. When the next stage is put down on the Order of Business, the new title is put first, eg ‘… Bill (changed from … Bill),’ but in all subsequent proceedings the new title only is employed.2 Lords bills, however, continue to be referred to as ‘… Bill [Lords] (changed to … Bill [Lords])’ until the relevant amendment has been agreed to by the Lords.3

If the short title has been changed by an amendment made by the Lords, on its return to the Commons, the bill is described as ‘… Bill (changed to … Bill)’ until the Lords amendments are agreed to. The changed title is used in any subsequent references.4

Footnotes

  1. 1. CJ (1860) 343; ibid (1865) 95; ibid (1933–34) 150, 161; ibid (1934–35) 208 (on re-committal); ibid (1966–67) 559; ibid (1979–80) 130, etc See also HC Deb (1914) 64, c 2117.
  2. 2. For example, CJ (1933–34) 254; ibid (1985–86) 287, 310, 341. For examples relating to bills completing remaining stages immediately after a change of short title in Committee of the whole House, see Stamp Duty Land Tax (Reduction) Bill changed to Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Bill, Votes and Proceedings, 10 January 2023, and Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill changed to Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Organ and Tissue Donation) Bill, Votes and Proceedings, 22 February 2023.
  3. 3. For example, Merchant Shipping Bill [Lords] 1983–84.
  4. 4. For example, CJ (1981–82) 452, 458; ibid (1992–93) 653, 673, 675; Votes and Proceedings, 26 March 2019.