Procedure on first reading

29.7A bill which has been initiated in the House of Commons and passed through all its stages in that House is brought to the House of Lords by a House of Commons Clerk with a message stating that the Commons have passed the bill. The message is read by the Clerk at the Table as soon as the item of business in progress has ended, and the first reading of the bill (whether a government bill or a Private Members' Bill) is moved forthwith by the Chief Whip or in their absence by another government Whip.

As with Lords bills, the first reading of a bill received from the Commons is agreed to without discussion, both as a matter of courtesy and because at this stage no Lords Member has formally taken charge of it.1 After the first reading has taken place an order is made for the bill to be printed.2 A bill brought from the Commons is not endorsed with the name of the Lords Member in charge of the bill.

Footnotes

  1. 1. There are historic instances of a departure from this practice. The first reading of the Corn Importation Bill in 1846 was opposed (LJ (1846) 418). Attempts were made to oppose first reading of the Social Security Contributions Bill and the Consolidated Fund Bill on 22 December 1981. First reading has been used as an occasion for remarks, for example, discussion of timetable (22 June 1961), protest (25 March 1971) and explanation (19 December 1973).
  2. 2. By convention, Consolidated Fund and Appropriation Bills, or Supply and Appropriation Bills (since 2011), are not published or printed for the Lords, nor are Provisional Order Confirmation Bills unless subsequently amended on Consideration on Report. Other bills requiring expedition may not be printed if they have not been amended since the last Commons print or if the timetable for their consideration by the Lords makes printing impracticable, though they may be published online, for example, LJ (1990–91) 291; Northern Ireland (St Andrew's Agreement) (No 2) Act 2007; Taxation (International and other Provisions) Act 2010; Finance (No. 2) Act 2017.