Italicised provisions

35.26Before the clauses and provisions giving rise to increased expenditure can be considered by the committee on the bill, a Money resolution must be passed to sanction them. When bills introduced into the Commons are first printed, the clauses and provisions which directly create these charges on public expenditure are printed in italics to mark the fact that they do not unconditionally form part of the bill and that no question can be proposed on them unless they have been authorised by a Money resolution.1 (Similarly, no question can be proposed on such clauses and provisions in bills brought from the House of Lords unless they have been so authorised, although italics are not used in the printing of such bills (see para 28.14 ). The words printed in italics must be ‘covered’ by the relevant Money resolution, that is, the expenditure that they authorise may not be larger in amount or more extensive in purpose than that recommended by the Crown. If they are found not to be so covered, they may not be considered in committee until a further resolution covering the deficiency has been agreed to. Alternatively, the italicised words must themselves be amended so as to be brought within the terms of the resolution.

This rule is enforced in committee by the refusal of the Chair to propose the question on a clause, schedule or amendment involving expenditure which is not covered by a Money resolution related to the bill.2 This has been held to apply not only to the direct expenditure provisions which are printed in italics but also to those other clauses which depend on the expenditure provisions for their practical effect.3 On the other hand, those clauses of a bill which do not entail expenditure may be considered before a resolution has been agreed to authorising the other clauses which do entail expenditure.4