Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill 2008-09 to 2009-10

Latest news on the Bill

This Bill was considered by a Committee of the Whole House on 3 and 4 November, but ran out of time to complete proceedings. The Committee Stage will be resumed at a date to be confirmaed

A Carry-over motion was moved on 20 October for this Bill, which allows for any proceedings not completed at the end of this Session of Parliament to be resumed in the next Session.

Summary of the Bill

This is a wide-ranging Bill covering a number of different policy areas. Many of the proposals have their origins in the 'Governance of Britain' Green Paper published in July 2007. The content of the Bill as introduced varies in some significant ways from its draft version. New chapters have been added to the Bill and the clauses on the Attorney General which were in the draft Bill are not included.

Key areas

• Establishes a statutory basis for management of the civil service
• Introduces a new parliamentary process for the ratification of treaties
• Provides for the end of by-elections for hereditary peers
• Makes provisions to allow for the suspension, resignation and expulsion of Members of the Lords
• Introduces new rules on protests around Parliament
• Introduces new rules on time limits for human rights actions against devolved administrations
• Makes various provisions relating to judicial office holders, including the removal of the Prime Minister’s role in the process of appointing Supreme Court judges
• Establishes a new corporate structure for the National Audit Office and a limit to the term of appointment to the office of Comptroller and Auditor General
• Introduces measures designed to increase the transparency of financial reporting to Parliament.

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