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Last updated: 08 July 2009
45.1 A Private Members' Bill (PMB) is a Bill promoted by a private Member 1 of either House of any party who is not a Minister. (It is not a Private Bill, which is a Bill promoted by a body outside Parliament). The Member may have chosen the subject on their own initiative or on that of a non‑Governmental organisation or pressure group; or the Bill may be on a subject on which the Government has indicated it would be prepared to offer its support.
45.2 Whatever its source, the key point for departments is that Ministers will need to write to obtain collective agreement to the Government's position in good time for Second Reading, and the Ministers most directly concerned with the subject will usually need to take part in the debates on the Bill's various stages (including Committee stage) to explain the Government's position.
45.3 If the lead department proposes to support a Private Members' Bill, this will need collective agreement from Legislation Committee and the appropriate policy committee of the Cabinet. The full policy and legislative implications must be considered, including the impact on the devolved administrations, compatibility with the European Convention of Human Rights, regulatory and other impacts and spending implications. Although supporting a Bill will not usually justify the creation of a full Bill team, the lead policy division will need to provide Ministers with the same type of support as for a Government Bill.
45.4 If the lead department proposes to oppose a Private Members' Bill, this position must also be collectively agreed before Second Reading debate.
45.5 The next chapter explains the Parliamentary procedure for Private Members' Bills. The following chapter explains what departments need to do to agree the Government's response to these Bills.
1 In the bulk of this chapter the term applies to Private Members' Bills which originate in the Lords as well as to those which originate in the Commons; the text makes clear where different considerations apply.