HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

Consolidation bills
8.204 Consolidation bills, which are invariably introduced in the House of
Lords, are bills that fall into the following categories:
(a) consolidation bills, whether public or private, which are limited to
re-enacting existing law;
(b) bills to consolidate any enactments with amendments to give
effect to recommendations made by the Law Commissions;
(c) statute law repeals bills, prepared by the Law Commissions to
promote the reform of the statute law by the repeal of
enactments which are no longer of practical utility;
(d) statute law revision bills, which are limited to the repeal of
obsolete, spent, unnecessary or superseded enactments;
(e) bills prepared under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure)
Act 1949, which include corrections and minor improvements to
the existing law.
8.205 Almost all such bills now fall within categories (a) to (c).
8.206 Bills which re-enact in the form in which they apply to Scotland
the provisions of United Kingdom Acts, 1 and consequential provisions
bills which, although not consolidation bills, contain ancillary provisions
normally found in a consolidation bill and form part of a consolidation, 2
have also on occasion been specifically referred to the Joint Committee
on Consolidation Bills on motion. If the motion is agreed to, a message is
sent to the Commons to ask for their agreement.
8.207 On second reading the Lord in charge of the bill may indicate to
the House the category into which each bill falls. The bill is then
automatically referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills. 3
Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills
8.208 The committee consists of 12 members of each House, the Lords
members being nominated by the Committee of Selection. 4 It is normally
1 LJ (1972–73) 383.
2 Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills 4th Rpt 1987–88.
3 SO 51.
4 Report of the Select Committee on the Speakership of the House of Lords, HL Paper 92
2005–06.
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