Legislative programme
Encyclopedia
A legislative programme is a list of bill
s which the United Kingdom government intends to introduce to Parliament during a parliamentary session
. The programme is an outline of the Government's intended direction and emphases in the coming year. According to the Cabinet Office
, the "Legislative Programme sets out the UK Government's plans for legislative and key non-legislative action in next year's Parliamentary session."
The programme contains the names and summaries of the laws which the executive intends to produce in the following year. It is compiled by the Government and approved by the Cabinet, before the Monarch delivers the programme in the Speech from the Throne
in November. The speech is given from the throne
in the House of Lords
before members of the Houses of Commons and Lords during the State Opening of Parliament
on the first day of the annual parliamentary session.
After the programme is delivered, it is debated in both Houses. Individual bills in the programme are introduced by the government over the course of the parliamentary session. The government is not bound by the programme and is not required fulfill the programme during the session.
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
s which the United Kingdom government intends to introduce to Parliament during a parliamentary session
Parliamentary session
A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections...
. The programme is an outline of the Government's intended direction and emphases in the coming year. According to the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
, the "Legislative Programme sets out the UK Government's plans for legislative and key non-legislative action in next year's Parliamentary session."
The programme contains the names and summaries of the laws which the executive intends to produce in the following year. It is compiled by the Government and approved by the Cabinet, before the Monarch delivers the programme in the Speech from the Throne
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
in November. The speech is given from the throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
before members of the Houses of Commons and Lords during the State Opening of Parliament
State Opening of Parliament
In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles...
on the first day of the annual parliamentary session.
After the programme is delivered, it is debated in both Houses. Individual bills in the programme are introduced by the government over the course of the parliamentary session. The government is not bound by the programme and is not required fulfill the programme during the session.
Recent legislative programmes
The following is a list of recent legislative programmes in reverse chronological order. The year listed indicates the year of the start of the parliamentary session, which continues into the following year.| Year | Number of bills | Prime Minister | Date of commencement | Text of speech | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18 | Gordon Brown | 3 December 2008 | n/a | |
| 2007 2007 Legislative Programme The 2007 Legislative Programme was drawn up by the Government of the United Kingdom for the parliamentary session beginning 6 November 2007 and ending on the 22 July 2008... |
29 | Gordon Brown | 6 November 2007 | http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/page2136.asp | |
| 2006 | 29 | Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... |
15 November 2006 | http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page10419.asp | |
| 2005 | 45 | Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... |
17 November 2005 | http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page7488.asp |