Outline the stages of parliamentary law making.

Background Separation of Powers - Government, Parliament and Judiciary Houses of Parliament - Commons and Lords Answer To begin the parliamentary law making process the government will publish a 'Green Paper'. The purpose of this paper is to clearly set out the proposal and invite discussion from stakeholders, such as campaign groups. The next stage is the publication of the 'White paper'. This contains the proposal for the altered or new law, and forms the basis of the 'bill'. The bill is then introduced in parliament, most often beginning in the House of Commons. The process of introducing the bill is known as the 'First reading'. The 'Second Reading' is when the bill is debated in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. If amendments are proposed this must be agreed upon by both houses so the bill often moves between the houses. The 'Third Reading' occurs after the Select Committee makes recommendations for amendments. This process is often described as being similar to playing ping pong. If both Houses can agree the bill will become law following Royal Assent. Extra Reading Handsard for parliamentary debates Examples of white papers or Bills