European Union (Approvals) Bill: Committee and remaining stages
14 December 2015 (updated on 14 December 2015)
MPs considered the European Union (Approvals) Bill in a Committee of the whole House, followed by Report stage and Third Reading, on Monday 14 December 2015.
The Minister for Employment, Priti Patel, opened the debate. The Bill passed the Committee and remaining stages without amendment.
- Watch Parliament TV: Committee and remaining stages of the European Union (Approvals) Bill
- Read Commons Hansard: Committee and the remaining stages of the European Union (Approvals) Bill
- Read current Parliamentary material in Topics: EU law and treaties
Related information
Summary of the European Union (Approvals) Bill
A Bill to make provision approving for the purposes of section 8 of the European Union Act 2011 certain draft decisions under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Progress of the Bill
The European Union (Approvals) Bill is a public Bill introduced to parliament by the government. The Bill passed Second Reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday 3 November 2015.
The Bill will be considered by a Committee of the whole House on Monday 14 December 2015, followed by the Report and Third Reading stages on the same day.
Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation, including amendment papers on the European Union (Approvals) Bill and find out how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
House of Commons Library analysis
The House of Commons Library produces briefing papers to inform MPs of key issues. The papers contain factual information and a range of opinions on each subject, and aim to be politically impartial. The Library has published the following briefing papers for the Committee stage.
What happens at a Committee of the Whole House?
When a Bill passes its Second Reading and is considered in detailed, this usually takes place in a Public Bill Committee held outside the Chamber and made up of between 16 and 20 MPs.
Occasionally a Bill will be considered by a Committee of the whole House and this discussion takes place in the Chamber itself, where all MPs can take part.
Any Bill can be referred to a Committee of the whole House, but the procedure is normally reserved for finance Bills and other important or controversial legislation.
What happens next?
The Bill will be considered at Report and Third Reading stages immediately after Committee of the whole House.
What is the Report stage of a bill?
The Report stage gives MPs an opportunity, on the floor of the House, to consider any further amendments (proposals for change) to a Bill which has been examined in a Public Bill Committee or on the floor of the House. There is no set time period between the end of Committee stage and the start of the Report stage.
What happens at Report stage?
All MPs may speak and vote. For lengthy or complex Bills, the debates may be spread over several days. All MPs can suggest amendments to the Bill or new clauses (parts) that they think should be added.
What happens after Report stage?
Report stage is usually followed immediately by debate on the Bill's Third Reading.
What happens at Third Reading?
Debate on the Bill is usually short, and limited to what is actually in the Bill, rather than, as at Second Reading, what might have been included.
Amendments (proposals for change) cannot be made to a Bill at a Third Reading in the Commons. At the end of the debate, the House decides (votes on) whether to approve the Third Reading of the Bill.
What happens after Third Reading?
If the Bill started in the Commons it goes to the House of Lords for its First Reading.
If the Bill started in the Lords it returns to the House of Lords for consideration of any amendments the Commons has made.
Watching proceedings from the public gallery
UK residents and overseas visitors can watch proceedings in the House of Commons by visiting the public gallery.
This article was produced by the Commons Digital Outreach Team. Follow the@HouseofCommons on Twitter for updates on the UK House of Commons Chamber.