Review of the Public Bill and Member Bill processes

The Business Committee is reviewing the Senedd’s processes relating to Public Bills and Member Bills to identify what is working well and what could be improved.

 

The information on this page provides more detail about what the Committee is looking at and how you can share your views. All of the information is also available to download as a Microsoft Word document. Information about how to use the accessibility options in the Microsoft Word document is available in an explainer document.

 

Terms of reference

The terms of reference for the review are:

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>>>To explore options for improving the operation and effectiveness of the Senedd’s scrutiny of Public Bills introduced in accordance with Standing Order 26, by reviewing experiences in the Sixth Senedd (and previous Seneddau where relevant), including:

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***Relevant procedures, practices, conventions, culture and ways of working.

***The experience of legislating in a hybrid environment.

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>>>To explore options for improving the operation and effectiveness of the Senedd’s Member Bill process, by:

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***Reviewing experiences in the Sixth Senedd (and previous Seneddau where relevant), including relevant procedures, practices, conventions, culture and ways of working prior to a Member Bill’s introduction (including but not limited to the way in which Members are selected for the opportunity to propose a Bill, the process for gaining ‘leave to proceed’, and the level of information Members are required to provide at these stages).

***Identifying any potential implications for the Member Bill process arising from the increase in the number of Members of the Senedd.

***Identifying and, where appropriate, raising with relevant decision-makers including the Senedd Commission and the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd, issues relating to the resource and support available to Members during the Member Bill process.

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The deadline for submissions to this consultation was Friday 28 March 2025.

 

Information about the Public Bill process and the Member Bill process

One of the Senedd’s main responsibilities is to make laws for Wales. It does this by considering and passing proposed laws. The proposed laws are called Bills.

 

There are rules for the way that the Senedd considers and passes Bills. Some of the rules are in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and others have been agreed by the Senedd in its Standing Orders. There is also formal and informal guidance for Members, staff and the public, and agreed ways of working and conventions have been established.

 

Most Bills are introduced by the Welsh Government, but the rules also allow the Senedd Commission, Senedd committees and individual Members to introduce Bills.

 

Individual Members can only introduce Bills if they have been chosen in one of the Member Bill ballots that the Llywydd must hold from time to time. Members who are chosen in a ballot have 25 working days to get the Senedd’s agreement to introduce their proposed Bill. If the Senedd agrees, the Member then has 13 months to introduce their Bill.

 

More information about the Public Bill process, the Member Bill process, and the areas that the Business Committee’s review is likely to focus on is available in the consultation response form. The information is also available in this accessible Word document.

 

How to share your views

We want to make sure that our work is informed by experiences, needs, and views that reflect the diversity of the people and communities affected by these issues.

 

We encourage anyone with expertise or experience of these issues to share your views, with the full knowledge that your views will be welcomed and valued.

 

There are two different ways to share your views:

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>>>You can complete an online form.

>>>You can email your response to SeneddBusiness@senedd.wales.

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The closing date for sharing your views was 16:00 on Friday 28 March 2025.

 

We would encourage you to keep your response brief and focused on the key points you would like to draw to the Committee’s attention.

 

If you choose to email your response, please also provide the following information:

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>>>Your name and contact details as the person, or organisation, submitting the evidence.

>>>Whether your evidence is submitted as an individual, or on behalf of an organisation.

>>>If you are submitting evidence as an individual, confirmation that you are over 18 years old.

>>>If you are under 13 years old, your parent or guardian’s agreement that you can participate (this can be provided via email).

>>>Confirmation of whether you would prefer that your name is not published alongside your evidence (names of individuals under 18 years old will not be published).

>>>Confirmation of whether you would like the Committee to treat any or all of your written evidence as confidential, with reasons for the request.

>>>If you have referred to a third party in your evidence, such as a parent, spouse or relative, confirmation that they have agreed that you can share information that may be used to identify them and that they understand that it will be published.

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Providing Written Evidence

The Senedd has two official languages, Welsh and English.

 

In line with the Senedd’s Official Languages Scheme, the Committee welcomes contributions in both or either of our official languages, and we ask organisations that are subject to Welsh Language standards or schemes to respond in line with their own obligations. Please inform the Committee when submitting responses if you intend to provide a translation at a later date.

 

Please see guidance for those providing evidence for committees.

 

Disclosure of information

Please ensure that you have considered the Senedd’s policy on disclosure of information before submitting information to the Committee.