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.

 

Public 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.

 

Member Bill process

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.

 

The Business Committee’s reviews

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 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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Evidence gathering

Phase 1

The Committee launched a call for written evidence on 20 January 2025. The consultation closed on 28 March 2025 and the responses have been published. In addition to the call for written evidence:

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>>>The Committee conducted interviews and group discussions between February and March 2025 with:

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***Former and current Members of the Senedd with experience of being selected in Member Bill ballots;

***Senedd Commission officials with experience of being part of Member Bill teams;

***Current Members of the House of Commons, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament with experience of engaging with their legislature’s Member Bill process.

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>>>The Committee held a drop-in session on 11 March 2025 for current Senedd Members to share their views on the legislative scrutiny process for Public Bills, and Member Bills.

>>>The Committee invited the Chairs’ Forum, on 31 March 2025, to share its views on the legislative scrutiny process for Public Bills, and Member Bills.

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Phase 2

After considering the evidence gathered during the first phase and any relevant recommendations made by the Future Senedd Committee, the Business Committee may seek further, targeted evidence to help it to develop proposals.

 

In October 2025, the Business Committee wrote to Senedd committees involved in the scrutiny of Bills introduced in the final year of the Sixth Senedd for which the Welsh Government published a pre-introduction version prior to formal introduction. Responses were received from:

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>>>The Finance Committee

>>>The Member Accountability Bill Committee

>>>The Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

>>>The Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee

>>>Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

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