The Parliament Acts
Usually, both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have to pass a bill for it to become law. However, under certain circumstances, a bill can be passed without the agreement of the Lords; these circumstances are set out in the Parliament Act 1911, which was updated by the Parliament Act 1949.
Why were the Parliament Acts brought into force?
Until the early years of the 20th century, the House of Lords had the power to veto (or stop) legislation. However, this arrangement was put under pressure when the House of Lords refused to pass David Lloyd-George's 'people's budget' of 1909. Eventually, the budget was passed after a general election in 1910, but a second general election was then fought on the issue of reform of the House of Lords.
The result was the Parliament Act 1911, which removed the power of the House of Lords to veto a bill, except one to extend the lifetime of a Parliament. Instead, the House of Lords could delay a bill by up to two years. The Act also reduced the maximum lifespan of a Parliament from seven years to five years.
The Parliament Act 1949 further reduced the Lords' delaying powers to one year.
Bills subject to the Parliament Acts
The Parliament Acts allow money bills to be passed without the approval of the House of Lords.
Money bills (designed to raise money through taxes or spend public money) start in the House of Commons and must receive Royal Assent no later than a month after being introduced in the Lords, even if the Lords has not passed them. The Lords cannot amend money bills.
Most other public bills introduced in the House of Commons can be held up by the Lords if they disagree with them for about a year. Ultimately, the House of Commons can reintroduce them in the following session and pass them without the consent of the Lords.
Bills not subject to the Parliament Acts
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bills prolonging the length of a Parliament beyond five years
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private bills
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bills sent to the Lords less than a month before the end of a session
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bills which start in the House of Lords
Find out more in the MP’s Guide to Procedure: Parliament Acts
How many bills have become acts under the Parliament Acts procedure?
Only seven bills have become acts under this procedure:
Government of Ireland Act 1914
Welsh Church Act 1914
Parliament Act 1949
War Crimes Act 1991
European Parliament Elections Act 1999
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
Hunting Act 2004
Three bills have been introduced in a second session with a view to invoking the Parliament Act procedure, but all were eventually agreed by the House of Lords in the second session:
Temperance (Scotland) Bill 1913
Trade Union and Labour Relations Bill 1975-76
Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill 1976-77
The Salisbury Convention
The Salisbury Convention ensures that government bills can pass through the House of Lords when the government of the day has no majority in the Lords.
In practice, it means that the Lords do not vote down a government bill mentioned in an election manifesto.
Read the Commons Library briefing papers on the Parliament Acts and on the Conventions on the relationship between the House of Commons and House of Lords for more information.