House of Commons Bills
Bills are proposals for legislation. For a Bill to be passed by Parliament and become an Act of Parliament, it must go through a full examination of its principles and provisions. House of Commons - Making Laws (PDF) gives details of this process.
Since session 1998-99 Bills have been published with accompanying explanatory notes, including legal and political implications.
Types of Bill
These are initiated by the Government, and the majority will become law.
Private Members' Bills
These are promoted by individual MPs. Only a small percentage are successful.
These come from outside Parliament. They are usually put forward by companies, local authorities or educational bodies who are seeking special powers applicable only to them.
Citing a Commons Bill
A citation of a Commons Bill should include the date of publication, title, name of the House in which it originated, date of the parliamentary session, Bill number within square brackets, place of publication and publisher.
eg GREAT BRITAIN. 2011. Betting Shops Bill. HC, 2010-12, . London: Stationery Office.