Report Stage

Report Stage - also sometimes known as Consideration Stage - is the stage in the legislative process when a Bill as amended in Committee Stage is reviewed.

Stages a bill must pass in both the Commons and Lords

First reading: The title of a bill is read out and copies of it are printed but no debate takes place.

Second reading: A debate on the general principles of a bill.

Committee stage: Members subject a bill to line-by-line examination.

Report stage: A review of a bill that has been amended at committee stage.

Third reading: The House takes an overview of the bill as finally amended - before passing it on.

Further amendments, and changes to amendments made at Committee Stage, may be made at this time.

All members may speak and vote at Report Stage - unlike the usual procedure at Committee Stage, when only members on the Public Bill Committee can take part.

However, if Committee Stage was taken by a Committee of the Whole House - i.e. all members were able to contribute to the scrutiny of the bill - and the bill was not amended then it skips Report Stage and goes straight on to the next stage, Third Reading.