Government Bills of the 2016-17 Session


25 Bills received Royal Assent

These Bills are enacted into law as Acts of Parliament following completion of the Bill Process.
Acts of Parliament come into effect at midnight following Royal Assent, unless a date is specified within the Act.
Introduced: 19th May 2016

A Bill to make provision about bus services; and for connected purposes

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 19th May 2016

A Bill to make provision about looked-after children; to make other provision in relation to the welfare of children; and to make provision about the regulation of social workers.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to amend the amount of the limit in section 15 of the Commonwealth Development Corporation Act 1999 on the government’s financial assistance.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd February 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 13th October 2016

A Bill to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; make provision in connection with terrorist property; create corporate offences for cases where a person associated with a body corporate or partnership facilitates the commission by another person of a tax evasion offence; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 19th May 2016

A Bill to enable the United Kingdom to implement the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 and the Protocols to that Convention of 1954 and 1999

This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd February 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 5th July 2016

A Bill To make provision about electronic communications infrastructure and services; to provide for restricting access to online pornography; to make provision about protection of intellectual property in connection with electronic communications; to make provision about data-sharing; to make provision about functions of OFCOM in relation to the BBC; to provide for determination by the BBC of age-related TV licence fee concessions; to make provision about the regulation of direct marketing; to make other provision about OFCOM and its functions; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to confer power on the Prime Minister to notify, under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the EU.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th March 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 14th March 2017

A Bill to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the national debt and the public revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 11th April 2016

A Bill to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the National Debt and the Public Revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 15th September 2016 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision in connection with controlling the cost of health service medicines and other medical supplies; to make provision in connection with the provision of pricing and other information by those manufacturing, distributing or supplying those medicines and supplies, and other related products, and the disclosure of that information; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 17th December 2013

This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd February 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 19th May 2016

A Bill to make provision about higher education and research; and to make provision about alternative payments to students in higher or further education.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.


The Bill was considered at and  on Tuesday 21 March 2017 and passed and will now be returned to the House of Lords without amendment and so awaits Royal Assent. A Bill to amend the law relating to unjustified threats to bring proceedings for infringement of patents, registered trade marks, rights in registered designs, design right or Community designs.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 15th March 2016

A Bill to make provision about the interception of communications, equipment interference and the acquisition and retention of communications data, bulk personal datasets and other information; to make provision about the treatment of material held as a result of such interception, equipment interference or acquisition or retention; to establish the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and other Judicial Commissioners and make provision about them and other oversight arrangements; to make further provision about investigatory powers and national security; to amend sections 3 and 5 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th November 2016 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 11th October 2016

A Bill to make provision for the national citizen service.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 7th September 2016

A Bill to make provision about planning and compulsory purchase; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 20th April 2017

A Bill to extend the period of time for making Ministerial appointments following the election of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 March 2017, and to make provision about the regional rate in Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2018.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.


A bill to make provision about pension schemes

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 7th March 2016

A Bill to make provision for collaboration between the emergency services; to make provision about the handling of police complaints and other matters relating to police conduct and to make further provision about the Independent Police Complaints Commission; to make provision for super-complaints about policing; to make provision for the investigation of concerns about policing raised by whistle-blowers; to make provision about police discipline; to make provision about police inspection; to make provision about the powers of police civilian staff and police volunteers; to remove the powers of the police to appoint traffic wardens; to enable provision to be made to alter police ranks; to make provision about the Police Federation; to make provision in connection with the replacement of the Association of Chief Police Officers with the National Police Chiefs’ Council; to make provision about the system for bail after arrest but before charge; to make provision to enable greater use of modern technology at police stations; to make other amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; to amend the powers of the police under the Mental Health Act 1983; to extend the powers of the police in relation to maritime enforcement; to make provision about deputy police and crime commissioners; to make provision to enable changes to the names of police areas; to make provision about the regulation of firearms; to make provision about the licensing of alcohol; to make provision about the implementation and enforcement of financial sanctions; to amend the Police Act 1996 to make further provision about police collaboration; to make provision about the powers of the National Crime Agency; to make provision for requiring arrested persons to provide details of nationality; to make provision for requiring defendants in criminal proceedings to provide details of nationality and other information; to make provision to combat the sexual exploitation of children; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 31st January 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 6th September 2016

A Bill to make provision for, and in connection with, government bonuses in respect of additions to savings accounts and other investment plans.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th January 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 14th September 2016

A Bill to make provision about the payment schemes established by the Small Charitable Donations Act 2012 and the Childcare Payments Act 2014.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th January 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 28th February 2017

A Bill to Authorise the use of resources for the years ending with 31 March 2015, 31 March 2016, 31 March 2017 and 31 March 2018; to authorise the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for the years ending 31 March 2017 and 31 March 2018; and to appropriate the supply authorised by this Act for the years ending with 31 March 2015, 31 March 2016 and 31 March 2017.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th March 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 4th July 2016

A Bill To Authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2017; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2016.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 20th July 2016 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 27th October 2016

A Bill to make provision about technical and further education.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th April 2017 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 7th June 2016

A Bill to amend the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Wales Act 2014 and to make provision about the functions of the Welsh Ministers and about Welsh tribunals; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 31st January 2017 and was enacted into law.


3 Bills progressed beyond Second Reading in the first house

These bills have passed the first substantive debate on the initial draft of the Bill (Second Reading) and are now in the process of review and amendment of bill text by a Bill Committee. For the Commons, Bill Committees are formed of around 20 MPs, whereas in the Lords, a Committee of the Whole House is usually formed.

For Commons Private Members Bills, the most difficult hurdle is to pass Second Reading, due to lack of time for the debate. Since 1986, every Government Bill has passed Second Reading.

Introduced: 13th January 2017

A Bill To Make provision about non-domestic rating in England; to amend Chapter 4ZA of Part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992; to confer power on the Greater London Authority and certain local authorities in England to impose levies on non-domestic ratepayers to raise money for expenditure on projects expected to promote economic development; to confer power on certain local authorities in England to impose a levy on persons with certain property interests in a business improvement district to finance projects to be carried out in the district; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 60%

Last Event - Committee Debate: 9th Sitting: House Of Commons
Tuesday 21st February 2017
Introduced: 23rd February 2017

A Bill to make provision about prisons; make provision about practice and procedure in courts and tribunals, organisation of courts and tribunals, functions of the judiciary and of courts and tribunals and their staff, appointment and deployment of the judiciary, and functions of the Judicial Appointments Commission; and make provision about whiplash claims.

Commons - 60%

Last Event - Committee Stage: House Of Commons
Thursday 20th April 2017
Introduced: 22nd February 2017

A Bill to make provision about automated vehicles, electric vehicles, vehicle testing and civil aviation; to create an offence of shining or directing a laser at a vehicle; and to make provision about fees for courses offered as an alternative to prosecution for road traffic offences.

Commons - 60%

Last Event - Committee Debate: 7th Sititing: House Of Commons
Thursday 23rd March 2017