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When a bill is withdrawn, it is no longer considered by the House.
It is not unusual for a bill to be withdrawn. They may be withdrawn for many reasons. For example, other proposed legislation may be covering the same topic, or the member might decide the timing is not right. Sometimes members and select committees may receive expert advice about possible negative effects of the bill. MPs may choose to withdraw bills if lots of members of the public are against the bill.
How are bills withdrawn?
The promoters of local and private bills may withdraw them at any time. They do this by telling the Speaker in writing that the bill is being withdrawn. Select committees stop all consideration of the bill, and don’t report on it. If the bill promoter wants to reintroduce it to the House at a later date, they must start the process of bill promotion all over again.
Government, members’, private and local bills may also be withdrawn by discharging an order of the day. There are three ways of discharging bills like this:
- The member in charge of the bill tells the Clerk of the House,
- The Business Committee makes a determination to discharge the order of the day,
- A motion without notice is moved when the order is reached in the House.
Unlike a withdrawn local or private bill, a discharged order of the day can be brought back by a motion on notice. Bills that are before select committees can’t be discharged in this way.