– in the Scottish Parliament at on 14 March 2024.
Alison Johnstone
Green
The next item of business is consideration of motion S6M-12479, in the name of Angela Constance, on the legislative consent motion on the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation.
Motion moved,
That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 8 November 2023, relating to investigatory powers, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, should be considered by the UK Parliament.—[
Angela Constance
]
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
