What happens at first reading of a bill
First reading is the formal start of a bill’s journey through the UK Parliament. The bill’s short title is read out, the bill is ordered to be printed, and a date is set for second reading. There is no debate and no vote at this stage: first reading is a notice that the bill exists, not a test of whether Parliament supports it.
What actually happens in the chamber
In the House of Commons, the member in charge of the bill, usually a government minister, brings it to the Table and one of the clerks reads out its short title. That is the whole ceremony. The House then orders the bill to be printed, and it is published along with explanatory notes that set out, clause by clause, what the government says each part does.
The House of Lords does much the same when a bill starts there or arrives from the Commons: the title is read, the bill is printed, and the substantive argument is saved for later stages.
Why a stage with no debate still matters
First reading is when the text of the bill becomes public. Until this point a bill may exist only as a manifesto line, a white paper or a briefing to journalists; from first reading there is a printed text that ministers can be held to and lawyers, campaigners and affected organisations can read.
For anyone tracking legislation professionally, first reading is the moment to start. The printed text fixes the terms of the argument: every amendment at every later stage is drafted against it. Reading the bill and its explanatory notes at first reading, before positions harden at second reading, is when engagement is cheapest and most likely to land.
A bill can start in either House
Government bills are introduced in whichever House suits the legislative timetable, so a first reading can happen in the Commons or the Lords. Bills whose main purpose is taxation or public spending start in the Commons. Whichever House a bill starts in, it must pass through both, and it receives a fresh, formal first reading when it arrives in the second House.
What happens next
Second reading follows, usually a few weeks later. By convention the Commons leaves at least two weekends between a government bill’s first reading and its second, so that members and those affected have time to read it. Second reading is the first debate and the first vote: the House decides whether the bill should proceed at all.
Bills at this stage right now
From official parliamentary data, most recently updated first.
- Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill [HL] · 21 July 2026
- Marine Protected Areas (Bottom Trawling) (England) Bill · 13 May 2026
- Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill [HL] · 6 May 2026
- Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill [HL] · 5 May 2026
- Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill [HL] · 5 May 2026
- Mortgage Prisoners Inquiry Bill [HL] · 5 May 2026
- Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill [HL] · 1 May 2026
- Hares (Close Season) Bill [HL] · 30 April 2026
- Ministry for Poverty Prevention Bill [HL] · 30 April 2026
- Public Service (Ethics, Integrity and Independence) Bill [HL] · 30 April 2026
- Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill [HL] · 30 April 2026
- Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill [HL] · 30 April 2026
Related guides
Emily tracks every bill through these stages for her clients: alerts when one moves, briefings on what it means, and who to talk to about it.
Get Emily on your issues