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Creating and drafting a UK Private Bill

Owned by Matt Lynch
Last updated: 25 Aug 2022 by Sarah Cogan (Unlicensed)
3 min read

This page outlines how you can create a UK Private Bill and the specific features in Lawmaker to help you do that.

Creating a private Bill

You can create a private Bill project in the same way as you would create a public Bill but by selecting “UK Private Bill” as the project type - see Creating a new project for general help here.

When you create a Private Bill project, an empty document based on the private Bill template will be opened in the Editor. Key features of the template where it differs from the public Bill template:

  • Front and back covers are included within the template

  • An empty explanatory note element is included within the front cover

  • The ECHR statement on the cover is the default statement for a private Bill

  • The preamble contains the standard private Bill text (Starting “WHEREAS-”)

  • The back cover has a placeholder to enter the session year and an empty promoter block

Adding content to the explanatory note and preamble

Click on the “Text” placeholder on the front cover and start typing to add content to the explanatory note.

The explanatory note can consist of one or more paragraphs of text. To add additional paragraphs click Enter and select “Paragraph”.

To add numbered paragraphs to the preamble, place your cursor immediately after “WHEREAS-” and press Enter. Select “Paragraph (1)” to insert a paragraph starting with the number (1). You can repeat this to add further numbered paragraphs.

Within those paragraphs it is possible to insert sub-paragraphs by selecting “Paragraph (a)” from the menu when you click Enter.

See https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/UM/pages/8978762 for general help with inserting additional provisions.

Inserting front and back covers and table of contents.

Although the template contains the front and back covers by default, you can re-insert them in the same way you would with a public Bill. You can also insert a table of contents,

Use the Insert menu in the toolbar and select Insert Front Cover, Insert Back Cover or Insert Table of Contents.

See Inserting UK Bill and Act front and back covers for more general help with covers and Inserting table of contents for tables of contents.

Adding promoter/sponsor details to the back cover

The details of the promoter can be added directly in the fields that exist in the default back cover. The name will appear in all caps and the role will be in italics.

To add an additional line to the address, click Enter and select “Location”. That will insert an additional location element and you can type into that.

Additional promoters/sponsors can be added by placing your cursor within an existing promoter’s details, clicking Enter and selecting “Promoter”. That will insert the same placeholders as exist on the default placeholder, i.e. name, address line 1, address line 2 and role.

Converting a Private Bill into a Local Act

To create an Act version of a Private Bill, follow the same approach as you would for a public Bill, using the Duplicate Version feature on the Project Tab.

See Converting a UK Bill into an Act.

When you convert a Private Bill to a Local Act, the following should happen:

  • In the Bill title, "Bill" is replaced with the word "Act".

  • The Act year will appear at the end of the Act title.

  • The front cover will show the updated short title and the chapter number will show underneath.

  • The Explanatory Note will be removed.

  • The version rubric will no longer be displayed.

  • The version rubric will no longer be displayed on the cover or preface.

  • The preface displays the act year and chapter number under the short title (Act Title).

  • Assent date will appear under the long title (right-aligned)  in the preface.

  • The back cover will be removed.

  • The XML root element becomes <act name="ukla"> rather than <bill name=”ukprib”>.

Generating PDFs of private Bills and Local Acts

You can generate a PDF of a Private Bill or Local Act in the same way you would for a public Bill or Act. This includes generating line numbering for a Bill.

See Generating and viewing a PDF .

Publishing Private Bills and sharing Local Acts with TNA

You can publish a Private Bill in the same way that you would publish a Bill. See Publishing bills .

You can share a Local Act with TNA in the same way that would share a UKPGA.