A new law begins as a "bill". It must usually pass three readings in the House of Commons, three readings in the House of Lords, and receive the formal approval of the monarch (Royal Assent) before it becomes an Act of Parliament. The First Reading is a formal introduction with no debate. The Second Reading debates the principles of the bill.
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A Public Bill Committee then scrutinises the text line by line and may amend it. The amended bill returns to the floor of the House for the Report Stage and then a Third Reading debate. The bill then passes through similar stages in the other chamber. Once both chambers agree on the final text, the monarch grants Royal Assent. Royal Assent has not been refused since 1707.
You may be asked how many readings a bill has in each House (three), what Royal Assent is, or which stage involves line-by-line scrutiny (the Committee Stage).
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