A Private Members' bill (PMB) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom is a type of public bill that can be introduced by either members of the House of Commons or House of Lords who are not ministers. Less parliamentary time is given to such bills and as a result only a minority of PMBs actually become law. Such bills can be used however to create publicity for a cause or issue and can affect legislation indirectly. Under section 14(8) of the Standing Orders, Priority is given in thirteen Fridays in each session, with the exact Fridays appointed by the House.
Methods There are three methods by which a Member of Parliament can introduce a Private Members' bill: by ballot, by the Ten Minute Rule, and by presentation.
Ballot
Under this method Members who apply are drawn from a ballot and, if successful, are given parliamentary time for their bill. Members of Parliament who are successful in the ballot often have a higher chance of seeing their legislation passed, as greater parliamentary time is given to ballots than other methods of passing a PMB such as under the Ten Minute Rule. It is normal for the first seven ballot bills to get one day's debate each.
Members drawn in the ballot for 2025-26 were:
Sir Desmond Swayne, New Forest West (Conservative) Lauren Edwards, Rochester and Strood (Labour) Mike Wood, Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Conservative) Andrew George, St Ives (Liberal Democrat) Dr Luke Evans, Hinckley and Bosworth (Conservative) Sir John Whittingdale, Molden (Conservative) Jessica Toale, Bournemouth West (Labour) Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Solihull West and Shirley (Conservative) Gareth Snell, Stoke-on-Trent Central(Labour) Lincoln Jopp, Spelthorne (Conservative) Patricia Ferguson, Glasgow West (Labour) Robert Jenrick, Newark (Reform UK) Damian Hinds, East Hampshire (Conservative) Alistair Strathern, Hitchin (Labour) Clive Jones, Wokingham (Liberal Democrat) Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle (Conservative) Munira Wilson, Twickenham (Liberal Democrat) Steff Aquarone, North Norfolk (Liberal Democrat) Mr Paul Foster, South Ribble (Labour) David Pinto-Duschinsky, Hendon (Labour)
Ten Minute Rule
The Ten Minute Rule is a method of introducing a PMB after a brief debate. A member speaks for up to ten minutes on a motion under Standing Order 23 to introduce a bill, followed potentially by an opposing member's ten minute speech. If the motion is passed, the bill is introduced and given a formal first reading; it is unlikely to make further progress because it will not be given priority on the parliamentary calendar. The Ten Minute Rule can be used to generate publicity for a particular issue. Often they are used merely as an opportunity to criticise legislation rather than pass a bill.
Presentation Under section 57 of the Standing Orders, any Member of Parliament may introduce a PMB if they have previously given an indication that they intend to do so. Members then formally introduce the bill but do not speak to support it. It is rare for a PMB to succeed by this method.
Procedure The second reading and subsequent readings of Private Members' bills take place on a sitting Friday. The sitting times for debate are 9.30am until 2.30pm; the debates for each bill must be concluded before 2.30pm in order to progress to the next stage of the bill passage. If the debate has not concluded before the time has run out, it will be moved to the bottom of the list of bills to be read and rescheduled for another time. For any sitting Friday there can be as many as 50 bills scheduled for debate on the order paper, however due to the short amount of time allotted to Friday sittings, Parliament has never progressed further than the fourth bill listed on the order of business for the day.
Criticisms
The current system of Private Members' bills has been criticised for being easily susceptible to filibustering. Kerry McCarthy, a Labour MP, has compared the system to the BBC radio game show Just a Minute but in reverse, stating that the more hesitation, deviation and repetition an MP makes the more likely they are to defeat a bill.A rough guide to today in Parliament As private members' bills are debated on Fridays, attendance in debates is often poor because many Members of Parliament will have returned to their constituencies.
Reform proposals The low number of private members' bills passed has resulted in calls for reform of the PMB system. The Hansard Society has produced reform proposals in a pamphlet called 'Enhancing the Role of Backbench MPs'. The pamphlet calls for greater resourcing of PMBs and changes to the times when private members' bills are debated.
Recent successful Private Members' bills
The following acts of Parliament were Private Members' bills that successfully completed their passage through Parliament and became law.
1980s +1983–84 parliamentary sessionTypeTitle of actCitationPresented byPartyConstituencyLordsLotteries (Amendment) Act 1984c. 9Lord Irving of DartfordLabour-LordsEducation (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 1984c. 6Earl of CaithnessConservative-Ballot 1Video Recordings Act 1984c. 39Graham BrightConservativeLuton SouthBallot 9Trade Marks (Amendment) Act 1984c. 19Stephen DorrellConservativeCharnwoodBallot 20Road Traffic (Driving Instruction) Act 1984c. 13Elizabeth PeacockConservativeBatley & SpenBallot 4Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1984c. 45Alex EadieLabourMidlothianBallot 8Juries (Disqualification) Act 1984c. 34John WatsonConservativeSkipton & RiponBallot 16Cycle Tracks Act 1984c. 38Cecil FranksConservativeBarrow & FurnessBallot 13Child Abduction Act 1984c. 37Timothy WoodConservativeStevenageBallot 15Betting, Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 1984c. 25Ian GilmourConservativeChesham & AmershamBallot 18Anatomy Act 1984c. 14John McWilliamLabourBlaydonBallot 14Agriculture (Amendment) Act 1984c. 20Edward LeighConservativeGainsborough & HorncastlePresentationLaw Reform (Husband and Wife) (Scotland) Act 1984c. 15Lord James Douglas-HamiltonConservativeEdinburgh West
+1984–85 parliamentary sessionTypeTitle of actPresented byPartyConstituencyLordsLicensing (Amendment)Lord Harmar-NichollsConservative-LordsDangerous VesselsLord WalstonSocial Democratic Party-LordsCharitiesViscount Colville of CulrossCrossbench-LordsBetting Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment)Lord NewallConservative-Ballot 4Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment)Dr David ClarkLabourSouth ShieldsBallot 2Sexual OffencesJanet FookesConservativePlymouth DrakeBallot 20Road Traffic (Production of Documents)Timothy SmithConservativeBeaconsfieldBallot 15Motor-Cycle Crash Helmets (Restriction of Liability)Ivor StanbrookConservativeOrpingtonBallot 3Local Government (Access to Information)Robin SquireConservativeHornchurchBallot 1Intoxicating Substances (Supply)Neville TrotterConservativeTynemouthBallot 12Hospital Complaints ProcedureMichael McNair-WilsonConservativeNewburyBallot 19Gaming (Bingo)Peter FryConservativeWellingboroughBallot 6Copyright (Computer Software) (Amendment)William PowellConservativeCorbyBallot 13Controlled Drugs (Penalties)Keith RaffanConservativeDelynBallot 11Charter TrusteesCharles MorrisonConservativeDevizes10 minute ruleTown and Country Planning (Amendment)Roger FreemanConservativeKettering10 minute ruleRent (Amendment)Michael MatesConservativeEast HampshirePresentationWildlife and Countryside (Service of Notices)Dr David ClarkLabourSouth ShieldsPresentationProhibition of Female CircumcisionMarion RoeConservativeBroxbournePresentationHill FarmingRobert JacksonLabourWantagePresentationAgricultural Training BoardTom TorneyLabourBradford South
+1985–86 parliamentary sessionTypeTitle of actPresented byPartyConstituencyLordsPrevention of Oil PollutionLord WalstonSocial Democratic Party-LordsMarriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship)Lord MestonCrossbench-LordsIncest and Related Offences (Scotland)Lord Wilson of LangsideCrossbench-Ballot 4Safety at SeaAlbert McQuarrieConservativeBanff & BuchanBallot 14Road Traffic Regulation (Parking)Kevin McNamaraLabourKingston upon Hull NorthBallot 11Protection of Military RemainsMichael MatesConservativeEast HampshireBallot 18Industrial Training William ClarkConservativeCroydon SouthBallot 16Horticultural Produce John WellsConservativeMaidstoneBallot 15Drainage Rates (Disabled Persons) Gerard VaughanConservativeReading EastBallot 1Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation)Tom ClarkeLabourCoatbridge, Chryston and BellshillBallot 19Corneal TissueJohn HannamConservativeExeterBallot 20Consumer Safety (Amendment)Conal GregoryConservativeYorkBallot 6Civil Protection in Peacetime Nicholas BonsorConservativeUpminsterBallot 3Children and Young Persons (Amendment)Dennis WaltersConservativeWestburyPresentationProtection of Children (Tobacco)John Home RobertsonLabourEast LothianPresentationMarriage (Wales)Donald ColemanLabourNeathPresentationLaw Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland)Lord James Douglas-HamiltonConservativeEdinburgh WestPresentationHighways (Amendment)Michael CocksLabourBristol SouthPresentationHealth Service Joint Consultative Committees (Access to Information)Dr Brian MawhinneyConservativePeterboroughPresentationGaming (Amendment)Mark CarlisleConservativeWarrington SouthPresentationForestry John Stradling ThomasConservativeMonmouth
+1986–87 parliamentary sessionTypeTitle of actPresented byPartyConstituencyLordsLicensing (Restaurant Meals)Viscount Montgomery of AlameinCrossbench-LordsGaming (Amendment)Lord Harris of GreenwichLiberal Democrat-LordsBilliards (Abolition of Restrictions)Lord Allen of AbbeydaleCrossbench-LordsAnimals (Scotland)Earl of SelkirkConservative-Ballot 17Motorcycle NoiseRobert AdleyConservativeChristchurchBallot 4Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces)Winston ChurchillConservativeDavyhulmeBallot 3CrossbowsPeter BruinvelsConservativeLeicester EastBallot 7AIDS ControlGavin StrangLabourEdinburgh EastBallot 2Agricultural Training BoardGerrard NealeConservativeNorth CornwallBallot 6Access to Personal FilesArchy KirkwoodLiberal DemocratRoxburgh & BerwickshirePresentationRegistered Establishments (Scotland)Albert McQuarrieConservativeBanff & BuchanPresentationRegister of Sasines (Scotland)Michael MartinLabourGlasgow SpringburnPresentationProtection of Animals (Penalties)Harry GreenwayConservativeEaling NorthPresentationPrescription (Scotland)Michael HirstConservativeStrathkelvin & BearsdenPresentationDeerDavid KnoxConservativeStaffordshire Moorlands
+1987–88 parliamentary sessionTypeTitle of actPresented byPartyConstituencyLordsLand RegistrationLord TemplemanCrossbench -LordsLandlord and TenantLord ColeraineConservative-Ballot 2Scotch WhiskyBill WalkerConservativeNorth TaysideBallot 12Protection of Animals (Amendment)John BrowneIndependent ConservativeWinchesterBallot 5Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Rear Seat Belts by Children)Stephen DayConservativeCheadleBallot 6Malicious CommunicationsAndy StewartConservativeSherwoodBallot 13Licensing (Retail Sales)Andrew MacKayConservativeBracknellBallot 9Environment and Safety InformationChris SmithLabourIslington South & FinsburyBallot 4Consumer Arbitration AgreementsJames PawseyConservativeRugby & KenilworthBallot 19Community Health Councils (Access to Information)Andrew FauldsLabourWarley EastBallot 10Access to Medical ReportsArchy KirkwoodLiberal DemocratRoxburgh & BerwickshirePresentationSolicitors (Scotland)Alistair DarlingConservativeEdinburgh CentralPresentationProtection Against Cruel TetheringDavid AmessConservativeBasildon