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PARLIAMENT ACT 1911

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - LONG TITLE

An Act to make provision with respect to the powers of the House
of Lords in relation to those of the House of Commons, and to
limit the duration of Parliament.
[18th August 1911]
WHEREAS it is expedient that provision should be made for regulating
the relations between the two Houses of Parliament:

And Whereas it is intended to substitute for the House of Lords as
it at present exists a Second Chamber constituted on a popular
instead of hereditary basis, but such substitution cannot be
immediately brought into operation:

And Whereas provision will require hereafter to be made by
Parliament in a measure effecting such substitution for limiting and
defining the powers of the new Second Chamber, but it is expedient
to make such provision as in this Act appears for restricting the
existing powers of the House of Lords:

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 1
Powers of House of Lords as to Money Bills.

1.(1) If a Money Bill, having been passed by the House of Commons,
and sent up to the House of Lords at least one month before the
end of the session, is not passed by the House of Lords without
amendment within one month after it is so sent up to that House,
the Bill shall, unless the House of Commons direct to the contrary,
be presented to His Majesty and become an Act of Parliament on the
Royal Assent being signified, notwithstanding that the House of Lords
have not consented to the Bill.

(2) A Money Bill means a Public Bill which in the opinion of the
Speaker of the House of Commons contains only provisions dealing
with all or any of the following subjects, namely, the imposition,
repeal, remission, alteration, or regulation of taxation; the
imposition for the payment of debt or other financial purposes of
charges on the Consolidated Fund, [the National Loans Fund] or on
money provided by Parliament, or the variation or repeal of any
such charges; supply; the appropriation, receipt, custody, issue or
audit of accounts of public money; the raising or guarantee of any
loan or the repayment thereof; or subordinate matters incidental to
those subjects or any of them. In this subsection the expressions
"taxation," "public money," and "loan" respectively do not include
any taxation, money, or loan raised by local authorities or bodies
for local purposes.

(3) There shall be endorsed on every Money Bill when it is sent
up to the House of Lords and when it is presented to His Majesty
for assent the certificate of the Speaker of the House of Commons
signed by him that it is a Money Bill. Before giving his
certificate, the Speaker shall consult, if practicable, two members
to be appointed from the Chairmen's Panel at the beginning of each
Session by the Committee of Selection.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 2
Restriction of the powers of the House of Lords as to Bills other
than Money Bills.

2.(1) If any Public Bill (other than a Money Bill or a Bill
containing any provision to extend the maximum duration of Parliament
beyond five years) is passed by the House of Commons [in two
successive sessions] (whether of the same Parliament or not), and,
having been sent up to the House of Lords at least one month
before the end of the session, is rejected by the House of Lords
in each of those sessions, that Bill shall, on its rejection [for
the second time] by the House of Lords, unless the House of
Commons direct to the contrary, be presented to His Majesty and
become an Act of Parliament on the Royal Assent being signified
thereto, notwithstanding that the House of Lords have not consented
to the Bill: Provided that this provision shall not take effect
unless [one year has elapsed] between the date of the second
reading in the first of those sessions of the Bill in the House
of Commons and the date on which it passes the House of Commons
[in the second of those sessions].

(2) When a Bill is presented to His Majesty for assent in
pursuance of the provisions of this section, there shall be endorsed
on the Bill the certificate of the Speaker of the House of Commons
signed by him that the provisions of this section have been duly
complied with.

(3) A Bill shall be deemed to be rejected by the House of Lords
if it is not passed by the House of Lords either without amendment
or with such amendments only as may be agreed to by both Houses.

(4) A Bill shall be deemed to be the same Bill as a former Bill
sent up to the House of Lords in the preceding session if, when
it is sent up to the House of Lords, it is identical with the
former Bill or contains only such alterations as are certified by
the Speaker of the House of Commons to be necessary owing to the
time which has elapsed since the date of the former Bill, or to
represent any amendments which have been made by the House of Lords
in the former Bill in the preceding session, and any amendments
which are certified by the Speaker to have been made by the House
of Lords [in the second session] and agreed to by the House of
Commons shall be inserted in the Bill as presented for Royal Assent
in pursuance of this section:

Provided that the House of Commons may, if they think fit, on the
passage of such a Bill through the House [in the second session],
suggest any further amendments without inserting the amendments in
the Bill, and any such suggested amendments shall be considered by
the House of Lords, and, if agreed to by that House, shall be
treated as amendments made by the House of Lords and agreed to by
the House of Commons; but the exercise of this power by the House
of Commons shall not affect the operation of this section in the
event of the Bill being rejected by the House of Lords.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 3
Certificate of Speaker.

3. Any certificate of the Speaker of the House of Commons given
under this Act shall be conclusive for all purposes, and shall not
be questioned in any court of law.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 4
Enacting words.

4.(1) In every Bill presented to His Majesty under the preceding
provisions of this Act, the words of enactments shall be as
follows, that is to say:

"Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament
assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the [Parliament Acts,
1911 and 1949], and by authority of the same, as follows."

(2) Any alteration of a Bill necessary to give effect to this
section shall not be deemed to be an amendment of the Bill.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 5
Provisional Order Bills excluded.

5. In this Act the expression "Public Bill" does not include any
Bill for confirming a Provisional Order.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 6
Saving for existing rights and privileges of the House of Commons.

6. Nothing in this Act shall diminish or qualify the existing
rights and privileges of the House of Commons.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 7
Duration of Parliament.

7. Five years shall be substituted for seven years as the time
fixed for the maximum duration of Parliament under the Septennial
Act, 1715.

PARLIAMENT ACT 1911 - SECT 8
Short title.

8. This Act may be cited as the Parliament Act, 1911.