Acts of Parliament are laws of the land that affect us all. For example, laws determine at what age people can drive cars or vote in elections.
A proposed new law is called a bill. Bills must be agreed by both Houses of Parliament before becoming laws. This often means that a bill is passed backwards and forwards between the House of Commons and House of Lords, each making changes, until they are both happy with the exact wording.
This makes sure that the bill is properly thought through and that all the consequences of the new law have been considered.
Once both Houses have agreed on the bill it can be approved by the Queen. This is called Royal Assent and means the bill becomes an Act of Parliament and therefore officially a new law.
> Visit the Inside Parliament homepage
> Download the free Inside Parliament podcast
> Click to find out more from the Parliament’s Education Service
All Illustrations – © Fun Kids. Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament.Add a comment