This proposed law would introduce a new “think again” procedure in the House of Lords so members could ask the House of Commons to consider their concerns before a draft affirmative statutory instrument is approved.
Statutory Instruments (Amendment) Bill [HL] (321KB PDF)
The bill would introduce a “think again” procedure for draft affirmative statutory instruments (SIs). This would allow the House of Lords to ask the House of Commons to consider their concerns before an SI is approved or rejected. The bill would also place existing guidance on correcting minor errors in SIs onto the statute book.
Draft affirmative SIs need approval from both Houses of Parliament before they can become law. Both Houses can either approve or reject them, but cannot amend them except in rare cases. The bill aims to provide a mechanism for the Lords to raise concerns about an SI without outright rejecting it.
The bill has received mixed reactions. The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has welcomed the bill as an opportunity to discuss the process of parliamentary SI scrutiny. The Hansard Society has said it supports the bill in principle but believes the mechanism should not be placed in legislation.
Statutory Instruments (Amendment) Bill [HL] (321KB PDF)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
![House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 11 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/House-of-Lords-568x426.png)
The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
