Ministers usually require the cooperation of the Opposition to secure approval and some Bills may be shortened to ensure they are approved in some form (Picture: Getty/PA)
Parliament will be dissolved next week after Rishi Sunak called the General Election for July 4.
That means the process of ‘wash-up’ – when the Government aims to progress legislation yet to clear all stages and receive Royal Assent – is only expected to last a few days until dissolution on May 30.
Ministers usually require the cooperation of the Opposition to secure approval and some Bills may be shortened to ensure they are approved in some form.
But all parliamentary business not finished by the time Parliament is dissolved will fall, including Bills that are yet to receive Royal Assent.
Here, Metro takes you through five Bills to keep and eye on over the next week.
Victims and Prisoners Bill
Health organisations and charities have called for clarity on what impact the General Election will have on Bills passing through Parliament.
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Particular concerns have been raised about the speed at which the Victims and Prisoners Bill – which will legally establish a compensation body for victims of the infected blood scandal – will pass through the House of Commons.
News of the election comes two days after the Infected Blood Inquiry published its final report which concluded that authorities covered up the scandal and victims were exposed to unacceptable risks.
The principal recommendation of the report was that ‘a compensation scheme should be set up now’.
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Ministers have made amendments to the Bill which would enshrine in law the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and details of the scheme were set out in the Commons on Tuesday.
Jason Evans, director of the Factor 8 campaign group, said: ‘The Victims and Prisoners Bill must be included in the wash-up, or we will have been fobbed off once again.’
Wash-up is the opportunity for Parliament to get through any unfinished business before it is dissolved.
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Health leaders have also called for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – which will make it an offence to sell tobacco products to those born on or after January 1, 2009 – to be prioritised.
The Bill passed its first Commons hurdle last month with Labour’s ‘wholehearted’ support.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: ‘The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is one of the most significant public health interventions in living memory. Smoking causes around 150 cases of cancer every day and places huge pressure on the NHS.
‘All parties must ensure this world-leading Bill is passed through Parliament before dissolution. Saving lives must transcend politics, and nothing would have a bigger impact on reducing the number of preventable deaths than ending smoking.’
Disposable vapes are driving up the use of highly-addictive nicotine in England, reversing a historic trend, according to a new study (Picture: PA)
Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘Smoking remains the largest cause of cancer so the Tobacco and Vapes Bill had the potential to save many lives.
‘There is now a danger the Bill runs out of parliamentary time which would be immensely disappointing. We urge the Government to expedite the legislation in the remaining days of this Parliament and call on all political parties to pledge to reintroduce it immediately under the next government if necessary.’
Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill
The Bill is set to quash convictions of theft, fraud, false accounting and other offences for subpostmasters who have suffered as a consequence of the Post Office Horizon scandal, and relevant cautions will be deleted from records.
The Bill will apply to all those convicted of such offences in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who were prosecuted by the Post Office, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or Northern Ireland authorities in the years 1996 to 2018.
Those whose convictions are quashed will then be eligible to receive compensation payments from the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, which will be set up after the legislation is passed.
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Reports today suggest the Government is ‘prioritising’ the legislation this week.
Criminal Justice Bill – causing death by dangerous cycling
Sir Iain Duncan Smith had tabled an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill which would have introduced three new offences, including ‘causing death by dangerous cycling’, ‘causing serious injury by dangerous cycling’ and ‘causing death by careless or inconsiderate cycling’.
The plan, which was supported by the Government, would see guilty cyclists facing up to 14 years in prison in the most serious cases.
Conservative former leader Sir Iain told MPs that the new law is ‘urgent’.
But Forbes has quoted a parliamentary insider saying there now ‘isn’t enough time’ for the Bill to pass through the House of Lords.
Renters (Reform) Bill
The Renters (Reform) Bill includes a series of reforms to the private rental sector in England and aims to ensure private renters have access to secure and decent homes, as well as giving confidence to landlords to continue to invest.
It bans fixed term tenancies, introduces a decent homes standard, establishes an ombudsman and property portal for the sector, gives renters the right to have a pet, and makes it illegal to discriminate against families with children or those in receipt of benefits.
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However, concerns have been raised over delays to key reforms, the most significant being the end of no-fault Section 21 evictions, a manifesto commitment of this Government.
It is due to go to the committee stage in the Lords – which can usually take weeks – before being cleared and receiving Royal Assent.
While it is not out of the realms of possibility that it could be rushed through during the wash-up, especially with Labour indicating it will not vote against the Bill as it stands, time may be too short.
All Bills that are currently active
Abortion (Gestational Time Limit Reduction) Bill
Access to Telecommunications Networks Bill
Affordable Housing (Conversion of Commercial Property) Bill
Airports (Prohibition of Night Flights) Bill
Alternative Investment Fund Designation Bill
Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill
Animal Welfare (Responsibility for Dog Attacks) Bill
Anonymity of Suspects Bill
Arbitration Bill
Arm’s-length Bodies (Accountability to Parliament) Bill
Armenian Genocide (Recognition) Bill
Arms Trade (Inquiry and Suspension) Bill
Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill
Assistance Dogs and Pavement Parking Bill
Asylum Application (Entry to the United Kingdom) Bill [HL]
Asylum Seekers (Accommodation Eviction Procedures) Bill
Asylum Seekers (Permission to Work) Bill
At-Home Early Medical Abortion (Review) Bill [HL]
Autism (early identification) Bill
Abortion (Gestational Time Limit Reduction) Bill [HL]
Barnett Formula (Replacement) Bill
Bathing Waters (Monitoring and Reporting) Bill
BBC Licence Fee Non-Payment (Decriminalisation for Over-75s) Bill
Benefit Sanctions (Warnings) Bill
Bereavement Support (Children and Young People) Bill
Brain Tumours Bill
British Broadcasting Corporation (Privatisation) Bill
British Goods (Public Sector Purchasing Duty) Bill
British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Bill
Broadcasting (Listed Sporting Events) Bill
Broadcasting (Listed Sporting Events) (Scotland) Bill
Building Societies Act 1986 (Amendment) Bill
Bullying and Respect at Work Bill
Bus Services Bill
Cancer Research Funding (Report to Parliament) Bill
Caravan Site Licensing (Exemption of Motor Homes) Bill
Caravan Sites Bill
Carers and Care Workers Bill
Chalk Streams (Protection) Bill
Child Criminal Exploitation Bill
Child Sexual Abuse Material (Digital Devices) Bill
Children (Parental Imprisonment) Bill
Children Not in School (National Register and Support) Bill
Children Not in School (Registers, Support and Orders) Bill
Children’s Clothing (Value Added Tax) Bill
City of London (Markets) Bill
Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill
Climate and Nature Bill
Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill [HL]
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill
Community and Suspended Sentences (Notification of Details) Bill
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity (Ratification of Treaty) Bill
Consular Assistance Bill
Consumer Pricing Bill
Conversion Practices (Prohibition) Bill
Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
Coroners (Determination of Suicide) Bill [HL]
Corporate Homicide Bill
Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill
Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill
Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Payments Bill
Covid-19 Vaccine Diagnosis and Treatment Bill
Criminal Justice Bill
Dangerous Dogs (Licensing) Bill
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (Amendment) Bill
Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
Deductions from Universal Credit (Report) Bill
Delivery Services (Driving Licence Requirements) Bill
Devolution (Employment) (Scotland) Bill
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
Disability Benefit Assessments (Recording) Bill
Disestablishment of the Church of England Bill [HL]
Disposal of waste (advertising and penalty provision) Bill
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill
Domestic Energy (Value Added Tax) Bill
Ecocide Bill [HL]
Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill
Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill [HL]
Employment (Application Requirements) Bill
Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL]
Employment Equality (Insurance etc) Bill
Evictions (Universal Credit) Bill
Exemption from Value Added Tax (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
Family Visas (Minimum Income) Bill
Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill
Finance (No. 2) Bill
Fireworks (Noise Limits) Bill
Foetal Sentience Committee Bill [HL]
Food Poverty Strategy Bill
Football Governance Bill
Full Employment Bill
General Medical Council (Fitness to Practise) Rules (Amendment) Bill
Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill [HL]
Genocide Determination Bill [HL]
Government of Wales (Referendum on Devolution) Bill
Greater London Low Emission Zone Charging (Amendment) Bill
Green Belt (Protection) Bill
Groceries Code Adjudicator (Powers and Duties) Bill
Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill
Health and Safety at Work Bill
Health and Social Care (Recruitment and Retention of Staff in Rural Areas) Bill
Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill
Heritage Public Houses Bill
Heritage Trees Bill [HL]
High Income Child Benefit Charge (Review and Impact Assessment) Bill
High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill
High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill
Higher Education (Student Finance and Skills Shortages) Bill
Highways Act 1980 (Amendment) Bill
Holocaust Memorial Bill
Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) (No. 2) Bill
Housing Act 1988 (Amendment) Bill [HL]
Housing Standards (Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Bill
Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill
Illegal and unsustainable fishing (due diligence) Bill
Illegal Immigration (Offences) Bill
Immigration and Asylum Bill
Immigration and Nationality Fees (Exemption for NHS Clinical Staff) Bill
Joint Enterprise (Significant Contribution) Bill
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Amendment) Bill
Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
Litigation Funding Agreements (Enforceability) Bill [HL]
Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill
Media Bill
Medicines (Vitamin B12 Injections) Bill
Members of Parliament (Oil and Gas Companies) Bill
Military Action (Parliamentary Approval) Bill
Miners’ Strike (Pardons) Bill
Ministerial Severance (Reform) Bill
Ministry for Poverty Prevention Bill [HL]
Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill
Mortgages (switching) Bill
Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (New Drivers) Bill
Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill
National Health Service Co-Funding and Co-Payment Bill
Neurodivergent Conditions (Screening and Teacher Training) Bill
NHS England (Alternative Treatment) Bill
Nuclear Veterans (Compensation) Bill
Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (Sentencing Guidelines) Bill
Offensive Weapons Bill
Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill
Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill
Online Services (Cancellation) Bill
Outdoor Education Bill
Palestine Statehood (Recognition) Bill
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Powers) Bill
Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Bill
Pensions (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill
Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Protected Characteristics) Bill
Pet Abduction Bill
Pets (Microchips) Bill
Police (declaration) Bill
Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill
Prison Media Bill
Private Parking (Regulator) Bill
Protection of Care Recipients and Carers Bill [HL]
Public Amenities (Adoption by Local Authorities) Bill
Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (Amendment) Bill
Public Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Bill
Public Procurement (British Goods and Services) Bill
Public Sector Exit Payments (Limitation) Bill
Public Sector Website Impersonation Bill
Public Sector Websites (Data Charges) Bill
Public Service (Integrity and Ethics) Bill [HL]
Public Transport (Rural Areas) Bill
Puppy Import (Prohibition) Bill
Regulatory Impact Assessments Bill
Renters (Reform) Bill
Road Traffic (Testing of Blood) Bill
Road Traffic and Street Works Bill
Road Traffic Offences (Cycling) Bill [HL]
Royal Albert Hall Bill [HL]
Rule of Law (Enforcement by Public Authorities) Bill
Russian State Assets and Reconstruction of Ukraine Bill
School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill
Schools (Mental Health Professionals) Bill [HL]
Schools (Mental Health Professionals) (No. 2) Bill
Scottish Law Officers (Devolution) Bill
Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill
Senior Civil Service (Accountability and Appointment) Bill
Sentencing Bill
Sites of special scientific interest (designation) Bill
Social Energy Tariff (No. 2) Bill
Social Security Benefits (Healthy Eating) Bill
Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill
Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Bill
Standards in Public Life (Codes of Conduct) Bill
State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill
Status of Workers Bill [HL]
Statutory Instruments Act 1946 (Amendment) Bill
Still-Birth (Definition) Bill [HL]
Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill
Succession to Peerages and Baronetcies Bill [HL]
Support for Infants and Parents etc (Information) Bill
Telecommunications Infrastructure (Consultation) Bill
Telecommunications Infrastructure (Requirement to Share Apparatus) Bill
Tenant Farming Commissioner Bill
Thames Water (Special Administration) Bill
Titles Deprivation Act 1917 Amendment Bill
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill
Under-Occupancy Penalty (Report) Bill
Universal Credit Sanctions (Zero Hours Contracts) Bill
Unpaid Trial Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill
Vaccine Damage Payments Act (Review) Bill
Veterans (Non-custodial Sentences) Bill
Victims and Prisoners Bill
Welfare Benefits (Adequacy, Debt and Deductions) Bill
Wheelchair Access Bill [HL]
Whistleblowing Bill
Workers (Rights and Definition) Bill
Workforce Information (Ethnicity) Bill [HL]
Zoological Society of London (Leases) Bill
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