Hybrid Bills in United Kingdom

Hybrid Bills Meaning, as used in the UK Parliament

A Bill with characteristics of both a Public Bill and a Private Bill. Such Bills are examined in Parliament by a combination of both Public Bill and Private Bill procedures.

In Commonwealth Countries

Bills that appear to be both public and private in nature, as stated above, are referred to as hybrid bills. While British parliamentary practice makes allowance for this type of bill,[1] the book “House of Commons Procedure and Practice (Second Edition, 2009) said that Canadian parliamentary procedure requires that all bills be designated either as public bills or as private bills.[2] And, when a single bill incorporates both private and public considerations, it is dealt with as a public bill.[3]

Resources

See Also

• Legislative Process
• Parliament

Notes

1. In a ruling dated February 22, 1971, (Canadian) Speaker Lamoureux stated that “the fact that [a bill that has both private and public characteristics] may correspond to what is a hybrid bill in … the British House, does not mean it should be treated that way in our own Parliament” (Journals, p. 351).
2. In a ruling dated March 12, 1875, (Canadian) Speaker Anglin ruled that a bill that involved private considerations could not be introduced as a public bill (Journals, p. 213). See also Journals, October 23, 1975, pp. 795‑6.
3. (Canadian) Journals, February 22, 1971, p. 352; Debates, April 15, 1985, pp. 3699‑700.