Pre parliament stage of bills - Green and White Papers

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Pre-Parliament stage process

The green paper

Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government. Often when a government department is considering introducing a new law, it will put together a discussion document called a Green Paper. The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to debate the subject and give the department feedback on its suggestions. Copies of consultation documents such as Green Papers and White Papers which are produced by the Government are available on the related departmental websites.

A White Paper is a document issued by a government department which contains detailed proposals for legislation.

It is the final stage before the government introduces its proposals to Parliament in the form of a bill.

When a White Paper is issued, it is often accompanied by a statement in the House from the secretary of state of the department sponsoring the proposals.

A White Paper is sometimes produced following the consultation process which is undertaken when the government issues a Green Paper.

First Reading

On the day of presentation, a "dummy" copy of the bill is placed on the Table. Once