Book Description
The report discusses the impact of Queen's and Prince's Consent on the legislative process. It notes that Consent is a matter of parliamentary procedure and could be abolished by means of addresses to the Crown, followed by a resolution of each House. If the House authorities decide that Consent is needed for a Private Member's Bill, the Government should as a matter of course seek Consent to remove any suggestion that the Government is using the Consent process as a form of veto on Bills it does not support. When the Queen or the Prince of Wales grant their Consent to Bills, they do so on the advice of the Government but the process of Consent is complex and arcane and its existence undoubtedly fuels speculation that the monarchy has an undue influence on the legislative process. Consent serves as a reminder that Parliament has three elements and its existence could be regarded simply as a matter of courtesy between the three parts of Parliament. The Committee says the process should be simplified and recommends that Consent should no longer be signified personally by a Privy Counsellor; that the requirement for Consent is published as soon as the Bill is printed; and that Consent be signified at Third Reading in both Houses, in all instances. The latter change would make it more difficult for the Government ever to use the process of Consent as a way of curtailing debate on Private Members' Bills it did not like.
