The Public Bill Committee will meet for the first time on Tuesday 20 January 2026 to scrutinise the Railways Bill line by ...

The Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) works with the House of Commons, the House of Lords and Parliament staff on their IT and digital needs.

During the reign of Charles I, there was accelerating political tension concerning the power of Parliament and the 'rights and liberties of the subject'. In 1628 the House of Commons drafted this ...

Discover how and why the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell Big Ben were built.

In June 1945 the process began of demobilising the thousands of men and women who had served in the forces during the war. The government had begun preparations for this in 1944 with the Reinstatement ...

The Speaker acts as chairman during debates in the House of Commons, calls MPs to speak and sees that the rules laid down by the House are observed. The holder of this office is an MP who has been ...

Bills and Legislation sets out the proposals for new laws, and plans to change existing laws, that are presented for debate before Parliament. Keep up to date with the progress of current and draft ...

The removal of James II by the protestant William of Orange in 1688 – the Glorious Revolution – changed matters. The resumption of war with Catholic France in the 1690s meant that British Catholics ...

In 1885, homosexuality was only illegal in regards to the act of buggery, for which the punishment was to be kept in penal servitude for life. This changed when Henry Labouchere, Liberal MP for ...

When a Bill has passed through third reading in both Houses it is returned to the first House (where it started) for the second House's amendments (proposals for change) to be considered. Both Houses ...

Press gangs were well known for the physical force they used in recruiting men into the Royal Navy during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was, however, a practice which Parliament had first sanctioned ...