House of Commons ballot bills since 1997

The bill ballot is one of three ways in which a backbench MP can introduce a private members’ bill (PMB), the others being ten minute rule bills or presentation bills. Ballot bills are the first to be introduced in a session.

At the start of each new parliamentary session, backbench MPs are invited to enter their names into a ballot. The ballot is held on the second sitting Thursday in the session.

The order in which the numbers are drawn determines the order in which ballot bills are presented. On the fifth sitting Wednesday of the session, MPs successful in the ballot present their titles and nominate a date for second reading. The first seven ballot bills presented are most likely to get a second reading debate.

Only the title of the bill is needed for the presentation, or first reading (formal, not debated), of the bill. The full text of the bill is often not available until shortly before second reading. Some ballot bills are never published in full.

Private members’ bill ballot 2024 to 2025

The private members’ bills ballot for the 2024 to 2025 session took place on Thursday, 5 September 2024. Kim Leadbeater (Labour) was drawn in first place. The 20 MPs who were drawn in the ballot presented their chosen bills on Wednesday, 16 October 2024.

Progress of the 2024 to 2025 ballot bills can be followed on Parliament’s bills website.

Parliamentary time available for backbench bills

The government decides the legislative agenda and government business takes priority. With limited time available for the consideration of PMBs, generally only bills with government and cross-party support are successful.

Time set aside by the House for consideration of private members’ bills is limited by Standing Order No 14(8) to 13 Fridays in each session.

The first seven of these Fridays are reserved for second reading debates. Members drawn high in the ballot can nominate one of the first seven Fridays for their second reading and consequently their bills have more chance of making progress. On and after the eighth Friday, bills that have reached later stages than second reading take precedence.

Debates on PMBs are not programmed so can be ‘talked out’. The Procedure Committee’s 2016 report private members’ bills made recommendations for reform, including a guaranteed vote on second reading and prioritising certain bills on merit.

Sittings in the 2019 to 2021 session were affected by the pandemic with Fridays set aside for consideration of PMBs repeatedly rescheduled. There were six sitting Fridays available for the consideration of PMBs in 2019 to 2021.

Commons Procedure Committee

The Procedure Committee held inquiries into private members’ bills procedure in the 2010 and 2015 Parliaments.

2010 Parliament

• Private Members’ bills, 2 Sep 2013, HC 188 2013-14
• Private Members’ bills: Government Response and revised proposals, 31 Mar 2014, HC 1171 2013-14

2015 Parliament

• Private Members’ bills, 18 Apr 2016, HC 684 2015-16 [Third Report]
• Private Members’ bills: Government response to Committee’s 3rd Report of Session 2015-16, 13 Jun 2016, HC 383 2016-17
• Private Members’ bills: Observations on the Government response to the Committee’s Third Report of Session 2015–16 HC 684, 18 Oct 2016, HC 701 2016-17 [Second Report]
• Private Members’ bills: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report of Session 2016–17, 16 Jan 2017, HC 937 2016-17

The Procedure Committee did not consider PMBs in the 2017 or 2019 Parliaments.

Further information

More information on private members’ bills and ballot bill procedure is available at

• How Parliament works: Private Members’ Bills
• MPs Guide to Procedure: Private Members’ Bill ballot
• Erskine May: Ballot bills

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