Online Safety Bill: Commons stages
This Briefing summarises the Commons stages of the Online Safety Bill.

This briefing paper is produced prior to the Report Stage of the Psychoactive Substances Bill 2015-16.
The Psychoactive Substances Bill 2015-16: Report on Committee Stage (460 KB , PDF)
The Psychoactive Substances Bill 2015-16 was introduced in the House of Commons on 21 July 2015. It received its Second Reading on 19 October 2015.
The Bill was debated in Committee on 27 and 29 October 2015, there were three sittings. It is tabled for Report Stage on 20 January 2016.
A background to the Bill, a summary of Lords consideration and an overview of the bill as introduced to the House of Commons is provided in the Commons Library briefing paper, Psychoactive Substances Bill 2015.
The Psychoactive Substances Bill intends to introduce a blanket ban on the production, supply, possession with the intent to supply, and import and export, of psychoactive substances. Simple possession is not an offence under the Bill. A number of substances will be explicitly exempted from the controls in the Bill and the Bill provides order-making powers for the Secretary of State to add substances to this list. It includes a range of civil and criminal sanctions.
The Bill was introduced in the Queen’s Speech in May 2015 after recommendations from the Home Office appointed expert panel report on new psychoactive substances.
Government amendments tabled at Committee Stage included:
Opposition and other amendments tabled at Committee Stage included:
None of these amendments were added to the Bill, but it was indicated that a number may be tabled again at Report Stage.
This paper summarises the Committee debate, following a short summary of debate during Second Reading. It will also provide some information about the Home Affairs Committee Report on psychoactive substances that was published before Committee Stage.
The Psychoactive Substances Bill 2015-16: Report on Committee Stage (460 KB , PDF)
This Briefing summarises the Commons stages of the Online Safety Bill.
There will be a debate on sentencing for violence against women and girls in Westminster Hall on 1 February 2023 at 14:30. This debate will be led by Cherilyn Mackrory MP.
This House of Commons Briefing Paper analyses the debate over the voting rights of prisoners since May 2015, it also includes a concise summary of the main developments before May 2015.