Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022-23: Bill progress

This briefing provides an overview of developments on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill since its introduction on Thursday 22 September 2022. For detailed background on the Bill, its content as introduced, and initial stakeholder reaction, please see:

• Commons Library, Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022‑23, 17 October 2022

Bill progress

The Bill received its second reading on Tuesday 25 October 2022. Thereafter it was considered across four days in public bill committee, on 8, 22, 24 and 29 November. The first day was used to procure oral evidence, and the subsequent days for line-by-line scrutiny.

The committee agreed fifteen Government amendments to the Bill, all without a division. These were largely clarificatory, resolving drafting issues in the original Bill to reflect more clearly the Government’s legislative intent.

No opposition amendments were made to the Bill, with the vast majority of them either being defeated on a division, not formally moved, or withdrawn.

Report stage and third reading are scheduled for Wednesday 18 January 2023.

Notable developments since presentation

The following other notable developments have taken place since the Bill was presented:

• Grant Shapps has succeeded Jacob Rees-Mogg as the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) following the change of Prime Minister on Tuesday 25 October 2022;
• The Scottish Government (PDF) and Welsh Government (PDF) have each published legislative consent memorandums (LCMs) recommending that consent be withheld for the Bill by the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru;
• The Government’s independent Regulatory Policy Committee has criticised the Government’s Impact Assessment on the Bill, describing it as “not fit for purpose”;
• The National Archives has identified significant omissions in the Government’s Retained EU law dashboard. Media reports have suggested some 1,400 instruments could have been omitted from the initial catalogue (published back in July 2022); and
• Press reports emerged in the new year to the effect that the House of Lords may seek to push back the sunset provisions, so that they take effect later than the end of 2023.