§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council since 1979, how many(a) Bills, (b) orders, (c) schemes, (d) regulations, (e) affirmative resolutions and (f) negative resolutions have been passed; and if he will make a statement on the trends.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe following information is available:
(a) Since the beginning of the 1979–80 Session, 748 Public and Provisional Order Bills and 290 Private Bills have received Royal Assent:
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Session Public Bills Private Bills Total 1979–80 102 40 142 1980–81 78 25 103 1981–82 59 25 84 1982–83 56 5 61 1983–84 76 37 113 1984–85 87 18 105 1985–86 77 38 115 1986–87 55 19 74 1987–88 62 33 95 1988–89 46 20 66 1989–90 45 28 73 11990–91 5 2 7 Total 748 290 1,038 1 Up to and including February 1991. In Sessions 1979–80 to 1989–90 inclusive, 11 Public Bills were passed by the Commons but did not receive Royal Assent.
(b), (c) and (d). Orders, schemes and regulations, along with rules and directions, are types of Statutory Instruments. Figures for the numbers of each type considered by the House and made are not maintained. The following numbers of Statutory Instruments have been made each calendar year from 1979:
Year Number 1979 1,770 1980 2,051 1981 1,892 1982 1,900 1983 1,965 1984 2,072 1985 2,080 1986 2,344 1987 2,278 1988 2,311 1989 2,503 1990 2,663 Total 25,829 (e) Figures for the numbers of Statutory Instruments and other statutory papers (reports, codes of practice etc.) which are subject to affirmative resolution and have been so approved by the House are not readily available. The Joint and Select Committees on Statutory Instruments have considered the following numbers of Statutory Instruments subject to affirmative resolution procedure since 1979:
Session Number 1979–80 235 1980–81 130 1981–82 121 1982–83 99 1983–84 180 1984–85 158 1985–86 158 1986–87 117 1987–88 246 1988–89 160 1989–90 164 Total 1,768 (f) Since 1979, one motion for an Address to be presented to Her Majesty, praying that a statutory instrument be annulled (a "prayer") has been agreed to (on 31 October 1979). One motion to disapprove a statement of changes in immigration rules has been agreed to (on 15 December 1982). Figures for the numbers of statutory instruments and other papers laid pursuant to statute which are subject to negative resolution are not readily available. The Joint and Select Committees on Statutory Instruments have considered the following numbers of Statutory Instruments subject to negative resolution procedure since 1979:
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Session Number 1979–80 1,010.00 1980–81 755.00 1981–82 686.00 1982–83 455.00 1983–84 863.00 1984–85 637.00 1985–86 815.00
Session Number 1986–87 462.00 1987–88 1,179.00 1988–89 854.00 1989–90 916.00 Total 8,632.00