This draft Bill would set out proposals to implement commitments first put forward in the government’s green paper ‘The governance of Britain’ (July 3 2007).

The Bill seeks to: rebalance power between parliament and government; give parliament more ability to hold government to account as well as clarify the role of government, both central and local.

The main elements of the bill are in many cases dependent on subsequent consultation exercises. They could include: placing on a statutory footing the role of parliament in the process for ratifying treaties; implementation of  any changes arising from the consultation on the role of the attorney general; and, placing the civil service on a statutory footing.