Why MPs might be denied a vote on fuel payment cuts

More than half of the members of the House of Commons are newly elected, and may be surprised to discover they may not be given the chance to vote on the controversial decision by chancellor Rachel Reeves to withdraw winter fuel payments from pensioners who are not on pension credit. This will provide them with an early crash course in some of the basics of how parliament passes legislation.

- JOHN RENTOUL

What kinds of law are there?

There are two main kinds of legislation: primary and secondary. Primary legislation starts as a bill, which is debated and voted on at different stages of its passage through the two houses of parliament, until it receives the royal assent and becomes an act. Secondary legislation takes the form of statutory instruments; these are simpler documents, laid before parliament by ministers under powers granted to them by an act. Debates and votes on them are not guaranteed.

There are two ways that parliament approves of statutory instruments: the affirmative procedure and the negative procedure. The change in the law on winter fuel payments was made in a statutory instrument laid before parliament on Thursday under the negative procedure.

What are the procedures for secondary legislation?