Clause - Project Open Gov

A numbered provision within a bill that may become a section of an Act if the bill becomes law.

Also used as: clause, clauses, bill clause, clauses of a bill, clause stand part

Source / explainer: Read the UK Parliament bill process explainer

Last reviewed: 21 August 2026

A clause is a numbered provision within a bill. If the bill becomes an Act, clauses normally become sections. At Committee Stage and Report Stage, members may debate whether clauses should remain part of the bill and may propose amendments to them.

Related terms

AmendmentA proposed change to the wording of a bill, motion, or other parliamentary text.BillA proposed law that must pass through Parliament before it can become an Act.Bill Stage VoteA parliamentary vote taken as part of a bill’s progress through one of its formal stages.Committee StageThe stage where a bill is examined in detail and amendments can be considered line by line.