Bills and Laws

Legislative Consent Memorandums

The UK Parliament sometimes considers a Bill (draft law) that relates to devolved matters, or that alters the Scottish Parliament’s “legislative competence” (its power to make laws) or the powers of Scottish Government ministers. There is a convention that the UK Parliament won’t pass such a Bill without the Scottish Parliament’s consent. Before the Parliament is asked to decide whether or not to give that consent, the Scottish Government has to lodge a document called a “legislative consent memorandum”, which is then considered by Scottish Parliament committees. You can find these memorandums (or LCMs) on this page.

This page lists UK Parliament Bills. Click on the Bill title to find information about all LCMs and supplementary LCMs that relate to the Bill, together with information about any motions that have been lodged. These motions are currently known as “motions on legislative consent”, but from 2005 to mid-2025 were known as “legislative consent motions” (and before 2005 as “Sewel motions”).  

You can search below to find all LCMs published since the start of Session 5 (May 2016). For older LCMs, please use the archives.

Archive of Sewel motions from 1999 to 2005 (lodged in Session 1 and the first part of Session 2)

Archive of LCMs from 2005 to 2016 (lodged in Sessions 2, 3 and 4)

Find out more about Legislative Consent Memorandums