Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill [HL]

Key Points

• Establishes a formal list of values of British citizenship to be used in education in England and Wales, including democracy, rule of law, freedom, individual worth, environment, and freedoms of thought, conscience and religion, expression and assembly.
• Requires materials and statements in education to refer to these as the “values of British citizenship” and provides definitions for “individual worth” and “respect for the environment.”
• Applies to England and Wales; takes effect on the day the Act is passed and will be cited as the Education (Values of British Citizenship) Act 2024.
• Originated in the Lords, with a sequence of readings in 2024 and a notable procedural step (an Order of Commitment discharged) before the Lords’ third reading; the Bill has moved to the Commons, where it is currently at its first reading.
• There are briefing papers and a Select Committee report linked to the bill; the provided document trail does not specify published amendments, so no specific changes from Lords stage are detailed here.

Progress

The bill began life in the House of Lords, progressing through its first and second readings, then a procedural move (Order of Commitment discharged) before the Lords’ final reading. It completed its Lords consideration and has now moved to the Commons, where it is at the first reading, indicating it has not yet begun its Commons stages.