What is a white paper?

A green paper and a white paper are 2 steps in making changes to a law or making a new law. 

One of the main jobs of parliament is to talk about changing the laws we have and to make new laws. 

Ideas for changes to the law, or for new laws can come from: 

• the Government  
• an MP 
• a member of the House of Lords. 

Sometimes, the ideas about changes to a law, or ideas about a new law are written in a document called a green paper. 

Groups of people and organisations who will be affected by the changes often look at a green paper. 

They let the Government know what they think about the ideas in the green paper and can come up with other ideas about how to make the law better. 

The Government look at all of the comments and ideas from the people who have looked at the green paper and decide what changes to make. 

The Government decide how they want to change the law, or what they want the new law to be and write it in a white paper. 

People can look at the white paper and say what they think. 

This is a government white paper consultation . 

The Government look at all of the comments from the people who have looked at the white paper and decide if they want to make more changes. 

Ideas for changes to the law, or for new laws do not have to be written in a green paper or a white paper. 

When the Government have made all the changes they want, they have to write the new law in a document called a bill. 

Lots of people have to talk about and agree the details of the bill before it can become a law. 

A bill has to pass lots of steps to become a law. 

It can take a long time for a bill to become a law. 

A bill does not become a law if it does not pass all of the steps.