Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Proposal 4141
A Bill to recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes.
Appraisal prepared just now from the official papers. Next scheduled update after the next sitting or within about 24 hours.
Sponsor: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Liberal Democrat
Open publications on bills.parliament.ukPlain-English note and Green Book five-case reading from the official papers — the heart of this page.
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In plain English
A bill to Recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes.
Report: security of tenure for boat dwellers (1) Within one year of the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must publish a report to assess the extent to which boat dwellers with and without permanent moorings have security of tenure within the meaning of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 .
A bill to Recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes.
Same bill, simpler words — a deeper read without the jargon.
Imagine the country is making a new rule. This one is about: A bill to Recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes.. The people who would notice most are: Report: security of tenure for boat dwellers (1) Within one year of the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must publish a report to assess the extent to which boat dwellers with and without permanent moorings have security of tenure within the meaning of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 .. If it became a real law, the everyday change would be: A bill to Recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes..
Green Book 2026 · 5 Case Model
A bill to Recognise the rights of boat dwellers on Britain’s rivers, canals and coastal waters to have their dwelling recognised as their lawful home with the rights and protections attached to that; to make provision for a system of temporary moorings that recognises those rights for those without a permanent mooring; and for connected purposes.
It is currently at Committee stage in the Lords, sponsored by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Liberal Democrat.
Passage signals — procedural trajectory, not a merit judgement
Rights of Boat Dwellers Bill [HL] is a private member's bill (starting in the lords), currently at Committee stage in the Lords. Its progress so far does not clearly point either way. The signals below show what is helping it and what is holding it back.
Lords private members' bills must find a Commons sponsor and Friday time after passing the Lords, so very few become law.
The bill passed its second reading — the vote on its principle — and is now being examined line by line in committee.
The bill sat recently and no future date is needed yet for it to be considered active.
This outlook reads the bill's procedural trajectory only — its type, the stage it has reached, and its momentum — against how similar bills have historically progressed through Parliament. It is not a score, not a judgement on the bill's merits, and not a recommendation to support or oppose it. It sits alongside, and separate from, the Green Book five-case appraisal.
These UK Acts sit in a similar policy space and are already law. Pairing uses this proposal’s official papers (and the plain-English note themes). It is not a verdict that the proposal is redundant or unnecessary.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2026-02-27
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Same policy area (“Housing”) with overlapping title wording. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — useful context when asking whether this bill adds something new or mainly revisits covered ground.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2024-05-16
Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2023-07-27
Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
Nearby instruments in a similar policy space — lighter context while you read this UK proposal. Not a ranking, and not a recommendation.
Enacted 2026-07-20 (No. 27 of 2026)
Bill entitled an Act to amend the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Planning and Development Act 2000, and, in that connection, to amend certain other enactments; to amend the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 for the purpose of increasing the borrowing limit of the Housing Finance Agency; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
Matched via Oireachtas search for “housing planning” (Housing).
Open sourceEU instrument (CELEX 32024L1275)
EU rules on building energy performance and renovation — the closest EU housing-adjacent instrument.
Selected as the closest EU peer for the “Housing” policy category. EU law uses directives/regulations, not Commons/Lords stages.
Open source