| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | A Bill for settling the Militia of that Part of Great Britain called Scotland |
|---|---|
Status: Not passed | |
The Scottish Militia Bill 1708 (known formerly as the Scotch Militia Bill) was a bill that was passed by the House of Commons and House of Lords of the Parliament of Great Britain in early 1708. However, on 11 March 1708,[1] Queen Anne withheld royal assent on the advice of her ministers for fear that the proposed militia would be disloyal. This was due to the sudden appearance of a Franco-Jacobite invasion fleet en route to Scotland which gave ministers second thoughts, at the last minute, about allowing it to reach the statute books. As of 2024[update], it is the last occasion on which the royal veto has been used in Great Britain or the United Kingdom.[2]
- ^ "Parliaments: 1705". The History of Parliament. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
On 11 Mar. 1708, when the Queen attended the Lords to give assent to several bills, she used her prerogative of veto against one, the bill for settling the Scottish militia.
- ^ Queen Anne's veto is recorded as "La Reine s'avisera" ("The Queen will consider it") in 18 H.L. Jour. 506 (1707).