Part of Orders of the Day — Housing Bill – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 13 Ebrill 1964.
Mr Gordon Campbell
, Moray and Nairnshire
12:00,
13 Ebrill 1964
No. I am glad to be able to make this clear to the hon. Member for Motherwell (Mr. Lawson), who was not a member of the Standing Committee. The object was to clarify the fact that this was the position in response to requests from hon. Members opposite. It was in response to their requests that this should be spelt out that we tabled a series of Amendments. But before the matter was raised in Committee we were perfectly clear that this was the position and that this kind of conflict need not and, in our opinion, would not arise. It was to make it absolutely clear that if such a conflict arose the local authorities would be able to object and be heard as they should be that this was written into the Bill.
The hon. Member for Central Ayrshire asked about planning. The position is that all the normal planning requirements would have to be observed in the usual way. I am glad to be able to set the hon. Member's mind at rest and to be able to confirm his view.
10.45 p.m.
The main objects of the S.S.H.A. are to relieve local authorities of the financial, administrative and technical burdens of house building and the proposed new power is to relieve them also of the burden of acquiring land where that has to be done compulsorily. I hope that hon. Members, whose views I have listened to—and I quite understand what has inspired them—will accept that this is not some sinister move to give the S.S.H.A. power which would immediately bring it into conflict with the local authorities, but simply something which, in the problem of housing in Scotland, may provide even more houses where they are needed, to assist the local authorities and to give the S.S.H.A. yet another function in which it can help not only local authorities, but the housing problem in Scotland generally.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
In a normal session there are up to ten standing committees on bills. Each has a chair and from 16 to 50 members. Standing committee members on bills are appointed afresh for each new bill by the Committee of Selection which is required to take account of the composition of the House of Commons (ie. party proportions) as well as the qualification of members to be nominated. The committees are chaired by a member of the Chairmen's Panel (whose members are appointed by the Speaker). In standing committees the Chairman has much the same function as the Speaker in the House of Commons. Like the Speaker, a chairman votes only in the event of a tie, and then usually in accordance with precedent. The committees consider each bill clause by clause and may make amendments. There are no standing committees in the House of Lords.
