Private Security Industry Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 4:30 pm ar 1 Mai 2001.
Mr Nick Hawkins
Ceidwadwyr, Surrey Heath
I have one quick question, which arises from the Minister's response to my question on Clause 19. Do the Government currently expect the people who will be authorised to undertake entries into premises to be officers of the SIA or will the authority authorise others to carry out inspections on its behalf?
Charles Clarke
Minister of State, Home Office
The phrasing leaves it open to the authority to decide how best to proceed. My expectation—if that is what the hon. Gentleman is asking about—is that the authority is likely to use its own inspectors. The nature of that arrangement will evolve during the process. I can certainly envisage the authority deciding to retain other inspectors, such as local government officers, to carry out its functions. It might conceivably retain private companies, although I cannot quite imagine that. I do not want to prejudge precisely how those functions will be carried out, which is why the Clause is phrased openly. However, my expectation is that the key inspection function will be with the authority, which has the power to address the relevant matters.
With that, I urge that clause 20 stand part of the Bill.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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.
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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
