Enterprise Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 11:30 am ar 7 Mai 2002.
Nigel Waterson
Ceidwadwyr, Eastbourne
I rise briefly to probe the Under-Secretary on a couple of matters with regard to this Clause. The first echoes the previous debate about the two-year limit. My hon. Friends the Members for Huntingdon and for Cities of London and Westminster have made all the important points about that, and about the real problem that is caused to businesses by such uncertainty hanging over them for up to two years. It appears that that issue does not cut any ice with the Under-Secretary or her hon. Friends, but it remains a concern. At least there is a suggestion of movement in the clause.
Under subsection (2), the Secretary of State has the power to
"alter the period of two years".
Miss Melanie Johnson
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry
The hon. Gentleman's points chime well with those I made in debate on Clause 129 when we discussed Amendment No. 35, which would have reduced the period to 12 months. I have said that we do not normally expect the process to take anything like two years; that is a long stop. I also said that there is a provision to vary the period downwards, as the hon. Gentleman says. Those points, which I made in relation to amendment No. 35, obviously hold true in our discussion on clause 136. I do not have a great deal to add, but I reassure the hon. Gentleman that he is right in what he says, and that our intentions are no different to his own on the subject.
Nigel Waterson
Ceidwadwyr, Eastbourne
Again, we have an assurance that the Under-Secretary's intentions are entirely honourable. Who am I to argue with that?
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 136 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clauses 137 and 138 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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
