Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 12:45 pm ar 20 Tachwedd 2001.
Mr George Foulkes
Minister of State, Scottish Office, Minister of State (Scotland Office)
12:45,
20 Tachwedd 2001
As the hon. Member for Beaconsfield, who moved the Amendment, said, the effect would be to allow unsecured creditors to take preference over the settlement of a confiscation order. I am referring to amendment No.32; amendment No. 75 is consequential to amendment No. 32. The Government do not support the principle behind the amendment.
My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollok questioned the hon. Member for Beaconsfield about the purposes behind all of the Opposition amendments, and the effect of almost all of them was to weaken—
It being One o'clock, The Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned till this day at half-past Four o'clock.
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.
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.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
