Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 4:45 pm ar 27 Tachwedd 2001.
Mr Nick Hawkins
Ceidwadwyr, Surrey Heath
4:45,
27 Tachwedd 2001
I am sorry to break the Minister's flow on that point, and I do not want to be difficult by referring back to his previous response to my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire). However, since he discussed subsection 7(b), I have been examining it carefully, and I believe that he is mistaken. Nothing in the words ``may vary the order'' and put in such amount
``as it believes is just''
constrains the direction of the variation. I hope that the Minister and his officials will look again at subsection (7)(b), because the words at the beginning of paragraph (b) do not have the effect that the Minister says they do. The court is given the power to ``vary the order'' by
``such amount as it believes is just''.
The court is not constrained to use its discretion to vary the order in only one direction.
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.
