Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 4:30 pm ar 18 Rhagfyr 2001.
Bob Ainsworth
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
4:30,
18 Rhagfyr 2001
I did not think that I was insisting that the rights of the enforcement agency would be paramount in the case of associated property. As I said, I thought that the Amendment would allow the
court to take that into consideration. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that that is sensible, and that he will not think that the rights of the enforcement authority can be ignored in every case of associated property.
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.
