Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 4:15 pm ar 24 Ionawr 2002.
Mr Nick Hawkins
Ceidwadwyr, Surrey Heath
4:15,
24 Ionawr 2002
I beg to move Amendment No. 510, in page 190, line 39, leave out paragraph (c).
As we discovered in Committee a week or so ago, the shortest amendments often elicit the greatest debate on matters of principle. This amendment is a case in point, because it goes to the issue of retrospection. Ministers or members of the Committee of any party will not be surprised to learn that there are concerns of principle about legislation having retrospective effect. I anticipate that the Minister will accuse us of being soft on money launderers. I will listen carefully to what he has to say on the special reasons why retrospection is justified in this case. Despite that, and the fact that I understand that he may have more of a case for retrospection in that field of law than in others, it would not be right to the let the matter go through
without at least discussing it, because it is rather like legal professional privilege.
Governments of all parties are always tempted to chip away at the traditional principle that provisions should not have a retrospective effect, and that is a danger. I am not making a partisan political point.
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.
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.
