Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 5:11 pm ar 6 Chwefror 2003.
Amendments proposed: No. 583, in
schedule 9, page 202, line 26, at end insert—
' ''the offender'', in relation to a suspended sentence order, means the person in respect of whom the order is made;'.
No. 584, in
schedule 9, page 203, line 4, leave out from 'that' to 'has' and insert 'the offender'.
No. 585, in
schedule 9, page 203, line 26, leave out from 'to' to 'in' in line 27 and insert 'the offender'.
No. 586, in
schedule 9, page 205, line 38, leave out
'section 84 of the Sentencing Act'
and insert
'section (Restriction on consecutive sentences for released prisoners)'.
No. 587, in
schedule 9, page 207, line 36, leave out
'during the term of imprisonment to which a suspended sentence order relates'
and insert
'while a suspended sentence order is in force'.
No. 588, in
schedule 9, page 207, line 39, leave out 'during the licence period'.
No. 589, in
schedule 9, page 207, line 39, leave out 'that petty sessions area' and insert
'the petty sessions area concerned'.
No. 590, in
schedule 9, page 208, line 21, leave out from 'subparagraph (1)' to end of line 23 and insert—
'(a) a requirement falling within any paragraph of section 171(1) is of the same kind as any other requirement falling within that paragraph, and
(b) an electronic monitoring requirement is a requirement of the same kind as any requirement falling within section 171(1) to which it relates.'.—[Hilary Benn.]
Question put, That the amendments be made:—
The Committee divided: Ayes 11, Noes 4.
Rhif adran 34
Adults Abused in Childhood — Schedule 9 - Breach or amendment of suspended sentence order, and effect of further conviction
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 House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
