Part of Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 11:00 am ar 27 Chwefror 2003.
Hilary Benn
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Minister for Prisons and Probation)
11:00,
27 Chwefror 2003
I beg to move Amendment No. 966, in
Clause 271, page 149, leave out line 23.
The amendment seeks to change the commencement of the provisions in clause 248 and schedule 20 relating to the increasing penalties for drugs-related offences, a subject that has involved a great deal of debate within the Committee, from Royal Assent to a later date in accordance with a provision made by the Secretary of State. The interval is needed to ensure that the guidance needed to accompany the commencement of the provisions is in place. That partly answers a question that the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey raised when we discussed those matters previously.
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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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.
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.
