Part of Civil Partnership Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 2:45 pm ar 21 Hydref 2004.
Jacqui Smith
Minister of State (Industry and the Regions and Deputy Minister for Women), Department of Trade and Industry, Minister of State (Industry and the Regions) and Deputy Minister (Women)
2:45,
21 Hydref 2004
Possibly. However, let us consider how the process will work. We have to set down in legislation the legal requirements and—yes, my hon. Friend is right—the legal restrictions on the part that is strictly speaking the registration process. My argument, and my expectation, is that it will then be possible for there to be a range of different ways in which that process could be celebrated. If people so chose, they could build a ceremony around it. My point is that that should not be set down in the Bill as part of the specific legal details of how the registration is carried out.
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.