Part of Children and Adoption Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 9:15 am ar 16 Mawrth 2006.
Ann Coffey
PPS (Rt Hon Alistair Darling, Secretary of State), Scotland Office, PPS (Rt Hon Alistair Darling, Secretary of State), Department for Transport
9:15,
16 Mawrth 2006
When the subject was discussed in the Committee that considered the draft Bill, I was slightly confused. My understanding of an enforcement order is that a court decides whether to make the parent do a period of unpaid work or to send them to jail. When we discussed that, we considered the way in which magistrates interpret the law. For example, the paramountcy of the child cannot be the major consideration at that time, otherwise no parent of any child would ever be sentenced. I remain slightly confused.
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.
