Part of Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 5:45 pm ar 28 Chwefror 2006.
Gregory Barker
Shadow Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
5:45,
28 Chwefror 2006
No, I have not had the opportunity to question the Minister for Housing and Planning. I thought, like the hon. Lady, that the review was on the way, but it was clear that the statement by her official spokesman was not a glib comment. It was made several days after the Committee met, when the Department had had a chance officially to digest the Minister’s comments.
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.
