Part of Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 5:45 pm ar 28 Chwefror 2006.
Malcolm Wicks
Minister for energy, Department of Trade and Industry
5:45,
28 Chwefror 2006
I will say later—this is crucial—what the Minister is saying about that approach. I am not responsible for what press officers allegedly say to journalists, but I can tell the Committee what my colleague the Minister says. The hon. Gentleman may want to think about that before going on with this sideshow.
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.
