Emergency Workers (Protection) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 2:45 pm ar 26 Ebrill 2006.
Alan Williams
Llafur, Gorllewin Abertawe
I thank all my colleagues who have given their time to this. I know that several of them are involved in pre-election work outside the House and have come in specially to show their support. I appreciate all the support I have had from colleagues, including those opposite. I owe the hon. Member for Teignbridge special gratitude for having drawn the Scottish Act to my attention when I was deciding what to do in respect of this private Member’s Bill. I am indebted to him for that and for his further support.
I thank the Minister for her co-operation and for the fact that at least I got an anaesthetic before my arm was twisted. May I thank you, Mr. Benton, for putting up with my incompetence in reading two amendments ahead, instead of remembering what to say at the right time?
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.
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.
