Part of Road Safety Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 1:30 pm ar 20 Ebrill 2006.
Owen Paterson
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
1:30,
20 Ebrill 2006
Two points. First, as I understand it, if no third party is involved there is currently no requirement to remain at the scene of a crime or to demand the emergency services or anyone else. In fact, the police advise people to move on as quickly as possible. Secondly, the Minister must acknowledge that under current legislation there is flexibility for courts. We are not suggesting a mandatory 14-year prison sentence for someone who inadvertently brushes another vehicle and does not realise what he has done. We intend for the very severe penalties to be restricted to the hard core who make the serious and unpleasant decision to leave the scene of a crime where someone might have been mortally wounded.
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.
