Part of Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 5:15 pm ar 23 Hydref 2007.
David Heath
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
5:15,
23 Hydref 2007
The hon. and learned Gentleman says that I should not bother, and perhaps that is entirely sensible. I shall just say that I have been consistent in my view that if a child is taken away from their familial home by court order, that is a significant disposal and should be done with proper care. The criterion that would be removed by the Amendment is that it should be done in relation to an offence that would otherwise attract a custodial sentence. I think that that is a necessary threshold for such a disposal. I do not wish to remove it from the order and that is why I would not support the hon. and learned Gentleman if he were to push the amendment to a vote, which he is clearly not going to do. I hope that the Minister will be able to respond to the cogent points that he made, which perhaps I have amplified a little in my remarks.
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.
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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.
