Part of Employment Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 10:15 am ar 16 Hydref 2008.
Jonathan Djanogly
Shadow Minister (Business, Innovation and Skills), Shadow Solicitor General, Shadow Minister (Justice), Shadow Solicitor General
10:15,
16 Hydref 2008
I agree with the Minister that the question is not whether we legislate, but how we legislate. We have signed up to the European convention on human rights and, as far as I am aware, this country has never failed to follow the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, whichever party has been in power. I will not use today’s sitting to debate whether that should be questioned—that is an argument for another day.
My hon. Friends have raised legitimate concerns about the nature of this provision and its intrinsic unfairness, and I agree with nearly everything that has been said. Unfortunately, we are discussing maximising the protections given to the Court’s judgment. The Minister referred to a list of eminent people who took one view or another. We do not feel that the right balance has been struck. The issues involved are more fundamental than whether we want to share retirement homes with racists or people with other nasty views.
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.
Also referred to as the ECHR, the European Court of Human Rights was instituted as a place to hear Human Rights complaints from Council of Europe Member States; it consists of a number of judges equal to the number of Council of Europe seats (which currently stands at 45 at the time of writing), divided into four geographic- and gender-balanced "Sections" eac of which selects a Chamber (consisting of a President and six rotating justices), and a 17-member Grand Chamber consisting of a President, Vice-Presidents, and all Section Presidents, as well as a rotating selection of other justices from one of two balanced groups.
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.
