– in a Public Bill Committee am ar 16 Mehefin 2009.
Nicholas Winterton
Ceidwadwyr, Macclesfield
10:30,
16 Mehefin 2009
I welcome all members of the Committee to this sitting. It is a very pleasant day; I hope that the sun, with a few clouds—[Interruption]. Did I hear an electronic device, Minister?
Nicholas Winterton
Ceidwadwyr, Macclesfield
I always take the word of a Minister. There was no electronic device.
Nicholas Winterton
Ceidwadwyr, Macclesfield
Anyway, I welcome you all and I am sure we shall continue to make progress. Before we begin, however, I inform the Committee that Officers of the House, printers, Ministers and Members of Parliament are not infallible. There was a printing mistake on the Amendment paper before the Committee at its first sitting. The resolution agreed by the Programming Sub-Committee, which I chaired, stated that the Committee should meet at 4.00 pm this afternoon, rather than 4.30 pm. Unfortunately, the motion before the Committee at its first meeting stated 4.30 pm. I am, however, very much of the view that although we have strict procedures in this place, flexibility when agreed across the Floor by the usual channels and Back-Bench Members can prevail. I understand that there is an agreement between the usual channels that they would like to return to the 4.00 pm start time this afternoon. To get things utterly correct, therefore, I invite the Minister to move a motion amending the Programme Order accordingly.
Ordered—
That the Programming Order of 9th June be amended—
Line 6, Leave out ‘4.30 pm’ and insert ‘4.00 pm’. —[Mr Woolas.]
Nicholas Winterton
Ceidwadwyr, Macclesfield
That is extremely satisfactory. We can now proceed with the Bill. We have reached Clause 48, and I have selected Amendment 56 in the name of the hon. Gentleman from that famous Constituency of Ashford.
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.
The House of Commons.
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.
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.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
Phil Woolas
Minister of State (the North West), Home Office, Minister of State (the North West), HM Treasury, Minister of State (the North West), Regional Affairs
Simon Burns
Opposition Whip (Commons)