Part of Equality Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 2:00 pm ar 18 Mehefin 2009.
Mark Harper
Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
2:00,
18 Mehefin 2009
I am grateful for the explanations given by the Solicitor-General. Amendment 10, which I spoke to, was essentially a probing amendment. She has clearly laid out the Government’s thinking, which is broadly similar to our own, but it is good to get on record why the provisions in part 3 exclude those under the age of 18. She gave a comprehensive reply to the amendments to which my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-Mare spoke, making clear the details of the consultation and the fact that the relevant part of the Bill will not be brought into force before the regulations making clear the exceptions are in place. Given those assurances, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
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.
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.
