Part of the debate – in a Public Bill Committee am 10:30 am ar 19 Mehefin 2012.
Norman Lamb
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
10:30,
19 Mehefin 2012
I thank the Opposition spokesman for his generous comments on the Bill—starting as he means to go on. I think I do not need to respond other than to confirm that if extra time is needed, we will be happy to sit for longer in the sittings that have been set.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
