Clause 43 - General interpretation
Identity Cards Bill
9:45 am

Edward Garnier (Shadow Minister, (Assisted By Shadow Law Officers); Harborough, Conservative)

I simply wish to ask the Minister this question: if we are to have a definition of the word “modification”, should we not also have a definition of the word “amendment”?

Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)

To answer simply, one amends legislation, but one modifies reports and regulations. Everyone understands that that is the case. In the hon. and learned Gentleman’s witty retorts throughout our deliberations, he has shown that he understands what both “amendment” and “modification” mean. However, in a stricter sense—this deals with the semi-word game that we sometimes indulge in by way of scrutiny—“amendment” is specific to primary legislation and “modification” is an appropriate term for other areas.

If I may be flippant for a moment, let me say that, if we wanted a layman’s guide to legalese to explain the range of words that we understand to mean something other than what the lawyers mean by them, the clause would be bigger than the rest of the Bill. As that is not the case, however, clause 43 contains sufficient provision to explain the terms that mere mortals like us do not entirely understand. I commend the clause, in all its glory, to the Committee.