– in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1929.
Mr Austen Chamberlain
, Birmingham West
What about the Amendments to Clause 5?
The DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN:
I understood that in view of the fact that the Minister wished to withdraw Clause 5 the Amendments to that Clause on the Order Paper would not be taken. I appealed to the Committee and I thought I had assent to that course.
Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare
, Norwich
As one of those who is affected by this Clause I should like to say a few words why, in my opinion, it should not be withdrawn, and why it is not necessary to withdraw it. The Committee has agreed that Clause 4 should be deleted, but in whatever form Clause 4 ultimately emerges Clause 5, in identically the same words, will be necessary because it only relates to the statutory conditions in Section 7 of the principal Act. Therefore, if the Minister brings in a new Clause 4, modifying the statutory conditions of the principal Act, Clause 5 will have to be debated. I do not see why it should not be possible to retain Clause 5. I have an Amendment down to reduce the waiting period to three days. I do not propose to discuss that question now, but I should like to enter my protest against the withdrawal of the Clause.
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.
The order paper is issued daily and lists the business which will be dealt with during that day's sitting of the House of Commons.
It provides MPs with details of what will be happening in the House throughout the day.
It also gives details of when and where the standing committees and select committees of the Commons will be meeting.
Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
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.
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.
