Ministry of Health. – in the House of Commons at on 19 December 1934.
Mr Wilfrid Normand
, Edinburgh West
I beg to move, in page 2, line 31, to leave out from "Where," to "a," in line 35, and to insert:
with a view to the re-organisation of any endowment the Commissioners, in pursuance of section eighteen of the Act of 1928, cause to be printed the draft of a scheme, or, in pursuance of section twenty or section twenty-two of the said Act, submit for the approval of the Department a scheme, or amended scheme, they shall prefix to such draft or scheme or amended scheme.
This is the first of a series of Amendments the purpose of which is to give effect to an undertaking given in the Committee stage. As Clause 4 stands at present the commissioners are bound to include in their explanatory memorandum reasons for any action taken at two stages—at the stage of framing a scheme for presentation to the commissioners, and at the stage when framing the amended scheme. In Committee my right hon. Friend undertook to amend the Clause, so that reasons for action should be included in a memorandum, not only at these two stages,
but also at an earlier stage when framing the draft scheme sent to the trustees who hold the endowment.
Major Murdoch Wood
, Banffshire
I am glad the Government have put this Amendment down, for I am sure it is important. I suppose it will be convenient to take the Amendments all together, but I should like the right hon. Member to look at the third Amendment. Should not the Amendment include Section 22, which deals with the amended scheme? I think it will be necessary.
Mr Wilfrid Normand
, Edinburgh West
I beg to move, in page 3, line 5, to leave out "Section," and to insert "Sections eighteen and."
I have considered the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Banff (Sir M. McKenzie Wood), but I do not think it is necessary to carry out his suggestion. The procedure under Section 22 of the Act of 1928 is the procedure under Section 20, and accordingly the Amendment would include the application of the provision to amended schemes in all circumstances.
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.
