Part of Clause 9 – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 13 July 1977.
Mr Arthur Davidson
, Accrington
12:00,
13 July 1977
The reason for Clause 9 is simple. It is needed to discharge our international obligation to preserve the inviolability of such premises. The obligation would not be discharged if the offence were left out of the Bill or were limited to violent behaviour or behaviour threatening to cause a breach of the peace as my hon. Friend proposes.
We are required to guarantee to representatives of foreign and Commonwealth Governments—this is a strict liability under international convention—that they need not rid themselves of trespassers but should be able to call on the forces of law and order to do so on their behalf. Our own interests are also at stake, because we cannot expect our premises abroad to be treated better than the way we treat the premises of other Governments here.
I assure my hon. Friend that there will be no unwarranted prosections under Clause 9. The Amendment that I moved earlier in response to the fears that he had expressed provides that no prosecution may be brought without the consent of the Attorney-General.
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.
