A service from mySociety A service from mySociety

TheyWorkForYou

Menu

After Clause 59

Part of Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:39 pm on 20 June 1991.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Peter Robinson Peter Robinson , Belfast East 4:39, 20 June 1991

I shall be cautious in replying to the hon. Gentleman's Intervention. The Minister appointed me to a post on the Sports Council. I know that if I do not admit that now he will ensure that it is commented upon at the end of the day. He was able to make the appointment because I was nominated by my district council. My hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Ulster (Rev. William McCrea), who was appointed to the Housing Executive, followed the same route, as have many others.

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.

intervention

An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.

Minister

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.