Clause 22 – in the House of Commons at 7:30 pm on 25 June 1991.
Mrs Angela Rumbold
, Mitcham and Morden
I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
The amendment addresses the vexed issue of prisoners who have spent time in custody abroad awaiting extradition to this country and responds to the concern expressed in Committee by the right hon. and learned Member for Warley, West (Mr. Archer).
Mr Stuart Randall
, Kingston upon Hull West
As the Minister said, the Amendment deals with people who are extradited to the United Kingdom. It was referred to in Committee by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Warley, West (Mr. Archer). It was moved by the Government in response to an amendment moved by the noble Lord Thomas of Gwydir at the request of Prisoners Abroad and supported by the official Opposition and peers on the parliamentary all-party penal affairs group.
Although the Lords amendment does not go so far as the amendment moved in Committee by the noble Lord Thomas, it has been welcomed by Prisoners Abroad as a useful compromise. It enables the judge to recommend that a specified period spent in custody abroad should count towards the sentence. By taking account of that time, the new Clause should end the anomaly of such prisoners being sentenced to less than the proper term. The Opposition would have liked those held in custody abroad to be given the same automatic credit as those held on remand in this country. Nevertheless, we welcome the new clause as a move in the right direction.
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.
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.
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 Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
