Orders of the Day — Police Reform Bill [Lords] — [2nd allotted day] – in the House of Commons at 6:45 pm on 10 July 2002.
Votes in this debate
Amendments made: No. 109, in page 5, line 38, leave out from "where" to first "the", in line 41, and insert—
'a report made to the Secretary of State on an inspection under section 54 states, in relation to a police force for a police area—
(a) that, in the opinion of the person making the report,'.
No. 110, in page 5, line 43, after "that" insert—
', in that person's opinion,'.—[Mr. Heppell.]
Amendment proposed: (a) to Government amendment No. 111, in line 1, before "chief", insert "may direct the".
The House divided: Ayes 190, Noes 305.
Division number 303
Orders of the Day — Police Reform Bill [Lords] — [2nd allotted day] — Clause 5 — Directions to chief officers
Question accordingly negatived.
Amendment made: No. 111, in page 6, line 1, leave out—
'chief officer of police of'
and insert—
'police authority responsible for maintaining'.—[Mr. Heppell.]
Amendments made: No. 112, in page 6, line 2, leave out "prepare and".
No. 113, in page 6, line 6, leave out from beginning to end of line 8.
No. 114, in page 6, line 8, at end insert—
'(3A) If a police authority is directed to submit an action plan, that authority shall direct the chief officer of police of the force in question to prepare a draft of it and to submit it to the police authority for that authority to consider.
(3B) The police authority, on considering a draft action plan submitted to it under subsection (3A) may submit the plan to the Secretary of State, with or without modifications.
(3C) If the police authority proposes to make modifications to the draft of the action plan submitted under subsection (3A), it must consult with the chief officer of police.'.
No. 115, in page 6, line 10, leave out from "may" to end of line 16 and insert—
', if he is of the opinion that the remedial measures contained in the action plan submitted to him are inadequate, notify the police authority and the chief officer of the force in question of that opinion and of his reasons for it.
(4A) If a police authority is notified under subsection (4)—
(a) it shall consider, after consultation with the chief officer of the police force in question about the matters notified, whether to revise the action plan in the light of those matters; and
(b) if it does revise that plan, it shall send a copy of the revised plan to the Secretary of State.'.
No. 116, in page 6, line 17, leave out "chief officer of any" and insert—
'police authority responsible for maintaining a'.
No. 116, As Amendments to Mr. Secretary Blunkett's proposed Amendment (No. 116) (Page 6, line 17 [Clause 5]):
No. 117, in page 6, line 18, leave out "police authority maintaining" and insert—
'chief officer of police of'.
No. 117, As Amendments to Mr. Secretary Blunkett's proposed Amendment (No. 117) (Page 6, line 18 [Clause 5]):
No. 118, in page 6, line 20, leave out from beginning to end of line 21 and insert—
'(6) The period within which a direction to submit an action plan must be complied with is such period of not less than four weeks and not more than twelve weeks after it is given as may be specified in the direction.'.
No. 119, in page 6, line 23, leave out "or resubmitted".
No. 120, in page 6, line 25, leave out from beginning to end of line 29 and insert—
'(a) provision setting out the steps that the police authority proposes should be taken in respect of the matters to which the direction relates and the performance targets the authority proposes should be met;
(b) provision setting out the authority's proposals as to the times within which those steps are to be taken and those standards to be met and the means by which the success of the plan's implementation is to be measured;'.
No. 121, in page 6, line 30, after "reports" insert—
'to the Secretary of State'.
No. 122, in page 6, line 31, leave out from "plan" to end of line 32.
No. 123, in page 6, line 37, leave out—
'to direct the inclusion in an'
and insert—
'or a police authority to direct the inclusion in an action plan or draft.'.
No. 124, in page 6, line 41, leave out from beginning to end of line 44.
No. 125, in page 6, line 46, leave out "or resubmission".
No. 126, in page 6, line 47, leave out "or resubmission".
No. 127, in page 7, line 2, at end insert—
'(10A) A police authority shall comply with any direction given to it under this section.'.
No. 128, in page 7, line 4, at end insert—
'(11A) Nothing in this section or in section 40 prevents the Secretary of State in the case of the same report under section 54 from exercising (whether in relation to the same matter or different matters or at the same time or at different times) both his powers under this section and his powers under section 40.'.
No. 129, in page 7, line 16, leave out "chief officer" and insert "police authority".—[Mr. Heppell.]
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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
