Orders of the Day – in the House of Commons at 9:45 pm on 10 June 2008.
Votes in this debate
Division number 218
Counter Terrorism Bill — Lord Chief Justice to appoint "special coroners" — rejected
Question accordingly negatived.
Amendments made: No. 70, page 47, leave out lines 37 to 40 and insert—
'( ) The Secretary of State must establish and maintain a list of coroners eligible to be appointed under this section ("the approved list").
( ) A coroner may be included on the approved list only with the agreement of the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales or the nominated senior judge.
(1) A person may be appointed under this section only if—
(a) the person is—
(i) a coroner on the approved list,
(ii) a puisne judge of the High Court in England and Wales, or
(iii) a circuit judge, and
(b) the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales or the nominated senior judge agrees to the person's appointment.'.
No. 71, page 48, line 14, at end insert—
'(5) A reference in a provision of this section or section 18C to "the nominated senior judge" is to the senior judge nominated by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales for the purposes of that provision.
(6) In subsection (5) "senior judge" means—
(a) the Master of the Rolls,
(b) the President of the Queen's Bench Division,
(c) the President of the Family Court,
(d) the Chancellor of the High Court, or
(e) a Lord Justice of Appeal in England and Wales.'.
No. 72, page 49, leave out lines 10 and 11.
No. 73, page 49, line 12, after 'coroner's', insert 'incapacity or'.
No. 74, page 49, line 15, at end insert—
'( ) The Secretary of State may revoke an appointment under subsection (1) only if the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales or the nominated senior judge agrees to the revocation.'.— [Mr. McNulty.]
Bill, as amended, to be further considered tomorrow.
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.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
