Orders of the Day – in the House of Commons at 5:45 pm on 11 June 2008.
In section 23 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (c. 36) (limitations of emergency regulations), after subsection (4) (provision that may not be made) insert—
"(4A) In subsection (4)(d) the reference to alteration of procedure in relation to criminal proceedings includes alteration of the period for which a person may be detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (arrest without warrant of terrorist suspect)."'.
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.
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.
