Adoption and Children Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:30 am on 20 November 2001.
The Association welcomes tighter controls on intercountry adoption and tougher penalties on those seeking to circumvent proper procedures. Very careful consideration needs to be given as to which countries' adoptions will be brought within the definition of clause 83, bearing in mind the experience accumulated in respect of intercountry adoptions over the past decade.
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.
