Part of Enterprise Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:45 pm on 30 April 2002.
Nigel Waterson
Conservative, Eastbourne
4:45,
30 April 2002
It is difficult to know how to answer that question without knowing what is in the draft regulations. When we have seen them, we shall know what important matters are included and, perhaps more importantly, what important matters have been left out. I appreciate that this is a moving target and I do not want to put the Under-Secretary on the spot. However, I am trying to be helpful, even if it does not sound like it, and my argument is relevant to a number of the provisions that we are cantering through. It would be sad if draft regulations that were almost available, albeit it in early draft, and could be made available for our debates did not become available until the Committee had moved on. However, I appreciate that the Under-Secretary cannot produce great rafts of regulations if they are not ready.
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.