Home Energy Conservation Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 8:00 pm on 26 February 2002.
'(1) Section 345 of the Housing Act 1985 (meaning of ''multiple occupation'') is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (2)(b), for ''by a single household'' there is substituted ''as a separate dwelling.
(3) After subsection (2) there is inserted—
''(3) The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing—
(a) circumstances in which a person is, or is not, to be regarded as occupying a house, or
(b) circumstances in which persons occupying a house are, or are not, to be regarded as forming a single household.
(4) Regulations under paragraph (b) of subsection (3) may (without prejudice to the generality of that paragraph) secure that persons occupying a house are regarded as forming a single household only where there is a prescribed relationship between each member of the group and any one or more of the others (as the regulations may require).
(5) In subsection (4) ''prescribed relationship'' means any family or other relationship of a description specified in the regulations.
''(6) The Secretary of State may also make regulations prescribing descriptions of houses which (whether or not otherwise falling within the definition in subsection (1)) are not to be regarded as houses in multiple occupation within the meaning of this Part.
(7) Regulations under subsection (6) may frame a description of house by reference to any features of the house (including the nature of its use or occupation).
(8) Regulations under this section—
(a) may make different provision for different circumstances;
(b) may make incidental, supplementary and transitional provision; and
(c) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.''.'—[Mr. Meacher.]
Brought up, and read the First time.
Motion made, and Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.
The Committee divided: Ayes 4, Noes 2.
Division number 3
Adults Abused in Childhood — New clause 7 - meaning of ''house in multiple occupation''
Question accordingly agreed to.
Amendments made: (a) after proposed new subsection (3)(b) of section 345 of the Housing Act 1985 insert:
'(3A) Regulations made under subsection (2) shall include in any definition of ''house in multiple occupation'' a house occupancy of which is or would be subject to more than one tenancy agreement whether written or verbal.'.
(b) in proposed new subsection (6) of section 345 of the Housing Act 1985, leave out from second 'of' to end and insert:
'buildings which are, or are not, to be regarded as houses'.—[Mr. Meacher.]
Motion made, and Question put, That the clause, as amended, be added to the Bill.
The Committee divided: Ayes 4, Noes 2.
Division number 4
Adults Abused in Childhood — New clause 7 - meaning of ''house in multiple occupation''
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.
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.
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.
