Part of Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 6:00 pm on 31 January 2002.
Crispin Blunt
Shadow Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
6:00,
31 January 2002
We now come to an important principle about responsibility for the Public Prosecution Service. The Amendment would confer responsibility for the effective management of the service on the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister and remove that function from the Secretary of State. It is designed to make a simple pragmatic point rather than raise political issues about either Administration. That also applies to amendments Nos. 174 and 175, which refer to Clause 31. Who should be responsible for running this service? If justice is to be devolved to Northern Ireland, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister should be responsible for its administration. Staff numbers, salaries and conditions of service should be the responsibility not of the Secretary of State, but of the First and Deputy First Ministers.
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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
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.
