– in a Public Bill Committee at on 13 December 2001.
Ann Widdecombe
Conservative, Maidstone and The Weald
2:30,
13 December 2001
Following Mr. Hurst's ruling this morning, the Government have tabled manuscript amendments. They will be taken during the debate on Clause 36 and they are available to the Committee on the Table.
Simon Burns
Shadow Spokesperson (Health)
On a point of order, Miss Widdecombe. As you were not in the Committee this morning, you may not be aware that we held a further meeting of the Programming Sub-Committee when we had before us the motion
''That, pursuant to Sessional Order . . . of 28th June 2001, the Committee recommends that, notwithstanding the Order of the House of 20th November, proceedings on Consideration and Third Reading of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill be completed in one and a half days.''
My hon. Friend the Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) and I requested that because we felt that the way in which the programme motion for the Committee had been set provided insufficient time to debate important issues such as clauses 8, 20 and 21. We did not have the opportunity to scrutinise those clauses at all, which it is the Opposition's duty so to do, and we thought it reasonable to request that on Report, instead of having the proposed one-day debate, we should have a one-and-a-half day debate so that we could properly scrutinise those important clauses. Regrettably, the Programming Sub-Committee, with a Government Majority, did not agree with that view, so the status quo remains. However, I want to put on the record that we are most unhappy at the way in which those crucial clauses at the heart of the Bill will not have any scrutiny whatever in Standing Committee.
Ann Widdecombe
Conservative, Maidstone and The Weald
That is not a matter for the Chair. The Programming Sub-Committee met and came to a conclusion in a way that was completely within the rules. I certainly have no jurisdiction to do anything about it. If the hon. Gentleman is dissatisfied, no doubt he will make that known on the Floor of the House in due course.Schedule 8 Minor and consequential amendments
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.
In a normal session there are up to ten standing committees on bills. Each has a chair and from 16 to 50 members. Standing committee members on bills are appointed afresh for each new bill by the Committee of Selection which is required to take account of the composition of the House of Commons (ie. party proportions) as well as the qualification of members to be nominated. The committees are chaired by a member of the Chairmen's Panel (whose members are appointed by the Speaker). In standing committees the Chairman has much the same function as the Speaker in the House of Commons. Like the Speaker, a chairman votes only in the event of a tie, and then usually in accordance with precedent. The committees consider each bill clause by clause and may make amendments. There are no standing committees in the House of Lords.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
