Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:45 pm on 20 November 2001.
Mr Nick Hawkins
Conservative, Surrey Heath
12:45,
20 November 2001
My party is happy for there to be a proper inquiry into any fraudulent transactions, or interlocking transactions, that a defendant might come up with. That should happen. We do not want anybody to get away with the deliberate creation of fraudulent apparent debts. Our sole concern is that the provision might hit entirely innocent people. The court should have the opportunity to look at deliberate attempts to create fraudulent debts, and to ignore them. The Bill gives the court the power to look at matters such as tainted debts—as they are called. We do not seek to open a loophole. My party's intention is to ensure that the entirely innocent should not be hit, and I think that the hon. Gentleman agrees with that.
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.
