Part of Proceeds of Crime Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:00 am on 6 December 2001.
Mr George Foulkes
Minister of State, Scottish Office, Minister of State (Scotland Office)
11:00,
6 December 2001
Amendment No. 163 is a paving amendment. Amendment No. 164 is designed to ensure that the court will always have before it an up-to-date statement of the prosecutor's position. It places a requirement on the prosecutor to give the court a further statement of information if the court orders him to do so, and within the period that the court orders. Amendment No. 165 is a purely drafting amendment to delete superfluous subsections (6) to (9) of Clause 104, as the provisions are already contained in clause 99(6) to (9).
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.
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.
