Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:30 am on 8 November 2001.
Alan Whitehead
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions)
10:30,
8 November 2001
I beg to move Government Amendment No. 9, in page 2, line 24, leave out `section' and insert `Article'.
Sir David Amess
Conservative, Southend West
With this it will be convenient to take Government Amendment No. 10.
Alan Whitehead
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions)
The Amendment seeks to correct a technical drafting error in the Bill. It has no effect on the substantive impact of new paragraphs 43A(3) and (4) in Northern Ireland. Although the effects of clauses 1 and 2 are the same, hon. Members will appreciate that orders have articles, not sections.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendment made: No. 10, in page 2, line 29, leave out `section' and insert `Article'.—[Dr. Whitehead.]
Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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.
