Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:30 am on 4 February 2003.
Hilary Benn
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Minister for Prisons and Probation)
It may be helpful to say that sentences that are ''fixed by law'' are mandatory life sentences for murder only. Sentences under the Road Traffic Acts are not relevant to the provision.
Humfrey Malins
Conservative, Woking
How helpful the Minister has been. Labour Members will realise that we are making good progress this morning by making our points briefly. It occurred to me that a sentence fixed by law could include sentences that are set in stone, such as the compulsory 12 months' disqualification for failing a breathalyser test, for which community sentences are
often passed. It was my misunderstanding of the phrase ''fixed by law'' that led me to suppose that it meant sentences set in statute. I hope that the Committee does not think that those two minutes were time wasted. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 133 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.
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.
