Part of the debate – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:30 pm on 7 January 2003.
Yvette Cooper
Parliamentary Secretary (Lord Chancellor's Department)
4:30,
7 January 2003
I beg to move,
That—
(1) during proceedings on the European Parliament (Representation) Bill the Standing Committee shall, after its first sitting on Tuesday 7th January at 4.30 pm, sit on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.25 am and 2.30 pm;
(2) the proceedings to be taken at the sittings shall be as shown in the second column of the Table below and shall be taken in the order so shown;
(3) the proceedings which under paragraph 2 are to be taken at any sitting shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the time specified in the third column of the Table;
(4) paragraph 2 does not prevent proceedings being taken (in the order shown in the second column of the table) at any earlier sitting than that provided for under paragraph 2 if previous proceedings have already been concluded.
Sitting Proceedings Time for Conclusion of Proceedings 7th January Clauses 1 to 6, the Schedule and Clause 7 --- 9th January Clauses 1 to 6, the Schedule and Clause 7 5.30 p.m. 14th January Clauses 8 to 25, new Clauses, new Schedules and remaining proceedings on the Bill --- 16th January Clauses 8 to 25, new Clauses, new Schedules and remaining proceedings on the Bill 5.30 p.m.
I welcome you to the Committee, Mr. Cook, and look forward to serving under your chairmanship.
The programme motion was agreed at the meeting of the Programming Sub-Committee on 16 December. We changed the proposals in response to concerns raised by Opposition parties and I hope that the motion satisfies those concerns.
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.
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.
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".
