Part of European Parliament (Representation) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:30 am on 16 January 2003.
Bill Cash
Shadow Attorney General
10:30,
16 January 2003
I concur with the thanks to you, Mr. Cook, for chairing the Committee. I also thank the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome for the constructive way in which we have been able to discuss the Bill. I cannot claim to have been entirely satisfied with the Minister's responses and I shall not over-indulge my congratulations to Labour Members
for their massive contribution of silence to our proceedings.
I am pleased to add my thanks to your colleagues, Mr. Cook, who took the Chair from time to time. I also thank my hon. Friends who have been with me throughout these proceedings.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill to be reported, without Amendment.
Committee rose at eighteen minutes to Eleven o'clock.
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.
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.
