Extradition Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:30 pm on 16 January 2003.
Edward O'Hara
Labour, Knowsley South
With this it will be convenient to discuss Government Amendment No. 110.
Michael Wills
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Criminal Justice System IT)
These are minor technical amendments. My ministerial colleague wrote to every member of the Committee before Christmas to explain their purpose, so I hope that the Committee will understand if I am very brief.
The amendments enable all the provisions relating to extradition from the UK to be applied in cases where the extradition is to a British overseas territory. Clause 178 enables those aspects of part 3 of the Bill—
which deals with outgoing requests—that apply after extradition to the UK has taken place to be applied to extradition from the UK to a British overseas territory. It does not enable those provisions in part 3 relating to before extradition to the UK has taken place to be applied to extradition from the UK to a British overseas territory. The amendments simply ensure that all the provisions of part 3 apply in cases of extradition from the UK to a British overseas territory.
Mr Nick Hawkins
Conservative, Surrey Heath
I am grateful to the Minister. He is right to say that his fellow Minister wrote to all members of the Committee to explain the provisions. It never ceases to impress me that, even once a Bill has been brought into existence, the Ministers' civil servants in whichever Department is involved continue to keep it under scrutiny just to check the work of the parliamentary draftsmen. We are all grateful that they do so, because otherwise we would need to revise legislation further. It is one of the strengths of our procedure, and I pay tribute to them.
I have always had an interest in how law applies to the British Overseas Territories. The Minister may recall the numerous occasions where I have spoken on Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and other places. I am glad that we are getting this legislation right. I have no objection to the Minister's amendments. It seems sensible that if the part after extradition should apply, then the parts before extradition should also apply.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendment made: No. 110 in page 94, line 12, leave out from second ''to'' to ''to'' in line 13 and insert ''extradition''.—[Mr. Wills.]
Clause 178, as amended, agreed to.
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.
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.
