School Transport Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at on 9 November 2004.
Stephen Twigg
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education and Skills)
I beg to move,
That—
(1) during proceedings on the School Transport Bill, in addition to its first meeting at 9.25 a.m. on Tuesday 9th November, the Standing Committee shall meet at—
(a) 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday 9th November, and
(b) 9.25 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. on Thursday 11th November;
(2) proceedings on the Bill shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 5 p.m. on Thursday 11th November.
I take this opportunity to welcome your chairmanship, Mr. Conway, and that of Mr. O'Brien, who will be chairing this afternoon's sitting. I wish to express my pleasure in presenting my first Bill for scrutiny in Committee. The Bill has already been scrutinised extensively through a process of pre-legislative debate and scrutiny by both the Transport Committee and the Education and Skills Committee.
The Bill is short. It has only seven clauses and I am confident that we can have a full but brisk debate in Committee under your excellent chairmanship, Mr. Conway. As you know, the Programming Sub-Committee has already met, and I am pleased to move the motion based on its resolution. I look forward both to your chairmanship and to the deliberations of the Committee.
Question put and agreed to.
Frank Cook
Labour, Stockton North
I remind the Committee that there is a money resolution in connection with the Bill, copies of which are available on the Table in the centre of the Room. I also remind colleagues that adequate notice should be given of amendments. As a general rule, I and my co-Chairman do not intend to call starred amendments, including any starred amendments that may be reached during the afternoon sitting of the Committee.Clause 1 School travel schemes
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.
