Part of Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:30 am on 25 January 2005.
Elliot Morley
Minister of State (Environment and Agri-Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
9:30,
25 January 2005
Anyone who is involved in the waste business and waste transfer should have a licence, and there is a duty of care that goes with that. Part of that duty of care is the responsibility of the employer to make their employees aware of the law. Each case is different, and if there are mitigating circumstances in relation to the actions of an employee, the courts can take that into account. However, even for well-meaning reasons, we must not allow a potential loophole in the legislation that the unscrupulous can exploit. Sadly, the 1990 legislation has been exploited, which is why it is important that we close that loophole.
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.
