Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:00 am on 27 January 2005.
Anne McIntosh
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Shadow Minister (Transport)
11:15,
27 January 2005
I am still suffering from shock that the Minister said that members of the Committee should not seek illumination from the regulatory impact assessment, which raises the question why the Government went to such expense and extravagance to produce it. Conservative Members find the regulatory impact assessment extremely useful and I hope that the Minister will confirm that it is a reliable source—that it is not a guesstimate, but an accurate estimate.
I seek clarification of subsection (3), which states:
''A person guilty of an offence under subsection (2) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.''
What is the proposed amount?
Alun Michael
Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The level 3 fine is up to £1,000, as it has been throughout our discussions in Committee. If the hon. Lady seeks illumination, I advise that she first switch the light on, because she could illuminate her own thoughts. In preparing a regulatory impact assessment, some pieces of information come from an analysis of what has happened elsewhere, and others depend on our making the most intelligent guess possible on the information available. Any regulatory impact assessment should be read in that context.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 76 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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.
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.
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.
