Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 2:45 pm on 27 January 2005.
Anne McIntosh
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Shadow Minister (Transport)
On a small point of clarification, will the Secretary of State be involved here or will there be opportunities for the local authorities to act under, for example, the provisions of Clause 69? Will the Secretary of State be involved on each occasion or will the individual councils retain a degree of autonomy? Is there any change to the role of the Secretary of State in this regard?
Alun Michael
Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I am not sure that I understand the question. There is no change to the role of the Secretary of State. The Clause simply defines the terms used. The phrase ''appropriate person'' is used because under the devolution settlement the powers are exercised in relation to local authorities in Wales by the National Assembly for Wales rather than the Secretary of State. In the past, the legislation would have simply referred to the Secretary of State and it would have been the appropriate Secretary of State, whether for Wales or for a Department relating to English local authorities. The phraseology is very common. It does not change anything. It is normal use. The clause is only about interpretation. It does not change the powers of any individual or body, be they Secretary of State or local authority.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 81 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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
