Part of Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:15 pm on 13 January 2005.
Dominic Grieve
Shadow Attorney General
4:15,
13 January 2005
May I return to the time of disclosure? I understand the Minister's point, but it raises a question. It means that a person in this country would have to disclose a transaction that appeared to be unlawful at the date on which he makes the disclosure because it was unlawful in the country where it took place at that date, even though he may know very well that on the date that the transaction took place in that other country, it was lawful. There is a question mark about that because it is a rather convoluted state of affairs. I shall let the Minister respond and then I might address the Committee further on the point.
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.
