Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:00 pm on 13 January 2005.
Amendment made: No. 35, in clause 100, page 66, line 39, leave out
'In section 447(3) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002'
and insert—
'( ) Part 11 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (c. 29) (co-operation) is amended as follows.
( ) In section 444 (external requests and orders), for subsection (3)(a) (Order under the section may include provision about the functions of the Secretary of State, the Lord Advocate, the Scottish Ministers and the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency) substitute—
''(a) provision about the functions of any of the listed persons in relation to external requests and orders;''.
( ) In that section, after subsection (3) insert—
''(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(a) ''the listed persons'' are—
(a) the Secretary of State;
(b) the Lord Advocate;
(c) the Scottish Ministers;
(d) the Director;
(e) the Director of Public Prosecutions;
(f) the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland;
(g) the Director of the Serious Fraud Office; and
(h) the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions.''
( ) In section 447(3)'.—[Caroline Flint.]
Question proposed, That the clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill.
Paul Farrelly
Labour, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Just before we leave part 2 and the Government Amendment, I wanted to mention that one capability is omitted from part 2 that has played a vital role in dismantling organised crime syndicates around the world, not least the Mafia in the United States. It is the power to use wire-tap evidence in court. I do not want to detain the Committee, but I do not know whether legislation is needed for wire-tap evidence to be admissible in court. Could the Minister pay some serious attention to that and perhaps write to me?
Andrew Mitchell
Shadow Minister (Home Affairs)
If the hon. Gentleman looks carefully, he will find new Clause 12. It is a permissive clause that seeks to do precisely what he suggests, but we have not yet reached that point in the Bill. If he can contain himself until Tuesday morning, he may have the opportunity to enter into a most interesting debate.
Paul Farrelly
Labour, Newcastle-under-Lyme
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I shall contain myself and will not ask the Minister to write to me on that matter at the moment.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 100, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Further consideration adjourned.—[Mr. Heppell.]
Adjourned accordingly at one minute past Five o'clock till Tuesday 18 January at ten minutes past Nine o'clock.
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.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
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.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
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.
