UK Borders Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 2:30 pm on 15 March 2007.
Damian Green
Shadow Minister (Home Affairs)
I have a technical question for the Minister. Subsection (1) says:
“A court making a forfeiture order about property may order that the property be taken into the possession of the Secretary of State (and not of the police).”
I assume that that allows the property to be forfeited to immigration officers, but I should be grateful for clarification as to what the practical effect of that part of the Clause would be.
Joan Ryan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
The hon. Gentleman’s assumption is correct. The purpose of the Clause is to give the courts extended powers so that property can be forfeited to the Secretary of State and immigration officers acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. At the moment, forfeiture is to the police rather than to the Secretary of State. The purpose of the clause is, therefore, exactly as he outlines.
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.
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.
