Part of Health and Social Care Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 6:15 pm on 15 January 2008.
Sandra Gidley
Shadow Minister, Health
6:15,
15 January 2008
It is not clear from the Amendment whether the “documented reasonable grounds” would be publicly available in the first instance. I have a concern that if all is proved well, something will have been put in the public domain that could cast an adverse light on a body. There are vexatious complainants who have a habit of making complaints about various bodies. I wonder how we balance protecting the innocent on both sides of the equation when publishing information.
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.
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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.
