Part of Health and Social Care Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:15 pm on 17 January 2008.
Stephen O'Brien
Shadow Minister (Health)
3:15,
17 January 2008
I am please to be able to give him some pleasure. I will withdraw the Amendment on the basis that we have had an outing on the matter before and we know where we stand. As we go consistently through the Bill it is important to recognise how this interleaves, so those considering our deliberations either on Report or in Another place will be able to pick up the threads. I have a modicum of confidence that some light may come onto the issue as the Bill progresses and the merits of Monitor’s involvement may surface. On that basis, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
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.
During a debate members of the House of Commons traditionally refer to the House of Lords as 'another place' or 'the other place'.
Peers return the gesture when they speak of the Commons in the same way.
This arcane form of address is something the Labour Government has been reviewing as part of its programme to modernise the Houses of Parliament.
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.
