Part of Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:15 pm on 17 June 2008.
Mark Prisk
Shadow Minister (Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform)
12:15,
17 June 2008
These are merely probing amendments, and I do not intend to press them further, but I do want to ensure that there is a degree of clarity.
On Clause 7, with regard to guidance, we debated the precedent of a non-departmental body being able to use directional powers. Clause 15 prohibits the Secretary of State from directing the LBRO with regard to its clause 7 powers. I wanted briefly to explore with the Minister the thinking behind that exclusion.
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.
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.
