Part of Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:45 am on 9 March 2010.
David Gauke
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
9:45,
9 March 2010
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her remarks. She has clarified the intention behind the wording of subsection (6). I accept that other countries, not currently on the list of eligibility for the HIPC initiative, may be added, and she set out the very limited circumstances in which that might happen. As I may have mentioned in my earlier remarks, Amendment 1 was probing, to seek clarity on that point. Having achieved that clarity, 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.
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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.
