Part of Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:30 am on 9 March 2010.
Tony Baldry
Conservative, Banbury
9:30,
9 March 2010
For very good Constituency reasons, some of us were not present at the debate on Second Reading. It would help the Committee if we had an understanding—or if my hon. Friend gave us an understanding—of what the casus belli are today. What are the differences, if any, between my hon. Friend and the supporters of the Bill? What are the outstanding issues that he thinks we need to press? Otherwise, it is a bit of a secret garden, consisting of Treasury nerds, that some of us might like to feel we could take part in.
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.
The Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
