Part of Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:00 am on 9 March 2010.
David Gauke
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
11:00,
9 March 2010
I do not know whether I can match the brevity of my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing, West. I simply ask why there is two months between the passing of the Bill and its commencement. Why not commence it immediately?
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.
