Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Air Force. – in the House of Commons at on 24 January 1940.
Rear-Admiral Sir Murray Sueter
, Hertford
asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in all contracts placed directly or indirectly by His Majesty's Govern- ment for the supply of aircraft from Dominion or foreign countries, there is incorporated a break Clause to the same effect as that which is in force in connection with similar contracts with suppliers in the United Kingdom?
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
It is the normal practice of my Department to require the insertion of a suitable break Clause in aircraft contracts placed overseas. In the case of contracts placed in Canada, the clause is practically identical with that in United Kingdom contracts. So far as contracts placed in United States of America are concerned, the British Purchasing Mission have standing instructions to arrange for the insertion of an effective break clause in orders not likely to be completed within six months.
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.
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.
