CROWN PROCEEDINGS BILL [Lords] – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 July 1947.
Mr Hartley Shawcross
, St Helens
I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."
This Clause is to implement the undertaking I gave on Second Reading, to provide machinery whereby such ancient courts as the Liverpool Court of Passage and the Salford Court of Record can be brought in.
Mr David Maxwell Fyfe
, Liverpool, West Derby
I should like to express the gratitude of many of us who are interested in these courts for this provision.
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.