Part of Orders of the Day — Indian Independence Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1947.
Mr Hartley Shawcross
, St Helens
12:00,
14 July 1947
There is no difficulty about this. In about half a dozen cases it has in the past been possible to sue the Secretary of State. This Bill provides that in future this right of action shall be against the High Commissioner according to the contract made.
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.
