Part of Orders of the Day — Succession (Scotland) Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 February 1964.
Mr Bruce Millan
, Glasgow Craigton
12:00,
19 February 1964
I am glad to welcome this Amendment, because, as the noble Lady said, I raised this matter in Committee. I thought that the drafting of the present subsection (2) was ambiguous. I am not sure that this new drafting is a model of lucidity, but it is very difficult to express this provision in plain English. Having looked at it from the layman's point of view, I must say that it is much clearer than as originally drafted and that the Amendment makes a good deal of improvement.
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.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
