In the United States, where, of course, there is just such a constitution, civic duties are defined in law - they're the responsibilities of citizens to their country, such as obeying the law and paying taxes.
She said the health secretary's duties as currently defined in the bill were "neither prescriptive nor exhaustive" and therefore the amendment "would not give the secretary of state a new power to do anything that the clause does not already accommodate".
Health minister Earl Howe emphasised that the bill's specific requirement for the health secretary to have regard to promoting research was the first of its kind, but promised to "undertake closer consideration" of how the health secretary's duties on research are defined.