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Government > 2.1 Structure of the HoC and HoL > Flashcards

2.1 Structure of the HoC and HoL Flashcards

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1
Q

How many MPs are there in the Commoms?

A

650

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2
Q

How many MPs for England?

A

533

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3
Q

How many MPs for Scotland?

A

59

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4
Q

How many MPs for Wales?

A

40

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5
Q

How many MPs for Northern Ireland?

A

18

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6
Q

What does Bicameral mean?

A

A political system with two legislative chambers

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7
Q

What is a backbencher?

A

A name given to an MP who does not hold a government position

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8
Q

Roughly how many frontbencher MPs on the Governing side?

A

90

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9
Q

What is a party whip?

A

An appointed official whose role is to maintain party discipline and loyalty

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10
Q

What are the roles of the party whips?

A
  • inform MPs about parliamentary business
  • act as communication between backbenchers and party leadership
  • tells MPs how to vote
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11
Q

How many hereditary peers are there?

A

92

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12
Q

What is a hereditary peer?

A

A member of the House of Lords there by birthright

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13
Q

How many archbishops are there in the House of Lords?

A

26

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14
Q

What is a life peer?

A

A member of the House of Lords appointed by the PM and leaders of other parties

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15
Q

How do non-political peers get appointed to the Lords?

A

Through the House of Lords Appointments Commission

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16
Q

Who decides how parties can make nominations?

A

There is a convention that parties are able to make nominations based on the size of their party in the Commons.
2010-2020 = Conservative
1997 - 2010 = Labour

17
Q

What is a crossbencher?

A

A name given to a member of the Lords who are not members of a party

18
Q

How many peers are there in the House of Lords?

A

808

19
Q

What are the 7 functions of the House of Commons?

A
  • legitimation
  • legislation
  • making government accountable
  • scrutiny of legislation
  • constituency of representation
  • representation of interests
  • national debate
20
Q

Explain the legitimation function of the House of Commons…

A

The Govt needs a device to to make its legislative proposals legitimate, this is down to Parliament, because Parliament has the consent of the people.
The Commons also approves public finances, the process occurs every spring after the Chancellor announces the budget

21
Q

Explain the legislating function of the House of Commons…

A

Function of passing laws, a formal procedure so that both houses are happy with the proposed legislation. The Commons can offer amendments.

22
Q

Explain the accountability function of the House of Commons…

A

Arguably the most important function. As with legitimation, Parliament has the consent of the people to do this for them. Forms include: PMQs, Departmental Select Committees, simply vote against proposed legislation, pass a vote of no confidence

23
Q

Explain the scrutiny of legislation function of the House of Commons…

A

A task shared equally with the House of Lords. All backbench MPs are required to serve on a Public Bill Committee which examines proposed legislation and can suggest amendments which they see fit.

24
Q

Why is the scrutiny of legislation a weak function of the House of Commons?

A

Because the committees are often dominated by government officials and party whips, meaning those of the governing party cannot suggest amendments and undermine the government

25
Q

Explain the constituency function of the House of Commons…

A

MPs are expected to take care of the interests of the people in his or her constituency, regardless of who they voted for. This take can the form of; lobbying ministers who are suggesting harmful legislation and holding surgeries in their constituency

26
Q

What does redress of grievances mean?

A

When MPs lobby ministers or raise concerns that a constituent has been unfairly treated by a public body

27
Q

Explain the representation of interests function of the House of Commons…

A

MPs tend to support the interests of a section of society or a particular cause. This is often a result of their background before they became an MP.
Pressure groups try to recruit MPs to support their cause

28
Q

Explain the National Debate function of the House of Commons…

A

Sometimes, great national issues arise that differ from day to day party politics, usually when constitutional change is proposed. When debates cant be settled by referendums, national debates on both houses take place.

29
Q

What are the 4 functions of the House of Lords?

A
  • scrutiny of legislation
  • delaying
  • scrutiny of secondary legislation
  • national debate
30
Q

What does scrutiny mean?

A

The intense examination of proposed legislation so that it comes to a fair and conclusive outcome and that it protects the minority in society

31
Q

Explain the scrutiny of legislation function of the House of Lords…

A

Many Lords have an expertise in specific areas to are good are scrutinising legislation that happens in the Committee stage of passing a bill. Lords can, give its opinion, ask the govt or the Commons to think again and amend proposals in order to improve them

32
Q

Explain the delaying function of the House of Lords…

A

The Lords cannot block legislation, but they can delay it for up to a year in order to give the government a chance to ‘think again’.

33
Q

What is secondary legislation?

A

Amendments to already existing pieces of legislation, they do not have to follow the procedure of passing a law. The Lords pays more attention to this can the Commons

34
Q

What is the difference between Frontbencher and Backbench MPs?

A

Frontbench MPs are senior ministers involved in a government department. Backbench MPs have no such obligation

35
Q

What does the speaker do?

A

Controls debates in the Commons and Lords

36
Q

What is a Lords Spiritual?

A

The 26 members of the Lords that are members of the CoE

37
Q

What is meant by ‘legislative ping-pong’?

A

When bills go back and forth from the Commons to the Lords

38
Q

How many are there of Conservative peers?

A

257

39
Q

How many Labour peers are there?

A

177

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