2.1 Structure of the HoC and HoL

Question 1

How many MPs are there in the Commoms?

Answer 1

650

Question 2

How many MPs for England?

Answer 2

533

Question 3

How many MPs for Scotland?

Answer 3

59

Question 4

How many MPs for Wales?

Answer 4

40

Question 5

How many MPs for Northern Ireland?

Answer 5

18

Question 6

What does Bicameral mean?

Answer 6

A political system with two legislative chambers

Question 7

What is a backbencher?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Roughly how many frontbencher MPs on the Governing side?

Answer 8

90

Question 9

What is a party whip?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What are the roles of the party whips?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

How many hereditary peers are there?

Answer 11

92

Question 12

What is a hereditary peer?

Answer 12

A member of the House of Lords there by birthright

Question 13

How many archbishops are there in the House of Lords?

Answer 13

26

Question 14

What is a life peer?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

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

Answer 15

Through the House of Lords Appointments Commission

Question 16

Who decides how parties can make nominations?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is a crossbencher?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

How many peers are there in the House of Lords?

Answer 18

808

Question 19

What are the 7 functions of the House of Commons?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Explain the legitimation function of the House of Commons…

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Explain the legislating function of the House of Commons…

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Explain the accountability function of the House of Commons…

Answer 22

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

Question 23

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

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

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

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Explain the constituency function of the House of Commons...

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What does redress of grievances mean?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

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

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Explain the National Debate function of the House of Commons...

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

What are the 4 functions of the House of Lords?

Answer 29

- scrutiny of legislation - delaying - scrutiny of secondary legislation - national debate

Question 30

What does scrutiny mean?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

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

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Explain the delaying function of the House of Lords...

Answer 32

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’.

Question 33

What is secondary legislation?

Answer 33

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

Question 34

What is the difference between Frontbencher and Backbench MPs?

Answer 34

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

Question 35

What does the speaker do?

Answer 35

Controls debates in the Commons and Lords

Question 36

What is a Lords Spiritual?

Answer 36

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

Question 37

What is meant by ‘legislative ping-pong’?

Answer 37

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

Question 38

How many are there of Conservative peers?

Answer 38

257

Question 39

How many Labour peers are there?

Answer 39

177