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Politics: UK government > 2.4 the ways in which parliament interacts with the executive > Flashcards

2.4 the ways in which parliament interacts with the executive Flashcards

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1
Q

What is parliamentary privilege?

A

the right of MPs or Lords to make certain statements within parliament without being subject to outside influence, including law

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2
Q

How has the creation of the Backbench Business Committee increased backbenchers role in parliament?

A

allowed to choose the topic debate on 35 days in each parliamentary session

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3
Q

What percentage of divisions did coalition MPs rebel in between 2010-15?

A

35%

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4
Q

What percentage of divisions did MPs rebel in between 2005-10?

A

28%

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5
Q

What is an urgent question?

A

a device subject to the approval of the speaker of the house and allows an MP to raise an important matter requiring an immediate answer from a government minister

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6
Q

How many urgent questions did Speaker John Bercow allow between 2009-13?

A

3547

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7
Q

How many urgent questions did Speaker Michael Martin allow between 2000-09?

A

1234

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8
Q

What is an adjournment debate?

A
  • after official business of the House is over, there is an opportunity to raise an issue and a minister will reply
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9
Q

What is the 10-minute rule?

A
  • allows MPs to speak for 10 minutes on their chosen subject before the beginning of official business on certain days
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10
Q

Why don’t public bill committees necessarily work?

A

the government has a majority on these committees

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11
Q

Who are backbench members of the HoL most likely to be?

A

established figures in their own fields

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12
Q

What is the overall role of select committees?

A

scrutinise the policy, administration and spending of each government department

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13
Q

What does the public accounts committee do?

A

examines government expenditure, seeking to ensure that value for money is being obtained

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14
Q

What does the liaison committee do?

A
  • consists of the chairs of all the select committees
  • questions the prime minister twice a year across the whole field of government policy
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15
Q

What does the committee on standards do?

A

oversees the work of parliamentary commissioner on standards, including their financial affairs

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16
Q

What is the parliamentary commissioner on standards?

A

an official who is in charge of regulating MPs conduct

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17
Q

What is the minimum number of backbench MPs a departmental select committee has to have?

A

11

18
Q

How is composition of select committees decided?

A

reflects the balance of a party strength in the House of Commons

19
Q

How are chairs of select committees chosen?

A

elected by their fellow MPs

20
Q

How are members of select committees chosen?

A

by secret ballot within party groups

21
Q

What powers do the members of select committees have?

A

power to gather written and oral evidence and to summon witnesses, including ministers, civil servants, experts and members of the public with a relevant interest

22
Q

How long do the government have to respond to a report produced by select committees?

A

two months

23
Q

Why is select committees work respected?

A

its evidence-based

24
Q

How are select committees important?

A
  • scope of the work has widened to include the scrutiny of legislation
  • long-serving members can accumulate more knowledge of a particular area than a minister, who only stays in a department for one or two years
  • can have a direct influence on government policy
25
Q

How are select committees not that important?

A
  • majority of select-committee members will be drawn from the governing party
  • committees can only cover a limited range of topics in depth
  • still a high turnover rate for membership of committees
  • committees power to summon witnesses is considerable but not limited (May blocked Home Affairs Select Committee from interviewing the head of MI5, 2013)
26
Q

What percentage of select-committee recommendations do the government except?

A

40%

27
Q

What do House of Lords select committees do?

A

scrutinise legislation and investigate particular issues

28
Q

What does the Constitution Committee do?

A

examines public bills for their constitutional implications and investigates broad constitutional issues

29
Q

How many days are the opposition parties allocated a year to propose subjects for debate?

A

20 days

30
Q

How many days is the leader of the official opposition allocated a year to propose subjects for debate?

A

17 days

31
Q

How many days is the second official opposition allocated a year to propose subjects for debate?

A

3 days

32
Q

What did the SNP use its allocated days to debate in November 2015?

A
  • Trident nuclear defence system, which they strongly opposed
  • closure of HMRC offices
33
Q

What does the ‘short money’ help with?

A

provides help with the running costs of the leader of the oppositions office

34
Q

What is the purpose of short money?

A

compensate for the fact that, unlike the government, opposition parties do not have access to support from the civil service

35
Q

What is short money mean to be spent on?

A
  • policy research
  • salaries of staff who work for the opposition in parliament
36
Q

When are PMQs held?

A

at 12pm for half an hour each Wednesday

37
Q

What did Tony Blair describe PMQs as?

A

the most nerve-racking, discombobulating, nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage-draining experience

38
Q

What did Cameron attack Corbyn about once in PMQs?

A

his choice of suit

39
Q

How does PMQs involve stage management?

A

MPs on the government side deliberately asking ‘planted’ questions to present the prime minister in a good light

40
Q

What dies the rota on which ministers answer questions about their own departments entail?

A
  • more detailed questioning
  • ministers are given notice of oral questions so that they can prepare

Politics: UK government (13 decks)

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