C2 PARLIAMENT 2

Question 1

what defeats did Ts face 2019-24 in HoC vs in HoL

Answer 1

• 300+ in HoL
• no defeats in formal bills, only 4 defeats on minor issues in HoC

Question 2

what happened w fox hunting in HoC vs HoL?

Answer 2

• 2004, hol blocked lab’s attempt to ban fox hunting, yet hoc passed the ban into law a year later anyway; invoking 1949 pa act

Question 3

how was hol assertive in 2015?

Answer 3

• infamously defeated govs bill which attempted to cut tax credits for those on low incomes

Question 4

how much has hol defeated gov bills since 1979?

Answer 4

• 1979-1997- 241 times
• 1997-2010- 528 times

Question 5

when have hol ignored salisbury convention?

Answer 5

• 2005, blocked lab’s Identity Cards Bil, even tho this was in lab’s pre-election manifestow

Question 6

what key difference lies between hoc & hol?

Answer 6

• hol usually seeks to make up for the weaknesses of the hoc in order to prevent an elective dictatorship
• hoc has greater input legit, so should be left to challenge gov instead of hol in minority gov as easier to block bills & force concessions out of them

Question 7

what is parliamentary privilege?

Answer 7

• MPs are free to speak w/o fear of prosecution for slander; means MPs and life peers can call gov to accoount w/o being constrained

Question 8

how is the work of BBs on public bill committees limited?

Answer 8

• party whips decide which BBs sit on these PBCs… who are then usually loyal to their P leaders
• gov usually has a maj on these

Question 9

what crit is often made of backbenchers?

Answer 9

• ‘just lobby fodder’

Question 10

across a year, what time is given to BBs in hoc timetable?

Answer 10

• 35 days to backbenchers business committee to decide topics for debate
• 20 days to opposition Ps
• 13 fridays given for consideration of private members bills

Question 11

how is BBs scrut limited by PMQs?

Answer 11

• criticised as being abt political point scoring & select committees they sit on cannot force subpoena

Question 12

how has the amount of urgent questions changed?

Answer 12

• more frequently, asked of gov ministers
• prev speaker John Bercow allowed 3547 UQs between 2009-13, more thn 2x amount by predecessor
• still historicaly high under L Hoyle
• so BBs more able to scrut

Question 13

how does the BBBC increase debate/ infl of BBs?

Answer 13

• 35 days of year
• some subjects chosen in response to e petitions w over 100,000 sigs
• so reps public’s views
• eg 2011, BBBC org a debate on uk’s membership of EU, against wishes of gov; was watched by over half a million ppl; argueably contributed to gov promising ref on issue

Question 14

how did brexit impact BBs’ imp?

Answer 14

• 2016-19, hugely increased infl
• mostly down to T’s min status in chamber
• br= such a contentious issue, BBs on all sides willing to obey P leaders & whips
• succesfully voted against gov to take control over the parliamentary timetable (1st time taken away from gov ever); to prevent BJ forcing through br leg w/o their scrut
• passed EUROPEAN WITHDRAWAL BILL 2019, against BJ’s wishes; forced BJ to write letter to EU seeking extension to br dedline, even though BJ adament he didnt want this; this broke w convention that pa should defer to the gov on foreign policy matters

Question 15

what are roles of the official opposition?

Answer 15

• largest P not in gov
• scrut gov, hold it to account, force it to justify its policies
• highlight shortcomings in gov
• leader gets to ask 6 Qs at PMQs
• determine parliamentary business (issues to debate, bills to consider) on 17/20 days of the opposition days on the timetable
• highest chairs of Scommittees- eg always chairs public acount C

Question 16

examples of T’s alternative proposals as official opposition?

Answer 16

• minimal
• reverse VAT on priv schls
• RJ sugg of leaving ECHR

Question 17

what is ministerial question time/ oral questions?

Answer 17

• QT takes place for an hour on mondays, tuesdays, wednesdays & thursdays after prayers]
• dif gov depts answer Qs according to a rota & Qs must relate to dept concerned

Question 18

what are written Qs to ministers?

Answer 18

• MPs & peers can ask
• often used to obtain detailed info abt dept stats / policies
• ministers are duty-bound to respond to these

Question 19

why are PMQs sometimes called?

Answer 19

• Gardener’s Questions
• as Qs planted by leaders/ P

Question 20

how are PMQs effective?

Answer 20

• bring ministers face-to-face- forces direct involvement]- regular- weds at noon for 30mins
• vs liaison committee only 2xpa
• whilst may be theatrical/ abt sound-bites, this brings media attention to PMQs; thus public focus, enhancing scrut of gov
• other foreign gov leaders don’t have to face such intense Qs from opp eg George Bush infamously feel glad abt not having to face them liek john major
• forces PM to be aware of everything gping on in gov in case theyre asked abt it

Question 21

how are PMQs ineffective?

Answer 21

• political point-making / headlines/ sound-bites
• misrep of what pols are like- bad public image/ r-ship
• PMs become skilled at not answering Qs#
• planted Qs (gardeners) make PM look good
• too short esp in comparison to SCs that carry out investigations for months
• ‘punch & judy politics’

Question 22

what maj did johnson have 2019?

Answer 22

• 80 seat