Central Government and Accountability

Question 1

By convention, ministers must have a seat in the…

Answer 1

House of Commons or the House of Lords

Question 2

If a minister is appointed who is not a member of either house, they can be appointed a….

Answer 2

life peer of the House of Lords

Question 3

Prime Minister powers/responsibilities:

• change organisation of government by abolishing, _______ and/or ________ new departments
• meets _______ with the Monarch
• _________ _____ and intelligence matters
• deploying ________

Answer 3

merging, and/or creating

weekly

national security

troops

Question 4

The Cabinet make decisions of the government __________

Answer 4

collectively

Question 5

_________ sit beneath the main Cabinet. These are established by the Prime Minister who determine their ___________. Their decisions have the same authority as a _______ decision

Answer 5

Subcommittees, membership, Cabinet

Question 6

What’s the name of the body who advises the Monarch on how to exercise the Royal prerogative and issues instruments known as Orders of Council?

Answer 6

Privy Council

Question 7

Prerogative orders in council are limited to issues such as approving the _____ __ ____ ______ which create new public institutions (e.g. universities)

Answer 7

text of Royal Charters

Question 8

What is the name of the body who exercise Royal Prerogative power to hear appeals from independent Commonwealth nations and overseas territories?

Answer 8

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Question 9

What is the term given to ministers duties with respect to making government decision?

Answer 9

Collective responsibility

Question 10

What are the two aspects of collective responsibility?

Answer 10

Confidentiality and Unanimity

Question 11

Confidentiality: Decisions within government regarding ______ must be confidential

Unanimity: Once a decision is reached by government, all ministers must either ______ ______ the decision or ______

Answer 11

policy, publicly support, resign

Question 12

What is the term given to ministers being accountable for their own actions and take responsibility for the operation and conduct of their own government department?

Answer 12

Individual responsibility

Question 13

Individual responsibility

Ministers:

• Must account to ____________ (report on actions of their department and respond to _________)
• Must not _______ Parliament
• Should personally take ______ for failures of their department

Answer 13

Parliament, criticism, mislead, blame

Question 14

For policy failures, responsibility may include ____________

For operational failures, ministers should _______ _____ and take steps to avoid _________

Answer 14

resignation, take account, reoccurance

Question 15

When can members of Parliament from all political parties ask questions about the overall conduct of the government?

Answer 15

Prime Minister’s Question Time

Question 16

MPs may pose questions to ministers from government departments on a _________ basis:

• Questions can also be asked in _______, giving the department __ _____ to answers
• Questions cannot relate to _____ __________ , the Monarch, the affairs of other countries, or ____ ______

Answer 16

rotating, writing, 7 days, local authorities, live cases