ETVT parliament scrutinises effectively Flashcards
Question time is effective
The most prominent example of question time is PMQs sees the PM questioned by the opposition MPs and backbenchers, with the leader getting to ask 6 questions.
This allows the opposition leaders to engage in scrutiny and challenge the PM, David Cameron for example in his first ever PMQs as opposition leader in 2005, ‘I want to talk about the future, he was the future once’.
In 2017 Jeremy Corbyn used PMQs to effectively overturn a premium rate number used for universal credits. Furthermore, Keir Starmer was able to hold the PM to account over the ‘partygate’ scandal.
Urgent questions can be asked by backbenchers to party ministers, they have to be granted by the speaker of the house, and the relevant government minister must come to the chamber in order to answer it.
There has been a huge increase in urgent questions posed to the government in recent years, during the 07-08 session only 4 urgent questions were asked, whereas 307 urgent questions were answered during the 2017.
There was a greater willingness of John Bercow to answer parliamentary questions, this trend has continued under Lindsay Hoyle. Under the previous speaker there were 0.02 UQs a day, under Bercow this rose to 0.88.
In 2018 Amber Rudd summoned back to Parliament twice after appearing to give MPs false information about the governments use of deportation targets, she was shortly forced to resign as home secretary.
In addition, Emergency Debates have been increasingly granted, for example the Emergency Debate granted to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. During this debate the Government were asked detailed questions about what they were doing to support the Ukrainian Government.
Question time is not effective
PMQs is the most theatrical form of question time, MPs and the opposition spend significant time trying to score political points rather than scrutinise the executive in detail, for example Diana Johnsons recent question over ‘Partygate’, she claimed the PM was trying to convince people he was ‘stupid rather than dishonest’.
‘Punch and Judy politics’
Labour MP Gerald Kaufman described PMQs as an ‘Exchange of pointless and useless declamations’.
There has been reports of clucking, barking and roaring during PMQs, when Cameron joked that Ed Miliband was ‘Alex Salmond’s poodle’ in 2015, Tory MPs made barking noises.
Former speaking John Bercow once told off Labour MP Ian Lucas for letting out a ‘lions roar’
PMQs is a coordinated by Downing Street, pre-prepared questions are handed out to backbenchers. Conservative MP Andrew Percy once disclosed an email sent by Downing Street to backbench Tories suggesting a set of questions about how well the governments ‘long term economic plan’ was going.
Munira Wilson asked a urgent question on child strip searches, the homes secretary and the policing minister did not turn up.
Select committes is effective
Public Bill committees are established to consider particular bills after it has successfully completed its second reading. According to the think tanks, The Democratic Audit in 2015 over 99% of ministerial amendments moved at the committee stage succeed. Around 3/5 of bill committee members have the relevant specialist knowledge and expertise on the subject.
Departmental select committees, each one shadows the work of the government and scrutinises specific departments. In June 2014, the Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, a doctor who had previously been critical of the Government’s health policies, was elected as the new Chair of the Health Committee. University College London traced policy recommendations from seven select committees from 1997-2010 and found that the government acted upon 44% of their recommendations.
In 2022 the house of commons passed a motion tabled by the leader of the labour party calling for Boris to be investigated by the Privileges Committee for having potentially mislead parliament. The committee held oral evidence, as a result the committee could recommend a suspension from the house.
Liasson committee brings together all 35 chairs of the commons select committees to question the PM, important aspect of parliamentary scrutiny.
2 yearly appearances of the PM, in May 2020 during the Covid-19 crisis the committee held its first session with PM Johnson, and questioned him on the governments handling of the crisis and Dominic Cummings.
Select committee reports receive a good deal of publicity, for example in 2016 the Health Committee recommended a 20% tax on surgery drinks in an effort to discourage people from drinking them, in the same year Chancellor George Osborn was pressured to introduce such tax.
Wright reforms 2010 introduce election through a secret ballot, the party whips now no longer had significant influence over select committee members or their chairs.
Health select committee 2011 helped persuade the government into making significant changes to the Health and social care bill.
Select committees is not effective
Governments can ignore recommendations. 66% of all select committee rulings/recommendations are ignored.
A majority government will also have a majority in the select committees, furthermore ministers and civil servants are not legally required to provided much information when questioned and access to documents may be declined.
Select committee chairs are paid significantly less than even the most junior ministers, salary and career minded MPs it may be more tempting to follow the party whip and work to get a ministerial position rather than provide the government with effective scrutiny.
July 2020, the government nominated five MP to the intelligence and security committee and sought to have Chris Grayling installed as Chair, however the committee went against the government advice and chose Julian Lewis as Chair instead. A unhappy number 10 then removed the whip from Lewis, to much anger from backbencher from all parties.
Petitions committees report on the impact of Covid-19 on new parents, did not receive a government response within the required 2 months.
Privileges committee currently has a conservative majority.
Backbenchers are not effective
Backbenchers have to represent a very diverse range of opinions and concerns across their constituency, for example as of February 2022 conservative backbencher Huw Merriman’s last ten urgent questions were on different subjects, ranging from knife crime to tourism.
Furthermore Backbenchers have very little power to initiate change themselves or pass legislation, this can be seen as very low numbers of Private Member Bills have become Acts of parliament, for example since 2015 only 16.2% of Acts started as PMBs, meaning the government dominate the legislative process.
As evidence of this since 2015 Christopher Chope has introduced 119 PMBs of which none have become law.
The executive branch can although use the party whips to control backbench MPs, there were reports of ‘bullying and manhandling’ during the vote on a key fracking bill in 2022, Labours motion as a result was defeated 230 to 326.
Backbenchers are effective
Backbenchers can also be seen to have significant expertise and experience, Theresa May (Backbencher of the Year 2021) was able to persuade the government to incorporate her Ten Minute Rule motion on dangerous driving sentences into the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill.
In addition, the Wright Reforms of 2009 have increased the influence of backbenchers. Firstly, the Backbench Business Committee provides them with an opportunity to put forward ideas for debate that might provide scrutiny of the government. For example, on the 21/04 a backbench debate was held on the two-child limit for universal credit – a key government policy.
Secondly, backbenchers may serve on Select Committees which since the Wright Reforms have seen committee chairs elected by the whole house and select committee members elected by their own party. This has substantially loosened the grip of the whips over Select Committee and increased their independence. For example, the DCMS Select Committee were critical of the Government’s Online Safety Bill saying it did not go far enough to tackle harmful content online – despite a Conservative majority on the Committee.
Backbenchers also serve a important role when voting against government legislation, especially when the government do not have a majority this can provide excellent scrutiny.
For example in 2019 the executive branch could not pass legislation on a deal to leave the EU, Mays government were defeated three times in the commons by backbenchers
Finally in 2013 backbenchers rejected a possible UK military action in Syria to deter the use of Chemical weapons, 285 voted against.
