Evaluate to what degree does Parliament carry out its functions effectively?

Question 1

1) Legislative

In favour

Answer 1

• High level of legislative output; UCL’s report examining 12 bills from 2005-2015 found that 60% of govts amendments that made substantive policy change were traceable to parliamentary pressure.
• HOC provides plenty of waves for backbench MPs to influence decision-making, allocating 35 days for the Select Commitee to debate, E.G private members’ bills consisted the Abortion Act and the Murder Act.
• Sefying the whip increases the difficulty for the govt to pass ineffective legislation, despite govt did win the vote to allow Huawei to be used in the UK’s 5G mobile network despite opposition from 38 Conservative backbenchers, yet changed its policy shortly afterwards.
• House of Lords have increased assertiveness because of the 1999 reforms introduced which removed most of the hereditary peers = in the 2013-14 Parliamentary session, the Lords considered 62 bills and made 1, 686 amendments. Ammended the 2020 Agricultural Bill.

Question 2

1) Legislation

Opposition

Answer 2

• Fused branches make it harder to challenge bills, giving the govt a head start when counting up support because it’s unlikely for govt members to break collective responsibility by opposing bills and party whips can offer the prospect of future promotion to keep MPs loyal.
• Govt often dominates legislative agenda, giving minimal time given to private member bills - only 6% of these come law.
• Similarly, the House of Lords is limited in ability to revise laws because of the Salisbury Convention and its restrictions on finance, despite the power to delay. Amendments to acts like the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013 were overturned because the Commons enjoys democratic legitimacy.

Question 3

2) Representation

In Favour

Answer 3

• The current Parliament is the most diverse in British History.
• The number of female MPs was 220 in 2019, as well as 63 ethnic minorities in 2019, with a slight decrease in the number of MPs who attended fee-paying schools.
• Elections to HOC reflect sudden shifts in public opinion, holding MPs directly accountable Conservatives enjoyed a 80-seat majority, possibly due to public desire to end Brexit gridlock, but lost 1000 seats in the local elections.
• Multiple parties also enjoy representation in Commons and, despite the Lords being unelected, life peers are appointed based on their skill and experience which would be lost if reformed to introduce an elected second chamber.
• Parliamentarians stand up for the people that they serve, holding regular surgeries for their constituents and being active by helping constituents access advice.

Question 4

2) Representation

In contrast

Answer 4

• Women make up 1/3 in Parli, compared to 50% of the population; ethnic minorities make up 6%, versus 13% of the population and 26% attended Oxbridge.
• In 2016, there was only 10 women in the 30 person cabinet. Compared to Canda, the cabinet is completely gender balanced at 50/50.
• Disproportionate FPTP electoral system and the role of the whips hinder multi-party politics, concentrating to Labour and Conservative, especially as many MPs win without a majority (60% of votes were wasted in 2019).
• No elections to the HOL - not held accountable and generally isn’t representative of the population. For instance, UK allows 26 archbishops and bishops of the Catholic Church but no other religion is represented..
• Raises questions about how well positioned the House of Commons is to understand the needs and concerns of the public it represents.

Question 5

3) Scrutinity

In favour

Answer 5

• Minority govt increases Parli power, reducing the chances of an elected dictatorship. Lords defeated the May Supply and Demand govt 67 times between 2017-19.
• Select committees, such as the Liason Committee chooses committee reports for debates and questions the prime ministers about policy three times a year (e.g grilled Rishi Sunak over economic issues and migrants).
• United opposition can force changes in govt policy - defeated the govt in 2009 on the issue of whether Nepalese Gurka soldiers should have the right of residence in the UK.
• Some prerogative powers have been challenged as Parli has become more assertive. In 2013, Parliament defeated Cameron’s proposal 285-272 to order military action in Syria, after it was claimed that the govt had used chemical weapons against its own citizens.

Question 6

3) Scrutinity

Not effective

Answer 6

• Weak aspect of work - dominated by govt.
• Prime Ministers Questions considered an exchange of pointless and useless declamations (e.g Rishi Sunak has the lowest attendence of PMQ since 1979).
• Select Committees often have members of the majority on the Chair and the Liason Committee is deemed useless as Boris Johnson refused to attend because he was ‘busy getting Brexit down.
• Govt Majority - the ‘parliamentary ping-pong’ was curtailed over the EU withdrawal Act 2020 bc of the unelected Lords; unable to challenge a large-majority govt, fresh mandate to ‘get Brexit done’.
• Shows a large govt majority means Parli is limited, for the Coronavirus Act 2020 under Boris Johnson was passed quickly without scrutiny which allowed the police extensive powers to break up demonstrations like the Sarah Everard Vigil).