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Politics (UK government) > Functions of Parliament > Flashcards

Functions of Parliament Flashcards

1. Structure and role of HoL and HoC 2. Comparative powers between HoL and HoC 3. Legislative process 4. Debates on how well the HoC achieves its functions

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1
Q

What are the functions of Parliament? (5)

A
  1. Legislation
  2. Scrutiny and accountability
  3. Debate
  4. Recruitment of ministers
  5. Representation
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2
Q

What is a white paper?

A

A government document detailing proposals for legislation

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3
Q

What is a green paper?

A

A government document setting out various options for legislative proposals and inviting comment

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4
Q

What is a Public Bill?

A

A bill concerning a general issue of public policy

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5
Q

What is a Private Members’ Bill?

A

A bill initiated by a backbencher in the House of Commons

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6
Q

What is a government bill?

A

A bill initiated by the government

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7
Q

What are two ways in which pre-legislative scrutiny occurs?

A
  1. Green paper

2. Select committees

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8
Q

Describe the legislative process

A

HoC:

  1. First Reading (short title of bill is read out)
  2. Second Reading (debate on general principles of bill)
  3. Committee Stage (public bill committee scrutinises details of the bill)
  4. Report Stage (HoC debates further amendments)
  5. Third Reading (final debate - short and on contents of bill)

HoL:

  • similar as HoC, except:
    1. First Reading (long title of bill is read out)
    2. Second Reading (those who wish to speak must add their names to the Speakers’ List beforehand)
    3. Report Stage (amendments proposed by HoL must be submitted beforehand in a ‘marshalled list’
    4. Third Reading (amendments can still be proposed)

HoL and HoC:

  1. Both chambers agree on the exact wording of the bill (ping-pong)
  2. Royal assent (monarch signs the bill and it becomes an Act of Parliament)
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9
Q

What is a public bill committee?

A

A committee set up to scrutinise the details of a particular bill

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10
Q

What is the composition of a public bill committee (who and how many)?

A

Between 16 to 50 MPs from constituencies affected by the bill under examination

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11
Q

Is the party balance of a public bill committee the same as in the House of Commons?

A

Yes

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12
Q

What is it called when a matter is of national importance and so includes a committee comprising of every MP?

A

A Committee of the Whole House

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13
Q

What are the three ways in which Private Members’ Bills can be introduced?

A
  1. Ballot - 20 names of MPs who wish to introduce PMBs are drawn and are allocated time on Fridays to debate the bill (may fall victim to fiflibustering - when MPs run out of time to debate` their bill)
  2. 10 Minute Rule Bill - MPs are given 10 minutes to introduce a bill (least successful method - usually to bring awareness to a particular issue)
  3. Presentation (MP introduces name of the bill without debate)
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14
Q

What are some limitations on the success of Private Members’ Bills? (3)

A
  1. PMBs tend to be unsuccessful if they lack government support
  2. Time constraints
  3. Attendance for PMB debates (schedule on Fridays) are often poor as MPs return to their constituencies over the weekend
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15
Q

What is an example of a successful Private Members’ Bill?

A

House of Lords Act 2014

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16
Q

What is secondary legislation?

A

Legislation that amends an existing Act of Parliament (usually focuses on the details for implementing the Act of Parliament)

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17
Q

What is another term for secondary legislation?

A

Statutory instruments

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18
Q

Which body is the development of secondary legislation delegated to?

A

Executive

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19
Q

What term describes the way in which parliament affects legislature? (Hint: policy-__ legislature). What does it mean?

A

Policy-influencing legislature = when a parliament is able to modify or veto government aproposals but unable to develop extensive legislative proposals of their own

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20
Q

What are the limitations on the effectiveness of the legislature? (3)

A
  1. Parliamentary timetable - government decides which bills get debated and their duration for debate -> can limit time given to debate -> less effective scrutiny by HoC
  2. Government bills - bills rarely succeed if they are not supported by the government
  3. Party discipline - most MPs almost always vote along party lines -> government proposals are rarely defeated
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21
Q

What is scrutiny and accountability?

A

Parliament regularly ensuring that minister explain and justify their decisions and actions

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22
Q

What are some ways in which scrutiny is upheld in Parliament? (3)

A
  1. Question times
  2. Role and significance of opposition
  3. Select committees
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23
Q

How do question times enhance scrutiny? (3)

A
  1. Time is allocated each week for ministers to make statements and answer questions in the HoC
  2. Prime Minister Question Times - live televised event every Wednesday at noon for half hour, PM answers questions by backbenchers, leader of opposition and leader of the third largest party
  3. Urgent questions - backbenchers may request an urgent question to any ministers which, if permitted by the Speaker, results in the minister having to make a statement and take questions that day + increasing number of urgent questions granted by Speaker
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24
Q

How many urgent questions were granted in 2015?

A

77

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25
Q

What are the limitations of question times in regards to scrutiny? (4)

A
  1. High noise levels in HoC
  2. Party whips tend to craft questions for govenment backbenchers to ask during PMQs, with the purpose of flattering rather than probing
  3. Written questions are more effective than oral questions
  4. Parliamentary theatre rather than effective scrutiny
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26
Q

How many written and oral questions were asked to government minsters in 2015 respectively?

A

Written: over 30,000
Oral: over 3,000

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27
Q

Who is the opposition?

A

The largest party that is not in government

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28
Q

What is the role of the opposition? (2)

A
  1. Oppose government policy proposals

2. Act as a government-in-waiting - develop policy proposals of their own

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29
Q

How does the opposition enhance scrutiny? (2)

A
  1. Leader is the first person allowed to reply after PM makes a major statement in the HoC; is granted 6 question to ask during PMQs; only person able to respond with further questions during PMQs
  2. Parliamentary agenda - opposition granted 20 ‘Opposition days’ in which they have control over the legislative timetable
30
Q

What are the limitations of the opposition in regards to scrutiny? (3)

A
  1. Institutional advantages - government can access resources from civil service whilst opposition relies on short money for funding
  2. Lack of legitimate mandate - opposition cannot claim to have a mandate from the public as they did not win the GE
  3. Party unity - divided parties are less effective at scrutiny
31
Q

What is an example of a successful motion from an Opposition Day?

A

The right of citizenship of Ghurka veterans

32
Q

How much money did Labour receive as short money in 2015?

A

£6.8 million

33
Q

What issue was Labour divided on, such that Jeremy Corbyn granted free votes during divisions?

A

Air strikes against Syria in 2015

34
Q

What is a select committee?

A

A committee that is scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policies of the government department it is responsible for

35
Q

How do select committees enhance scrutiny? (6)

A
  1. Able to question ministers, civil service, and experts and request access to government papers, to gather evidence for effective scrutiny
  2. Election of select committee chairs by MPs increases independence from government
  3. Select committee chairs may have greater expertise than government ministers (who have short tenures)
  4. Successfully influenced policy
  5. Hung parliament may encourage select committees to be more assertive in their scrutiny
  6. Brexit divisions cross-cut party lines -> less party affiliation during scrutiny
36
Q

What are the limitations to select committees enhancing scrutiny? (6)

A
  1. Ministers, civil service and experts may be reluctant or refuse to give evidence, and access to government papers may be denied
  2. Select committee party balance reflects that in HoC
  3. Government does not need to accept recommendations by select committees
  4. Attendance is not compulsory (weak but improving)
  5. Sections of bills are sometimes skipped entirely puring process of scrutiny
  6. Brexit process likely to involve heavy use of secondary legislation, in which parliamentary scrutiny is weak
37
Q

What is an example of chairs of select committees with great expertise?

A

Health Select Committee chairs include former GP Sarah Wollaston

38
Q

What proportion of select committee chairs have ministerial experience? What is an example of this?

A

Half, former Secretary of State Stephen Dorrell chaired the Health Select Committee

39
Q

What is an example of a successful recommendation by a select committee?

A

Health Select Committee discovered issues with coalition government’s proposals for NHS reform, and persuaded the government to make significant changes to its Health and Social Care Bill 2012

40
Q

What percentage of recommendations by select committees are accepted by the government?

A

40%

41
Q

How is debate carried out in Parliament? (5)

A
  1. Half-hour adjournment debates at the end of each day -> allows MPs to draw attention to particular issues
  2. Emergency debates - debates that require urgent consideration can be called (subject to permission by the Speaker)
  3. Grand Committee Hall - debates on non-controversial issues may take place here -> increases range and time dedicated to debate in Parliament
  4. Backbench Business Committee (BBBC) - chooses topic for debate from ideas contributed by backbenchers roughly 1 day a week
  5. Petitions Committee - e-petitions initiated by the public that garner over 10,000 signatures are subject to debate in Parliament -> public interest is acted upon
42
Q

What are the pros of the BBBC in promoting debate? (3)

A
  1. Grants backbenchers greater say over the parliamentary agenda
  2. Enables debate on and draws attention to issues not on government’s agenda
  3. Motions may be successful in influencing policy
43
Q

What are the limitations of the BBBC in promoting debate? (3)

A
  1. Government does not need to proceed with motions raised from BBBC debates
  2. Reform has made the selection of members of the BBBCs less independent from the government
  3. Government usually schedules BBBC debates in an ad hoc manner and at short notice
44
Q

What is an example of a successful motion raised from a BBBC debate?

A

EU referendum

45
Q

What is an example of an unsuccessful motion raised from a BBBC debate?

A

Lowering the voting age to 16

46
Q

What are the factors that determine the recruitment of an MP to be a minister? (3)

A
  1. Communication skills - television, rather than the HoC, is where the communication skills of an MP is revealed
  2. Experience - 20% of MPs are career politicians -> lack experience of life outside politics
  3. Loyalty - MPs who are loyal to the government are more likely to succeed in becoming a minister
47
Q

What are the three types of representation in Parliament?

A
  1. Constituency representation - MPs represent the public opinion of their constituency; spend half their time doing work related to their constituency; air grievances of individual constituents to relevant public body, minister, or HoC
  2. Party representation - MPs may be voted in based on party affiliations and not personal qualities; are expected to vote along party lines, which may be in conflict with public opinion of constitueny
  3. Descriptive representation - belief that a parliament should mirror the society it serves -> proportion of social groups should reflect that of the UK population
48
Q

What are some methods employed be Labour and Conservatives to increase the number of women MPs in Parliament? How successful were they?

A

Labour - all-women shortlists (increase by 101 women MPs in Parliament in 1997)
Conservatives - A-lists (female Conservative MPs tripled in 2010)

49
Q

What is the proportion of women in the HoC VS UK population?

A

26% VS 51%

50
Q

What is the proportion of ethnic minorities in the HoC VS UK population?

A

8% (increasing) VS 14%

51
Q

What is the average age in the HoC VS UK population? Which age ranges are under-represented?

A

50 VS 40; young adults and seniors are under-represented

52
Q

What is the proportion of privately-educated MPs in the HoC VS UK population?

A

A little less than a third (declining) VS 7%

53
Q

What is the proportion of Oxbridge graduates in the HoC VS UK population?

A

A fifth VS <1%

54
Q

What is the proportion of career politicians in the HoC?

A

20%

55
Q

What is the trend of MPs who have manual trade backgrounds?

A

Declining

56
Q

How many MPs are openly queer?

A

41 (highest number in any parliament in the world)

57
Q

What is the relationship between the executive and parliament?

A

Executive is the dominant actor

58
Q

What factors affect the relationship between the executive and parliament? (2)

A
  1. Size of government majority

2. State of party unity

59
Q

How does the size of the government majority affect the relationship between the executive and parliament?

A

Larger majority -> easier for government to push through legislation despite rebellions from own MPs -> executive more dominant

60
Q

What is an example of a government with a large majority successfully pushing through legislation despite rebellions?

A

Tony Blair enjoyed a supermajority of over 160 in 2001, and was able to push through legislation regarding the war in Iraq, setting up foundation hospitals, and raising tuition fees despite large rebellions

61
Q

What is an example of a government defeat due to their size of majority?

A

Labour suffered government defeats on issues such as the right for Ghurkas to reside in the UK and the extension for detention for terrorist suspects from 14 to 90 days after their majority was reduced to 66 in the 2005 GE

62
Q

What is an example of backbench MPs forcing the government to act in a particular manner?

A

Divisions in opinion regarding UK membership of the EU led to Conservative MPs voting for an EU referendum, forcing David Cameron to promise an in/out referendum

63
Q

What is a minority government?

A

A government that does not have a majority of seats in the House of Commons (326)

64
Q

What does a minority government usually do in order to ensure a majority on day-to-day bills? (2)

A
  1. Agreement with another party

2. Early election

65
Q

What is an example of a minority government?

A

Theresa May entered a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement with the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) after losing her majority in the June 2017 election

66
Q

What is a coalition government?

A

When two or more parties form a government together

67
Q

What must coalition governments work out together when they start parliamentary business? (2)

A
  1. Decide on a new legislative agenda

2. Determine cabinet posts

68
Q

How might a coalition government affect the relationship between the executive and parliament?

A

Disputes between the two parties may result in higher frequency and success of backbencher rebellions

69
Q

What is an example of a coalition government?

A

Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition from 2010-2015

70
Q

What is an example of Conservative and Liberal Democrat rebellions that resulted in government defeat?

A

Conservative MPs rebelled against House of Lords reform

Liberal Democrat MPs rebelled against redrawing of constituency lines

71
Q

How does the state of party unity affect the relationship between the executive and parliament?

A

A divided party is likely to face more frequent rebellions -> may force government to make concessions to policy rather than risk government defeat

72
Q

What is an example of the government making concessions to policy rather than risking government defeat (due to backbench rebellions?)

A

Labour made reforms to its plans to abolish 10% income tax rate bands

Politics (UK government) (3 decks)

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