Holding The Government To Account Essay

Question 1

What are your factors for holding the government to account?

Answer 1

1. Scrutinising government bills in the House of Commons
2. Prime Ministers Questions
3. Private Members Bills
4. Select Committees

Question 2

What is your background for holding the government to account.

Answer 2

• Parliament and government create and pass bills and policies
• they hold the power but must be held to account
• this gives the ability to scrutinise actions, highlight foulure and exert influence on decisions

Question 3

What is your knowledge for scrutinising the government in the House of Commons.

Answer 3

• the legislative process is where all bills are scrutinised by cross party committees before being debated, and during this time amendments can be suggested or the bill can be voted against
• a whip system exists which restricts and punishes MPs

Question 4

What are examples for scrutinising government bills in the House of Commons.

Answer 4

• in July 2024, Labour suspended 7 MPs for voting to scrap the 2 child benefit cap

Question 5

What is your analysis for scrutinising the government in the House of Commons.

Answer 5

• there are occasional defeats of government bills which leads to the bill being scrapped or amended
• there is typically a government majority which limits the amount of scrutiny
• having both a majority and the whip system makes a loss highly unlikely

Question 6

What is your evaluation for scrutinising the government in the House of Commons.

Answer 6

It is not effective due to the likelihood of scrutiny being so low.

Question 7

What is your knowledge for prime ministers questions.

Answer 7

• it occurs every Wednesday that allows MPs to challenge the PM on any aspect of government policy

Question 8

What are examples for prime ministers questions.

Answer 8

• in 2017 the Government ended the 55p-a-minute charge on welfare claim helpings as it was an issue raised on PMQs

Question 9

What is your analysis for prime ministers questions.

Answer 9

• the media attention that it gains can pressure the government and also highlight issues
• only the leaders of the two main opposition parties can ask supplementary questions and so the PM can avoid tough questions
• ‘planted’ questions from the governing parties MPs waste time and are used to praise the government instead

Question 10

What is your evaluation for prime ministers questions.

Answer 10

It is regarded as a way to score political points instead of hold the government to account so it is misused a lot.

Question 11

What is your knowledge for select committees.

Answer 11

• they examine departments and question government members
• they can also gather evidence and write reports on the performance of the government and its departments and make recommendations

Question 12

What are examples for select committees.

Answer 12

• there were suggestions to make menopause a protected characteristic in 2023 and for menopause leave to be introduced but this was defeated

Question 13

What is your analysis for select committees.

Answer 13

• the government must respond to them but they are non-binding so they can ignore them

Question 14

What is your evaluation for select committees.

Answer 14

The proportion of members in the committee is equivalent to the proportion of seats in the HOC which typically has a government majority which minimises the amount of scrutiny able to be achieved.

Question 15

What is your knowledge for private member’s bills.

Answer 15

• this is an opportunity for backbench MPs to raise ignored issues by the government

Question 16

What are examples for private members bills.

Answer 16

• in 2023 a SNP MP introduced leave for parents with children receiving neonatal care
• a bill to ban upskirting was defeated in 2018 but there was massive media backlash which made the government u-turn on this

Question 17

What is your analysis for private member’s bills.

Answer 17

• the bills may be defeated but it can still put pressure on the government
• they are given less priority as are only given 13 days to be debated

Question 18

What is your evaluation for private member’s bills.

Answer 18

Due to there usually being a government majority means there is a high chance that these bills are voted against therefore defeated.