House of Lords Flashcards
1
Q
What is the composition of the House of Lords?
A
- 700+ Life Peers
- 92 Hereditary Peers
- 12 Law Lords
- 26 Lords Spiritual (Bishops)
2
Q
Name four functions of the House of Lords.
A
- Scrutinising legislation and proposing amendments
- Looking at non-controversial/constitutional bills
- Debate
- Scrutinising the executive
3
Q
Name two more functions of the House of Lords.
A
- Hosting thematic committees and producing reports
- Being a constitutional watchdog
4
Q
Describe the Parliament Acts and their relationship with the House of Lords.
A
- 1911: Financial bills passed without assent of Lords, reduced life from 7 to 5 years, replaced veto power with 2 year delay
- 1949: Bills can get royal assent without Lords, delay power reduced to 1 year
5
Q
What are the roles of the House of Lords?
A
- To engender second thoughts in the Commons
- To enact legislation through ‘ping-pong’
- To form committees to examine particular areas of the arts/sciences
