Parliament

Question 1

What are confidence and supply?

Answer 1

-a type of informal coalition agreement in the event of a hung parliament where minority partners agree to vote with the government on key issues, usually in exchange for policy concessions

Question 2

What are some exclusive powers of the house of commons?

Answer 2

• gives consent to taxation and public expenditure

- confidence and supply

Question 3

What is the Salisbury convention?

Answer 3

-the convention whereby the house of lords does not delay or block legislation that was included in a government’s manifesto

Question 4

What are the Parliament Acts?

Answer 4

• Parliament act 1911: cannot interfere with money bills, can delay bills
• Parliament act 1949: put a time constraint on-time bills can be delayed for (1 year)

Question 5

What are the main powers of the House of Lords?

Answer 5

• acts as a revising chamber for legislation
• can delay non-financial legislation for 1 year
• can veto the government if they try to prolong parliament for more than 5 years. HoL can trigger a general election

Question 6

In what ways is HoL becoming more important?

Answer 6

• removal of most hereditary peers means the Lords challenge government
• no dominant party rule
• crossbench peers are more likely to question the government

Question 7

How does the Commons maintain its supremacy?

Answer 7

• can use its majority to overturn the Lords
• can use the Parliament Acts to force through bills (equalizing the age of consent for gay and straight people)
• Lords back down as they are not democratic

Question 8

What are legislative bills?

Answer 8

-proposed laws passing through parliament

Question 9

What are the types of bills passed through parliament?

Answer 9

• government/public
• private
• hybrid
• private members

Question 10

How does a bill become law?

Answer 10

-origin, first reading, second reading, committees, report, third reading, opposite house, royal assent

Question 11

What is a public bill committee?

Answer 11

-committees responsible for looking at bills in detail

Question 12

What is Parliamentary privilege?

Answer 12

-the right of MPs or Lords to make certain statements within parliament without being subject to outside influence, including law

Question 13

Why are backbenchers significant?

Answer 13

• in committees where they discuss things in detail
• can rebel if they don’t agree with government measures
• use ‘urgent questions’ to raise important matters in the Commons

Question 14

Why aren’t backbenchers significant?

Answer 14

• not much action gets taken when MPs raise an issue
• government rules committees
• party loyalty is enforced by the whips

Question 15

What is the role of a select committee?

Answer 15

• scrutinize policy

- administration snd spending of each government department

Question 16

What makes up a select committee?

Answer 16

• 11 backbench MPs
• chairs are elected by fellow MPs
• may appoint a special adviser
• write up a report which the government has to respond to within 2 months

Question 17

Why are select committees important?

Answer 17

• work is evidence-based, with hearings televised and reported in the media
• scrutinize legislation
• long-serving members acquire a lot of knowledge of policy area
• have a direct influence on government policy

Question 18

Why are select committees not important?

Answer 18

• the majority of members of the government
• have a limited range of topics to discuss in-depth
• government only listens to 40% of recommendations
• cannot unlimitedly bring in witnesses

Question 19

What is the role of HoL select committees?

Answer 19

• don’t shadow government departments
• scrutinize legislation and investigate particular issues
• seek to not copy the work of the commons

Question 20

What is the role and significance of the opposition?

Answer 20

• hold the government to account if they can

- criticize ministers

Question 21

What are PMQs?

Answer 21

• prime ministers questions

- held every Wednesday for 30 minutes at 12 pm

Question 22

What are some arguements for PMQs?

Answer 22

• PM has to engage with opposition
• allows MPs to question and scrutinize the government
• attracts media attention

Question 23

What are some arguments against PMQs?

Answer 23

• more about personalities than policy
• described as messy and unorganized
• not much policy gets scrutinized

Question 24

Are ministerial questions helpful?

Answer 24

• better scrutiny when ministers are talking about their own department
• give more detailed responses as civil servants help
• MPs can write to civil servents to inform themselves on government policy