Parliament Flashcards
Who are the prominent members of parliament other than pm/cabinet?
Speaker
Deputy speakers
Leader of the house
Shadow leader of the house
What disciplinary functions does the speaker have?
Directing an mp to withdraw abusive/denigrating remarks
Suspending sitting of house due to serious disorder
Suspending deliberately disobedient MPs
Ordering MPs to be quiet
What does the speaker consider when deciding who to call to speak in debates?
Official spokesperson from govt/opposition when starting and finishing
MP specific interest
MP seniority/previous contribution
Time
Rights of parliamentary minorities
What principles maintain impartiality when speaker is deciding which amendments to debate?
Protection of parliamentary minorities
Out of order = not debated
Amendments of same issue debated together
What is a speakers ruling?
Speaker deciding interpretation of parliamentary rules and procedures
What are standing orders?
Speaker ensuring correct application of parliamentary rules
Who is the principle deputy speaker?
Chairmen of ways and means
What are the roles of the principle deputy speaker?
Supervising arrangements for sittings in Westminster hall
Oversight of matters connected with private bills
Chair of panel of chairs
Presiding over annual budget debate
Do speakers and deputies resign?
Speaker - yes
Deputy - no but withdraw active political role
What are the duties of the Leader of the House?
Scheduling business
Chairing Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee
Deputising for PM
What is the key responsibility of the whip?
Ensuring maximum number of party members participate in voting in support of party/enforcing discipline generally
Counting votes
Arranging business
Who are the prominent members of the HoL?
Lord Speaker
Senior Deputy Speaker
Leader of the HoL
Black Rod
Where are the rules governing the business of the Commons derived from?
Ancient usage (Convention)
Standing orders passed by house following a vote
Rulings of the speaker
What is Standing Order 14?
Government business has precedence in the parliamentary timetable
How are urgent questions asked?
MP requests to speaker
Speaker grants if urgent + public importance
Minister comes to Commons to explain government’s position
HoC Twitter feed updates
What are ministerial statements and how can they be made?
When something urgent that govt needs to bring to attention of Commons
Oral statement after oral/urgent questions
Written for more prosaic aspects
What is the process of debates?
- MP/Lord moves motion
- Speaker puts question to house in terms of motion
- MPs/Lords take turn to speak
- Vote by calling out aye/no
- Division if no clear result
When should Hansard be used to construe legislation?
When the legislation is ambiguous, obscure or its literal meaning is absurd
What is parliamentary legitimacy?
Parliament has received a democratic mandate from citizens who voted for MPs and is accountable to them
What happens if an MP is arrested on suspicion of a criminal offence?
Need not inform speaker as long as it doesn’t affect attendance in Parliament
What happens if an MP is convicted but released on bail pending appeal/fined?
The judge/magistrate does not need to inform the speaker
What happens if an MP is convicted and sentenced to imprisonment?
Judge/magistrate will inform speaker by letter
What happens if an MP is sentenced to over a year in prison?
Disqualified from sitting and voting in Commons or its committees
What is the first rule of conduct (Commons)?
consideration of public interest - avoid conflict of interest and resolve in favour of public interest
Who investigates breaches of the house of commons code of conduct?
Parliamentary Committee on Standards
What is the most serious form of punishment in the commons?
Expulsion
Who is responsible for the regulation and payment of expenses of members of the commons?
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
What is the remit of the parliamentary committee on standards?
- Overseeing parliamentary commissioner for standards
- Examining commissioner’s proposed arrangements for register of members’ financial interests/other registers of interest
- Considering conduct of members inclduing specific complaints on breaches of code of conduct
- Recommending modifications to the code of conduct
What is the role of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards?
- Provide advice
- Investigate allegations that MP broke code of conduct
- Decide complaints re harassment, bullying, sexual harassment
- Review code pf conduct
- Keep register of members’ financial interests
What are the powers of the Parliamentary Committee on Standards?
- order copies of relevant papers, records, documents
- order the attendance of any MP
- decide whether to hear evidence in public or private
What happens if the PCS prove that the code of conduct was breached?
Adverse report is sufficient OR
Recommend that the MP apologise in writing or in person OR
Suspension for a specified number of sitting days (no salary) OR
Expulsion
Who appoints Lords?
Nominally the King on advice of PM
HoL Appointments Commission
Who enforces the HoL code of conduct?
House of Lords Commissioner for Standards
What matters are outside the remit of the HoL Commissioner for Standards?
- policy matters/members views
- non-parliamentary activities
- conduct in ministerial capacity
What are the sanctions for lords?
Suspension
Denial of access to financial support
Expulsion
What is parliamentary privilege?
- right of each house to control it’s own proceedings and precincts
- freedom of speech
- freedom from arrest
What are the two B-road types of parliamentary committee?
Select
Legislative
What do select committee tasks include?
Scrutinising govt departments
Examining expenditure
Procedures
Domestic administration
What are the requirements of commons select committees
Most chairs selected by fellow MPs
Min 11 selected by internal party election
Reflects party balance of house
What are the requirements of lords select committees?
Chairs appointed by house on the proposal of the committee of selection
Members usually proposed by CoS and voted by house
No fixed number/rules on political balance
When does the govt reply to select committee reports?
Within 60 days
How can select committees influence the direction of govt?
- reports
- media attention
- encouraging ministers
What are the four joint committees?
- human rights
- national security strategy
*statutory instruments - consolidation bills
What are the powers of the commons select committees?
To send for persons papers and records (summon and examine witnesses)
Who cannot be summoned by select committees?
Civil servants
MPs
Ministers
Lords
What is a bill?
A proposal for new legislation or proposal to change existing law
How can a bill be proposed?
- by govt
- by MP (private members bill)
- by Lord (private peers bill)
What are the different procedures for statutory instruments?
Affirmative resolution
Negative resolution
Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
What are the stages of a bill?
First reading
Second reading
Committee stage
Report stage
Third reading
Ping pong
Royal assent
What is the parliament act procedure?
A bill sponsored by govt can be sent for royal assent without lords approval if they refused to consent for one year
