Parliament

Question 1

Outline the origins if the British Parliament

Answer 1

1 King Henry 111 did not want to share power which provoked the nobility led by Simon de Montfort
2 Henry was captured at the ball tel of Lewis in1624
3 Simon de Montfort summoned representitives of nobility, senior churchmen, 2 knights from each county and 2 burgesses from leading towns to meet in Westminster Hall in 1265
4 Because he broadened membership beyond nobility the De Montfort Parliament is often considered the first English Paliament

Question 2

Outline the key events in the development of the Uk parliament

Answer 2

1 de Montfort Parliament 1265 - he summoned commoners as well as noblemen and churchmen to Westminster Hall to discuss reform is generally seen as first recognizable parliament
2 Bill of Rights 1689 - agreement of King William 111 to parliament Bill of rights established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty before this Houses of Parliament increasingly asserted its authority against the crown
3 Extension of the franchise 1832, 1867, 1884, 1918, 1928 and 1969 - these parliamentary acts gradually extended the franchise until in 1928 the principle of universal franchise was established - vote given to everyone over the age of 21 in 1969 the voting age was reduced to 18
4 Parliamentary Acts 1911 and 1949 - the 1911 act established the House of Lords as an unelected body could only delay not veto legislation that the House of Commons had passed. In 1949 the lords delaying power was reduced to 1 year
5 House of Lords Act 1999 - all but 92 hereditary peers were removed form the lords as a result most members are life peers which has made the lords more assertive in dealing with the commons

Question 3

Describe Parliament

Answer 3

1 uk parliament comprises of houses of commons and House of Lords and
2 possesses the supreme legislative authority.
3 It scrutinizes the work of government and represents the diverse interests of the UK.
4 Parliament provides membership of the government

Question 4

Why is there no authority greater than British Parliament

Answer 4

because British. democracy has evolved over many centuries without a codification

Question 5

What does parliamentary sovereignty mean

Answer 5

Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution.
It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK which can create or end any law.
Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution.

Question 6

What is the difference between US and UK forms of government

Answer 6

Uk has a parliamentary form US has a presidential form of government
Parliamentary means voters elect the House of Commons and the executive is selected from its membership and appointed me enters of the LOrds

Question 7

What is the composition of the House of Commons

Answer 7

is democratically elected chamber of parliament
Each member of parliament represents the interests of their constituency
Constituencies are allocated to ensure all parts of the uk are equally represented in the commons

Question 8

What are front bench MPs

Answer 8

MPs can be divided into front and back bench
Front bench - MPs invited by PM to join government as senior ministers, junior ministers or private secretaries are bound by collective ministerial responsibility . This means they must present and support public ally government policy from the front benches

Main opposition party has its own shadow front bench whose members scrutinize their government counterparts , they too must support the party’s leadership

Question 9

What are party whips

Answer 9

1 All main parties appoint whips to maintain party discipline
2 They encourage and cajole MPs to support the party line
3 They report back any large scale potential rebellions that may encourage leadership to modify postition to avoid defeat
4 On especially important occasions a 3 lined whip is issued which requires MPs to attend a vote and to vote as demanded by the leadership. If MPS refuse they may have party whip withdrawn which means they lose their membership of the party

Question 10

When are whips particularly important

Answer 10

when government has a small majority

Question 11

Who is the speaker of the House of Commons

Answer 11

An MP whose role is impartial and they do not engage in political debate

Question 12

What is the speakers role

Answer 12

1 to ensure Parliament functions as effectively as possible
2 They arrange parliamentary business with the leaders of the main parties
3 Ensure procedures are followed
4 Preside over debates in the commons
5 They have a disciplinary function and if MPs are deliberately disobedient abusive or accuse another mP of lying they can be suspended

Question 13

How is the speaker elected

Answer 13

By secret ballot of all MPs
After they are elected they are ceremonially dragged to the speakers chair
At the beginning of each new parliament they must seek re-election but usually just a formality

Question 14

What is the role of the leader of the opposition

Answer 14

To ensure government is thoroughly scrutinized whilst convincing the public that the official opposition is an alternative government in waiting

Question 15

What right does the leader of the opposition have

Answer 15

1 to ask 6 questions at PMQT enabling them to put high pressure on the PM by highlighting their failures of policy and offering their own solution
2 To select a shadow cabinet whose job it is to hold government to account and persuade the electorate the could be trusted in government

Question 16

What are the main functions if the House of Commons

Answer 16

1 legislation
2 providing ministers
3 scrutiny and debate
4 representation
5 legitimation

Question 17

Describe Hof C role in legislation

Answer 17

HofC must agree to enact a bill before it becomes law
If it decides not to vote for legislation then it fails to pass

Question 18

What are the stages at which a bill is scrutinized

Answer 18

bill formally presented to Parliament in its first reading-
2 MPs have the opportunity to debate the main principles of the bill at its second reading
3 a bill is then scrutinized by MPs on Public Bill Committee
4 bill further debated at third reading
5 sent to house of the lords where same process takes place
6 bill receives royal assent and becomes law

Question 19

These stages should ensure a bill is scrutinized before it becomes law and that Hof C legaslitative function worlds well but what do critics say

Answer 19

1 Public Bill committee vote on party line and always have a government majority which impacts on objectivity when offering amendments to the bill
2 on many bills MPS are expected to vote how whips tell them to
3 many changes to law are now made by secondary legislation using statutory instruments rather than enacting primary legislation - so sidestep the commons scrutiny

Question 20

Describe the role of Hof C in providing ministers

Answer 20

1 major office holders in government are members of HofC because this chamber processes democratic legitimacy
2 but the way in which parliament provides front benches for government and opposition significantly reduces choice. It encourages conformity and reduces debate as backbenchers support the government in the expectation of political advancement

Question 21

Describe role of HofC in scrutiny and debate

Answer 21

1 major function of MPs is to debate governments legislative programme - this enables MPs to weigh up likely impact of public bills

Question 22

State other ways MPs can scrutinize and debate issues of public concern

Answer 22

1 parliamentary backbench business committee- established in2010 provides backbench MPs with 3rd ads a year to control parliamentary business. They cab ask to raise any issue tithe the committee which can generate debate on areas that might otherwise be neglected by government

2 petitions committee - created to schedule debates in petitions that had reached 100,000 signatures

3 adjournment debates - take place at the end of each days sitting MPs can apply to the speaker to ask a minister a question to which they must respond. If minister and back bencher agree other MPs can ask questions. These debates are limited to 30 minutes and are rarely attended by many MPs but they can raise issues of significant public interest

4 early day motions - are motions introduced by MPs urging debate on a specific issue

5 emergency debates - 24 MPs may request an emergency debate. If speaker allows an MP has 3 minutes to make the case in the chamber for an emergency debate. If the speaker allows the HofC can decided if the emergency debate can take place
6 urgent questions - if an MP believes an issue needs a minister to address it at once they can apply to the speaker to ask an urgent question. If speaker decides it will serve th public interest the minister is required to explain tho the house what the government is doing on the issue raised

Question 23

Explain the HofC function in representation

Answer 23

650 MPs represent every part of the UK so interests of all British people are represented in Westminster

Each MP represents a single constituency and should work hard to ensure the interests of his constituents are raised in Hof C

Question 24

Why has the representative role of MPs been criticized

Answer 24

Hof C does not reflect the social make up of the UK today. It is influenced by privately educated white middle class males

Question 25

Explain the role of HofC in legitimation

Answer 25

Parliament was established to provide consent that would legitimize the decisions of the monarch
Crown has now been replaced by democratically elected governement legitimations remains parliaments main constitutional function
So parliamentary bills require consent of HofC before they can enact

Convention also developed that HofC should be consulted over committing British troops to military action

Question 26

How well does H of C fulfil its legitimizing role

Answer 26

This is controversial because uk does not have codified constitution stating exactly what the powers of HofC has in relation to government

Question 27

What is the House of Lords also known as

Answer 27

the upper chamber

Question 28

Why does it not have the democratic legitimacy of the commons

Answer 28

its authority is less as it is an appointed chamber and so can not claim democratic legitamacy

Question 29

What is the history of the composition of the House of Lords

Answer 29

1For the majority of time HofL was composed of peers whose membership was
based on their hereditary title, much smaller number of bishops from the Church of England these 2 groups were call Lords temporal and Lords Spiritual
2 expansion of franchise in 19th Century resulted in the influence of the Hof L declining as authority of HofC increased
Parliament Act 1911 further reduced power of HofL removing its right to veto legislation passed by Commons
31958 Life Peerage act gave PM authority to nominate life peers to the Lords - they don not pass down their titles and their appointment is based on public service - this opened up membership of the Lords to people who had served their country giving the house professional legitamcy
4 1999 Blairs government removed right of 750 hereditary peers to continue sitting in upper chamber allowing 92 hereditary peers to be elected to the lords by hereditary peerage - part allegegiance must remain so there will always be 48 conservative 28 crossbenchers 3 LIb Dems 2 Labour and 17 non affiliated
5 because of the reforms the HofC is now made up of life peers, elected hereditary peers and Bishops of CofE. Life peers are the buffers number and nominated to the crown by the PM

Question 30

Who appoints the crossbenchers and scrutinizes the appointments

Answer 30

HOLAC House of Lords Appointments Commission

Question 31

Who presides over the lords

Answer 31

The Lord Speaker - manages and advises procedures

Question 32

What are the main functions of the House of Lords

Answer 32

1 legislation - when a bill leaves the commons it is sent to the lords to be examined in detail. Any member can propose an amendment.(amendments are usually highly important given the expertise in the lords) commons does not have to accept.
2 Scrutiny - lords scrutinizes the work of government in oral questions to ministers and committees- because of the expertise of its members their work is highly regarded. Instead of monitoring departments and committees concentrate on making recommendations to government on major social and political issues
3 Legitimation, representation and provideing governement and debate - members can serve as ministers in the lords , because they are less politically toxic debates can raise vital issues

Question 33

What is parliamentary ping pong

Answer 33

How the 2 chambers negotiate over proposed amendments to legislation before it reaches royal asent

Question 34

Can government still pass legislation over the objections of the House of Lords
Explain your answer and provide an example

Answer 34

Yes because of 1911 and 1949 Parliamentary Acts
2000 sexual offenses bill reduced the legal age for gay sex from 18 to 16 it easily passed the commons but was rejected by the lords. The government quickly evoked the 1949 Parliamentary act to give the bill royal assent and so by passing the lords

Question 35

What is a seasonal committee

Answer 35

Deals with a particular issue and last from one parliamentary session to the next

Question 36

What is a special enquiry

Answer 36

Ad HofC committees investigate a specific issue and are set up for a specific time period

Question 37

Identify a particularly significant House of Lords seasonal committee

Answer 37

1 Secondary legislation scrutiny committee they highlight in statutory instruments have been badly worded and may not achieve their purpose
2 seasonal House of Lords committee on environment and climate change has held government accountable for not achieving its carbon reduction targets

Question 38

Identify permanent committees that meet regularly that are made up of members of both lords and commons - joint committees
What advantages do these committees have

Answer 38

human rights
National security strategy
Statutory instruments
Their members draw experience from both houses

Question 39

Identify a joint committee which is not permanent

Answer 39

joint committee on the draft online safety bill

Question 40

Why can the House of Lords not claim a legitimizing role

Answer 40

legislation can be enacted without its consent

Question 41

How do the powers of the lords compare to the power of the commons

Answer 41

commons has the sole right to defeat a bill and has the right to dismiss a government if it loses a vote of no confidence
Members of the lords do not have constituency duties so can devote more time to scrutiny. They are not elected or bound by party manifesto so can act more independently.

Question 42

What is a statutory instrument

Answer 42

A form of legislation which allows the provisions of an act of parliament to be brought into force or altered with =out parliament having to pass a new act

Question 43

What is political cronyism

Answer 43

favoritism awarding a job or advantages to friends or trusted collegues

Question 44

What opportunity does the House of Lords offer members of the commons

Answer 44

for former members of the commons to continue in public service and use their political experience to inform debate and advise government

Question 45

Sumerise the function of the House of Commons

Answer 45

1 represent the nation and be accountable to it in a general election
2 dismiss a government in a vote of no confidence
3 legitimize important decisions such as committing Uk to major military operations
4 the executive needs consent from commons for legislation to be enacted
5 scrutinize legislation in parliamentary debate and public bill committees
6 House of Commons select committees monitor the work of government departments

Question 46

Sumerise the function of the House of Lords

Answer 46

1 can delay legislation for 1 parliamentary session but can not veto
2 since parliament act 1911 and 1949 do not extend to statutory instruments the lords can veto them
3 lords main work is as a revising chamber offering amendments to legislation and scrutininsing the work of government through committees , questions and debate
4 if the House of Commons vote to extend the life of a parliament over 5 years the lords could reject the proposal so they protect civil liberties

Question 47

The House of Lords fulfills an important parliamentary role

Answer 47

yes
1 the expertise on peers means amendments
they make to legislation significantly improves it
2 reports of the House of Lords committees are held in high regard because of the expertise of its members
3 House of Lords committee on secondary legislation fulfills an important function scrutinizing statutory instruments
4house of lords debates often raises important issues for public debate
5 House of Lords scrutinizes ministers further to ensure government is made accountable to parliament
6 if the government dominates the commons with a large parliamentary majority then the lords provides an important source of independent opposition

No
1 since the lords can not claim democratic legitimacy the government can ignore its amendments to legislation
2 although the lords can delay legislation for a year it has no veto power
3 lords have no influence over financial bills including budget
4 Salisbury convention means lords will not vote against legislation that has been in a governments party election manifesto
5 lords debate is highly regarded but no evidence it influences government s decision making
6 since the lords is unelected it lacks a representative function which undermines its parliamentary usefulness
7 commons has strong committee systems so lords committees are not essential

Question 48

Explain the Salisbury convention

Answer 48

1Lords can not claim democratic legitimacy
2Salisbury convention established the principle in 1945 that lords will not seek to stop legislation that was contained in a governing party’s manifesto as it would oppose the democratically expressed will of the public in a general election
3Lords can still propose amendments but they would not be designed to wreck the bill

Question 49

What is the role and significance of the backbenchers in each house

Answer 49

back benchers are protected by parliamentary privilege - they are free to raise any issue they wish in Westminster without fear of being persecuted in courts
Main role of back bencher it to represent the interests of their constituents, scrutinize work of governement, consider legislation, legitamise certain government decisions and raise issues they feel are significant

Question 50

How much influence do back benchers have

Answer 50

Depends on the size of the governments parliamentary majority. If it has a small majority backbenchers with be at their most influential as whips on both sides will have to make concessions to secure their support

Question 51

What is the legislative function of Westminster

Answer 51

the process through which parliamentary bill become law

Question 52

Describe the legislative process

Answer 52

1 at its first reading the bills title is introduced and a date given for its second reading - no debate, no vote at this stage. Bill could be defeated at this stage
2 Bill goes to public bill committee to be examined in detail and amendments added
3 bill reaches report stage where the changes made by public bill committee are accepted or rejected further amendments maybe added by MPs not members of the committee
4 bill then reaches 3rd reading when it is further debated and a vote is taken - unlikely to be defeated at this stage
5 bill is sent to House of Lords where it goes through similar process- and significant amendments to the bull may be made - parlimentary ping pong occurs as commons decides to accept and reject lords amendments
6 once both houses agree the bill receives royal assent and becomes a parliamentary statute

Question 53

Why do most bills debated by parliament have a strong chance of being enacted

Answer 53

1as they will have been introduced by government who will be able to give the bill sufficient time to be debated
2 government can rely on whips to encourage support for the bill in the commons
3 if it was part of the governments election manifesto lords will not set to obstruct it with wrecking amendements

Question 54

Why do critics claim the commons have to much power over the process

Answer 54

1 if government has large parliamentary majority it can usually rely on loyalty of MPs to vote for the bill
2membership of public bills committe is proportional to party strength in the commons so always gives government a majority
3whips also influence members of public bills committee who are instructed to vote according to the whip
4 MPs who are to critical of their governments bills are unlikely to advance their careers

Question 55

What can be the result of MPs expected to follow what the party whip in parliamentary vote

Answer 55

lack of scrutiny and badly thought out legislation

Question 56

Some MPs can show independence and prove unruly to whips. Identify notable government defeats in the commons

Answer 56

1 shops bill 1986 - defeated in second reading 72 conservative MPs keen to keep tradition voted against plans to deregulate Sunday trading

2 terrorism act 2006 - 49 labour MPs were unconvinced by Blair government proposals that terrorist suspects should be held in custody for 90 days without charge - government enacted without this provision

3 reform of Sunday trading laws 2016- plans by Cameron government to allow large shops to extend their opening hours in England and Wales

4 EU withdrawal agreement 2018 May government defeated on Brexit deal it was offering Parliament

5 The Letwin amendment 2019 - in an emergency debate 21 pro ~EU conservative MPs voted for Oliver Letwin’s amendment for House of Commons to take control of parliamentary business to stop the possibility of the Johnson government leaving the EU with a no deal Brexit

6 the fixed term parliament act 2019 - on 3 separate occasions the Johnson government filed to secure a 2/3 majority necessary under the fixed term parliament act 2019 to trigger a snap general election

7 EU withdrawal agreement bill 2019 - An attempt by Johnson governement to limit discussion of the EU withdrawal bill to 3 days

Question 57

What is a legislative bill

Answer 57

a bill is a proposed piece of legislation that can be intoduced in the commons or the lords

Question 58

What is a private members bill

Answer 58

Can be introduced in either house under the ballot, the ten minute rule and presentation
Most originate in the commons
Limited time on a Friday is given to debate them -may not even be enough there to vote to processed

Question 59

What is a ballot

Answer 59

Held at start of each Parliament. MPs can put forward proposals for a private members bill 20 bills enter the ballot the top 7 are debated - most common method to introduce a private members bill

Question 60

What is the 10 minute rule

Answer 60

MPs can put forward their proposal for a bill in a 10 minute speech - more likely to be unsuccessful

Question 61

What is a presentation

Answer 61

MP formally presents a private members bill to the HofC

Question 62

What does the fact that so few private members bill become law demonstrate

Answer 62

lack of influence of backbenchers

Question 63

Define filibuster

Answer 63

hostile MPs talk out a bill

Question 64

What is a select committee
Name them

Answer 64

Introduced in 1979 to monitor performance of the major departments of state
Made up of a small number of MPs from both parties expected to work together -members are chosen by whips as highly regarded backbencher

1 business, energy and industrial strategy
2digital, culture, media and sport
3 defence
4 education
5 environment, food and rural affairs
6 foreign affairs
7 health and social care
8 home affairs
9 international development
10 international trade
11 justice
12levelling up, housing and communities
13 NI affairs
14 Science and technology
15 Scottish affairs
16 transport
17 treasury
18 welsh affairs
19 work and pensions

Question 65

Why do select committe reports carry great political weight

Answer 65

because impartiality in the commons is so rare
Their critisms are designed to improve performance and not win political advantage

Question 66

Which select committee is regarded as the most important
What does it do

Answer 66

public accounts committee
It investigates the expenditure of all government departments enduring public money is not wasted

Question 67

What is a strength of a select committee

Answer 67

it can consult widely with ministers, civil servants and experts and can send for persons papers and records to help them with investigations and can compel attendance of members of the public

Question 68

What makes chairing a select committee an attractive prospect

Answer 68

They are elected by MPS to ensure cross party support
They are highly regarded backbenchers
Receive a significant financial bonus
They have authority to confront powersful departments of state

Question 69

Identify 3 current chairs of House of Commons select committees

Answer 69

1 Jeremy Hunt chair of Health select committee - former health secretary
2 Tobias Elwood chair of defence select committee former soldier and defence secretary
3 Tony Tugendhat chair of foreign affairs select committee

Question 70

When are questions posed in both chamber s

Answer 70

1 Monday - Thursday and hour of parliamentary business is set aside for oral questions to ministers
2 In the lords half an hour is devoted to oral ministerial questions on the same days - questions are directed to government not ministers
3 Ministers must respond to written questions within a week if asked in the commons and 2 weeks if asked in the lords

Question 71

Why does the PM have to attend Parliament each Wednesday between 12-12.30

Answer 71

To respond to questions form the chamber
An important opportunity for him to be help to account for government policy

Question 72

What happens during PM QT

Answer 72

Leader of opposition can ask 6 questions
Leader of next biggest party asks 2 questions
MPs have opportunity to ask questions

Question 73

What opportunity do governing party MPs have during PM QT

Answer 73

Ask questions which allow PM to take credit for government success and expose inadequacies of opposition

Question 74

What would supporters of PMQT argue

Answer 74

it is an opportunity for parliament to enter or gate PM weekly and is a spotlight on the PMs record

Question 75

What would critics of PM QT say

Answer 75

1 It’s raucous nature discourages genuine debate
2 PMs are good at avoiding answering questions. 3 PMs use the theatrical nature to make make popular counter claims
4 make it it more about electioneering than scrutinizing government policy

Question 76

What is the role of the liaison committee

Answer 76

represents the chairs of all select committees and questions PM 2x each year
Less confrontational than PM QT its steady examination allows better opportunity for discussion
PM is less able to divert questions

Question 77

How is the chair of the liaison committe selected

Answer 77

usually heads of select committees chose their chair but in 2020 government made the appointment of Sir Bernard Jenkins

Question 78

What are opposition days

Answer 78

during each parliamentary session 20 days are set aside to debate subjects chosen by the opposition - issues they believe government needs to justify itself on

Question 79

What must MPs balance and why

Answer 79

they are accountable to their constituents in general elections - doesn’t mean they do what their constituents want
They must balance demands of constituents with demands of party whip and their own conscience

Question 80

The influence of backbench MPs at Westminster has increased in recent years

Answer 80

Yes
1the independence of the select committee has made them effective in scrutinizing government departments
2 backbench business committee has provided MPs with more control over parliamentary agenda enabling them to choose more topics to debate
3 the petitions committee also provides more opportunities to determine what is debated in parliament
4 the liaison committee regularly holds the PM to account for policy development and implementation
5 MPs have an increasingly important legitimizing role
6 as a result of the fixed term parliament acts 2011 HofC had to approve early 2011 and 2017 and 2019 general elections ]
7 recent speakers have allowed MP more opportunities to ask urgent questions
8 from 2017 to 2019 backbenchers were influential in delaying May Johnson governmets EU withdrawal legislation
9 The erosion of their backbench parliamentary support led to resignation of Thatcher May Johnson and Truss

No
1 despite recent reforms select committee reports and scrutiny of liaison committee have no binding power over government
2 the governments increase inn use of secondary legislation to change laws has negatively impacted MPs legislative function
3 it is only a convention that HofC should be consulted on deployment of British troops
4 Johnson parliament repealed the fixed term parliament act 2011 restoring th PMs right to determine date of general election
5 recent speakers have allowed more urgent questions but this in sot a new backbench power
6 Although MPs had influence during Brexit negotians this was only because the administrations lacked parliamentary majority once a majority seat was achieved back bench influenced decreased
7 this suggests influence of backbenchers depends on parliamentary majority

Question 81

Define term opposition

Answer 81

the second largest party in the HofC is his Misty’s most loyal opposition .
The opposition front bench shadows the government front bench and scrutinizes its decisions

Question 82

What does the opposition use its role in parliament to do

Answer 82

Persuade the electorate that it is a potential government in waiting

Question 83

Why is an opposition party required

Answer 83

without it government does not have to justify its policies and this encourages complacency and incompetence

Question 84

What should opposition parties do

Answer 84

1 ensure government justifies it legislative programme and decisions
2 create public debate by providing reasoned arguements why they can not support government decision
3 be prepared to provide an alternative government in waiting in case the PM seeks early dissolution of parliament
4 use front bench spokesmen to focus on government departments they shadow exposing their failure of policy and implementation
5 leader of the opposition use the opportunity of PMQT to present themselves as having political knowledge to be a PM in waiting

Question 85

How can the opposition achieve these objectives

Answer 85

1 carefully choose the subjects for debate in the Hof C during 20 opposition days
2 scrutinize proposed government legislation in public bill committees and offer amendments. However, these require the support of the government to be accepted
3 shadow ministers expose mistakes and failures of their opposite number in government
4 if the government has a small majority opposition can work closely with more independently minded HofL to uncover failures in government policy
5 in parliamentary debate opposition parties play an important role in forcing government to justify its policy