Parliament

Question 1

Give three functions of Parliament.

Answer 1

Functions of Parliament:

• Scrutiny
• Representation
• Legislate
• Legitimacy
• Deliberation
• Recruitment of ministers

Question 2

Give an example of parliament deliberating.

Answer 2

• Spent over 700 hours debating fox hunting before the Hunting Act 2004.

Question 3

Give a scrutiny measure used by parliament.

Answer 3

Parliamentary Scrutiny Measures:
- Select committees

• Vote of no confidence - e.g. James Callaghan in1979.
• Other organisations e.g. National Audit Office - highlighted a £2.9 billion shortfall in the Trident nuclear submarine fleet ⚓ in 2018.
• Opposition days e.g. 2015 - Labour chose to discuss NHS spending and EU.
• The opposition
• House of Lords
• PMQs
• E-Petitions - sugar tax 2015

Question 4

Is Parliament representative?

Answer 4

No, average age of MPs is 50-59 / Only 65 BAME MPs (2019) / 220/650 Female MPs.

Question 5

Define parliamentary privilege.

Answer 5

MPs cannot be sued for anything they say in parliament.

Question 6

When did Parliamentary privilege fail?

Answer 6

2009 expenses scandal - 4 MPs jailed.

Question 7

What did the House of Lords Reform Act 1999 do?

Answer 7

Reduce hereditary peers to 92.

Question 8

Is the HoL representative?

Answer 8

No, 72% male / 28% female. 150 are over the age of 70.

Question 9

Which house is superior?

Answer 9

House of Commons.

Question 10

What did the Parliament Act 1949 do?

Answer 10

Reduced the length of time the HoL can block a bill for to 1 year.

Question 11

Give an argument in favour of the HoL.

Answer 11

In Favour:
✔ Constitutional safeguard against majoritarian rule - apolitical.

✔ Life peers are experts in their field - meritocracy.

✔ Scrutinise bills - e.g. health bills receive medical expert scrutiny.

Question 12

Give an argument against the HoL.

Answer 12

Against:
❌ Unrepresentative (age/gender/BAME).

❌ Unaccountable

❌ ‘Loans for peerages’ scandal 2006 - PM can appoint anyone regardless of merit.

❌ Oligarchy - 92 hereditaries still remain.

Question 13

Give a strength of select committees.

Answer 13

Strengths:
✔ Elected by the whole house - opposition can be chairs - e.g. Yvette Cooper - Home Affairs committee.

✔ On average 40% of proposals are acknowledged by the gov. (Constitution Unit).

✔ Draw attention to issues - e.g. Work and Pensions Committee published report on the collapse of BHS in 2016 - owners of company were reported to the Pensions Regulator.

✔ Expert testimony - 2015/16 session HoL committees examined 43 bills line-by-line.

Question 14

Give a limitation of select committees.

Answer 14

Limitations:
❌ Limited powers of subpoena - Zuckerberg refused to appear before committee - gave evidence to US committee in same year.

❌ Often ignored - The Brown gov. made cannabis a class B drug regardless of expert testimony.

❌ Make up of commons is replicated - biased decisions. e.g. education committee 7/4 split con/lab.

Question 15

Give three types of Parliamentary committees.

Answer 15

Parliamentary committees:

• Select committees
• Domestic committees.
• House of Lords Committees.
• Departmental select committees

Question 16

Give an example of a domestic committee.

Answer 16

• Liaison committee - hears evidence from PM regarding public policy - 2016 questioned T. May regarding parliament’s role in Brexit negotiations.

Question 17

Give an example of a House of Lords committee.

Answer 17

• Scrutinise bills and gov. activity.

- 2015/16 session scrutinised 43 bills line-by-line.

Question 18

Give an example of a select committee.

Answer 18

Home affairs committee - chaired by Yvette Cooper - ‘standoff’ with immigration secretary Caroline Nokes regarding immigration figures.
Damaging to Nokes’ career - now chair of the Women and Equality Committee & MP for Romsey (extremely safe seat).

Question 19

Give three theories of parliamentary representation.

Answer 19

• Burkean trustee model.
• Delegate model
• Mandate theory.

Question 20

Give an example of the delegate model.

Answer 20

• Zac Goldsmith stepped down as CON MP for Richmond in 2016.
• Stood as an independent in the next by-election but was defeated.
• Voters may not respect adherence to MPs to the delegate model.

Question 21

Define the mandate theory.

Answer 21

• MPs are elected to carry out their manifesto promises.

- Voted for an MP are primarily party allegiance rather than personality.

Question 22

What is the trustee model?

Answer 22

Voters trust MPs to make the decision with their best interests in mind.