Parliament Flashcards
How many members are in the House of Commons
650
How many member constituencies
Single member
What are front benchers
Ministers
What are back benchers
MPs who have no ministers or shadow ministerial posts
What is the fixed parliament act
Set the period between general elections to be five years
How introduced legislation to restore the PMs right to call a general election
Boris Johnson
When was the fixed term parliament act
2011
What is prorogation
The end of a parliamentary session
What was the MP salary for 2020
£82,000
Who regulates MP salary
Independent parliamentary salaries authority
When was the MP expenses scandal
2009
What is the MP expenses scandal
MPs had to repay wrongfully claimed expenses and four MPs were imprisoned
What is parliamentary privilege
The legal immunity of the HoL and HoC ensuring that can carry out parliamentary duties without interference
What dies parliamentary privilege include
Freedom of speech and exclusive cognisance
What are the roles of whips
- Ensure MPs attend parliamentary divisions
- Issuing introduction on how MPs should vote
- Enforcing discipline within parliamentary party
What is a three-line whip
A strict instruction to attend and vote
What is the role of the HoC speaker
Presides over debates in the chamber and select MPs to speak
What political party does the speaker belong to
Politically neutral
Is the HoL elected or unelected
Unelected
Do the HoL receive a salary
No but they can claim attendance allowance
What categories is the HoL split into
- Hereditary peers
- Life peers
- Lords spiritual
How many hereditary peers were present pre-1999
750
How many hereditary peers did the HoL act 1999 remove
All but 92
When was the life peerages act
1958
What was the life peerages act
Allowed the PM to appoint members to the HoL for life
How many life peers are in the HoL
674
Which party has overall majority in the HoL
No party has majority
What did the HoL act 2014 allow peers to do
Resign voluntarily
