Parliament

Question 1

function of parliament

Answer 1

• representation
• create law
• debate
• accountability
• Provision of ministers

Question 2

what each element of parliament is

Answer 2

• monarch
• House of Commons
• House of Lords

Question 3

Function of Monarch

Answer 3

• Largely ceremonial
• Approve a law so it becomes an act & law

Question 4

Function House of Commons

Answer 4

• Make debate & scrutinise
• provision of ministers - i.e Rachel Reeves chancellor of exchequer
• represent constituents

Question 5

House of Lords

Answer 5

• provision of ministers (November 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed former prime minister David Cameron as foreign secretary.)
• Make + debate + scrutinise
• delay legislation

Question 6

HOL Membership selection

Answer 6

• Hereditary peers (inherit peerage) (88 as of 2025)
• Life Peers (appointed by the Crown, it is the Prime Minister who nominates them + convention for leader of opposition + other parties can propose some) - ^87 as of 2025
• Bishops (24)

Question 7

Current Controversies of HOL

Answer 7

• House of Lords during the last parliament have given a combined £109m in political donations, almost £50m of which was contributed before they secured their seats & 62% of which went to Conservatives (9.3.25)
• size - approx 700 members 2000, approx 800 members 2022
• cronyism - On 13 November 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed former prime minister David Cameron as foreign secretary. Following this announcement, he joined the House of Lords as Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton.

Question 8

Parliament Act 1911

Answer 8

• Removed Lords veto power
• delay 2 yrs

Question 9

Parliament Act 1949

Answer 9

• reduce Lords delay power to 1 yr
• cannot ammend money bills and money bills must receive royal assent within 1 month of being intro. HoL even if not passed in HoL

Question 10

House of Lords Act 1999

Answer 10

allowed 92 hereditary peers to remain (reduce hereditary peers)

Question 11

Impact HoL Act 99

Answer 11

• removal of hereditary peers
• end of traditional dominance of tories
• more crossbenchers

Question 12

Impact HoL Act 99 - Removal of hereditary peers

Answer 12

• ^ HoL sense of legitimacy
• not democratically appointed by appointed by democratic leaders
• more likely to challenge gov + break Salisbury convention
• Thatcher 156 Defeats in 11 yrs
• Cameron 2015-17 92 defeats
• Con 2019-24 410 defeats in 5 yrs

Question 13

Impact HoL Act 99 - End traditional dominance of conservative

Answer 13

• pre-reform 1999 -> 40% of peers conservative approx 34% as of 9.03.25