Parliament Facts

Question 1

How many MPs are there in the House of Commons and in what way do they represent the people?

Answer 1

650 and geographically.

Question 2

• What percentage of the MPs are male?
• What percentage of the MPs had private education?
• What is the average age of MPs compared to the national average?

Answer 2

• 68% are male
• 29% were privately educated
• They are 10 years older than the national average which is 40 (MPs are 50)

Question 3

How many peers are there in the House of Lords?

Answer 3

760 (Lords and Barons)

Question 4

What is the trustee model?

Answer 4

It is the idea that politicians are experts and should act in a way that they think is best rather than to do what the people want.

Question 5

What is parliamentary representation?

Answer 5

The idea that MPs should find a balance between the wants of their constituents, their party and themselves

Question 6

What is the process that a bill goes through in order to become law?

Answer 6

• 1st reading (both houses, amendments considered)
• 2nd reading (both houses, amendments considered)
• Committee stage (each clause deliberated)
• 3rd reading (both houses, amendments considered)
• Royal Assent

Question 7

What are 4 main roles of the House of Commons only?

Answer 7

• Granting popular consent to proposed legislation
• Refusing to approve legislation (veto)
• Provide geographical representation
• Redressing individual constituents grievances

Question 8

What are 3 main roles of the House of Lords only?

Answer 8

• Deliberating at length on important issues
• Provide expert advice on proposed legislation
• Delaying legislation for up to one year to force the government to reconsider it

Question 9

What are 5 functions of both houses?

Answer 9

• Deliberation
• Representation of the people’s interest
• Legislative scrutiny
• Legislation
• Making government accountable

Question 10

In what 3 ways can Private Member’s Bills be introduced?

Answer 10

• By a random ballot drawn every sitting Thursday
• ‘The 10 Minute Rules’ MPs are given 10 minutes to speak about their bill
• ‘Presentation’ MPs only formally give the title of their bill to the house

Question 11

Private Members Bills rarely succeed without ‘back hand help’ from the government, what are 2 examples of famous PMBs?

Answer 11

• Minimum wage

- Benefits claimants sanctions

Question 12

In what 4 main ways does Parliament scrutinise the government?

Answer 12

• Debates
• PMQs
• Voting
• Select Committee investigations

Question 13

What is a key function of the House of Commons that relates to taxation?

Answer 13

The House has to pass the ‘budget’ in order for taxation to continue.

Question 14

What does a Public Bill Committee do?

Answer 14

They scrutinise and debate every clause of a bill, take evidence for it, suggest amendments to it, they have great power.

Question 15

• How many members does a Select Committee have
• Who do they scrutinise?
• In what time do they have to reply to the committee?
• What percentage of the committees suggestions are acted on?

Answer 15

• 11 Members
• Scrutinising the PM and cabinet
• They must reply in 60 days
• Only 40% of suggestions are acted on

Question 16

In what way are members of select committees chosen and why do they have such limited power?

Answer 16

They are chosen by secret ballot, they have limited power as whitenesses have a right to silence.

Question 17

What was the purpose of the Lord Strathclyde review?

and what was its outcome?

Answer 17

It had the aim of reducing the power of the House of Lords by removing their veto power, it only actually increased the power of the executive.

Question 18

What is the job of the opposition?

Answer 18

To scrutinise the work of government and offer alternative solutions.

Question 19

• When was the Backbench Business Committee created?

- How often can it put forward a topic for debate?

Answer 19

• 2010

- One day per parliamentary week

Question 20

• What is an example of a Backbench Business Committee motion?
• Why does the BBBC have limited power
• What is an example of a failed BBBC motion?

Answer 20

• Release of documents in relation to the Hillsborough Disaster
• Because the government can simply ignore it
• Reducing the voting age to 16

Question 21

What event and when saw John Major call for a vote of no confidence?

Answer 21

A 1993 Conservative rebellion over the Maastricht Treaty, the vote of no confidence forced it through the House of Commons.

Question 22

What did the 1958 Life Peerages Act do?

Answer 22

Introduce women into the House of Lords.

Question 23

What did the 1911 and 1949 House of Lords Acts do?

Answer 23

Remove the veto powers of the House of Lords, in 1911 giving them only a 2 year delay, then in 1949 giving them a 1 year delay.

Question 24

What did the 1999 House of Lords Act do?

Answer 24

It reduced the number of peers from 1,330 to 760.

Question 25

What did the 2005 Constitutional Reform Act do to the House of Lords?

Answer 25

It removed the Law Lords, and created a new Supreme Court.

Question 26

What did the 2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act do?

Answer 26

It meant that general elections could be called no sooner than once every 5 years, unless they have the support of 2/3 of the House of Commons.

Question 27

What major convention did Cameron possibly create in 2015?

Answer 27

The convention of giving the prerogative powers to the House of Commons, where before it was by convention the power of the executive, by asking and then carrying out the negative result of a House vote on joining US-led airstrikes in Syria.

Question 28

What does the electorate do to the government, and what are the government to the electorate.

Answer 28

The electorate legitimise the government and the government is accountable to the electorate.

Question 29

• How much are MPs paid?

- How many people does each MP represent?

Answer 29

• £77,000 + expenses

- They represent between 60,000 and 80,000 people per year

Question 30

What is the wage of peers in the House of Lords?

Answer 30

They are not paid and work voluntarily.