Parliamentary law making

Question 1

What is the house of commons?

Answer 1

• elected by the electorate
• general election every 5 years
• government formed by party that has majority
• has the main say in formulating new acts

Question 2

What is the house of lords?

Answer 2

• non-elected body
• there were 1,100 members (750 hereditary peers)
• almost all hereditary peers removed
• 640 life peers, 26 lord spirituals an 92 hereditary.
• there were 12 lords but were made justices of supreme court.

Question 3

What is a green paper?

Answer 3

• may be issued by minister with responsibility for that matter.
• consultative document with outlines for reform
• full consideration of all views
• necessary changes to govs proposals.

Question 4

What is a white paper?

Answer 4

• firm proposals for new law
• limited opportunity for comments on proposals

Question 5

What are the different types of bills?

Answer 5

• Public bill
• Private members bill
• Private bill

Question 6

What is a public bill?

Answer 6

• involve matters of public policy
• affects either the whole country or a large part of it
• legal services act, legal aid and sentencing and punishment of others act and criminal justice and courts act

Question 7

What is a private members bill?

Answer 7

• another form of public bill
• introduced by individual MPs (not part of the government)
• Abortion act, marriage act and household waste recycling act

Question 8

What is a private bill?

Answer 8

• only affect certain people or corporations
• often promoted by organisations to give them powers beyond or in conflict with the law
• Faversham oyster fishery company bill

Question 9

What is the role of the house of commons?

Answer 9

• if they vote against a bill that is the end of the bill.
• will be debates on issues of policy behind the law as well as specific details
• likely that policies supported by government will become law

Question 10

What is the role of the house of lords?

Answer 10

• members can vote against proposed changes to law.
• parliament act 1911 and 1949 restrict powers allowing a bill to become law even if they reject it.
• function is to refine and add to law
• 4 times where bypass has been used (war crimes act, european parliamentary elections act, sexual offences act and hunting act)

Question 11

What is the legislative process?

Answer 11

• First reading
• Second reading
• Committee stage
• Report stage
• Third reading
• Other house
• Royal ascent

Question 12

What is the first reading?

Answer 12

• formality
• name and main aims read
• no discussion or vote

Question 13

What is the second reading?

Answer 13

• main debate
• vote is taken (leave the chamber and walk through one of two doors, ‘tellers’ count those walking through their door)
• must be a majority in favour for the bill to progress even further

Question 14

What is the committee stage?

Answer 14

• detailed examination of each clause
• committee of 16-50 mps each with special interest or knowledge of the subject
• amendments proposed and voted on

Question 15

What is the report stage?

Answer 15

• committee reports back to the house
• amendments debated and accepted or rejected by vote
• further amendments can be made

Question 16

What is the third reading?

Answer 16

• final vote
• almost a formality
• unlikely to fail if reached this stage
• will only be further debate if at least 6 MPs request it

Question 17

What is the other house?

Answer 17

• same process repeats in the other house
• they send it back with any amendments
• if they are not accepted it will be sent back
• this can ‘ping pong’ until agreed
• house of commons can push the bill through despite house of lords disagreement

Question 18

What is the royal ascent?

Answer 18

• monarch gives formal approval
• becomes act of parliament
• formality
• they are only given the short title

Question 19

Advantages of the legislative process

Answer 19

• democratic authority (ensures those elected have more powers than those not elected)
• consultation, debate and scrutiny (final quality of the product is improved)
• full reform (have the power to reform whole areas of law making them easier to find)
• broad policy (give powers to others to make detailed rules allowing greater detail in the law)

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of the legislative process?

Answer 20

• too lengthy (can take several months or even years, doesn’t mean cant pass emergency legislation)
• too many amendments (final act not as clear or comprehensive as it might have been)
• political manipulation (make amendments in the interest of their party, align with political stance of party so anyone not voting for them ignored)
• complexity (long and complex making them hard to understand)