Parliamentary Law Making

Question 1

What are the three components of Parliament?

Answer 1

The House of Commons, the House of Lords and the King

Question 2

How are members of the House of Commons chosen?

Answer 2

They are elected by the public

The country is divided into constituencies, each returning one MP

Question 3

What types of members make up the House of Lords?

Answer 3

Hereditary peers, life peers, and bishops of the Church of England

Question 4

What role does the King play in the legislative process?

Answer 4

The King must give assent before a law can become an Act of Parliament

This assent is considered a mere formality.

Question 5

What is the legislative power of the UK Parliament?

Answer 5

It considers proposed legislation for the whole of the United Kingdom and specific legislation for England

Laws must be passed by both Houses and assented to by the King.

Question 6

What powers have been devolved from the Westminster Parliament?

Answer 6

Scotland and Wales have their own elected Parliaments, and Northern Ireland has its own Assembly

These bodies make laws relevant to their respective regions.

Question 7

Fill in the blank: Members of the House of Lords are either hereditary peers or those who are _______.

Answer 7

appointed for life

This appointment is often due to skills or contributions to society.

Question 8

What are the two stages involved in the pre-legislative process?

Answer 8

A green paper and a white paper.

Question 9

What is a Green Paper?

Answer 9

A Green Paper is a consultation document issued by the government when it is unsure about the details of a law it wishes to introduce.

Question 10

What is the purpose of a Green Paper?

Answer 10

To invite interested parties to send comments to the government department for consideration in the proposed law.

Question 11

What follows the Green Paper consultation?

Answer 11

The government publishes a White Paper with its firm proposals for new law.

Question 12

What is a White Paper?

Answer 12

A White Paper is issued by the government when it has firm views on a topic, sometimes without prior consultation.

Question 13

Why is consultation before framing a new law considered valuable?

Answer 13

It allows time for mature consideration and helps avoid rushed laws that may be unworkable.

Question 14

What is a Bill?

Answer 14

A Bill is a proposed law introduced into Parliament, drafted by Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury.

Question 15

Who drafts a Bill?

Answer 15

Lawyers in the civil service known as Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury.

Question 16

What must a Bill represent?

Answer 16

The proposer’s wishes while using correct legal wording to avoid future difficulties.

Question 17

What must a Bill be in terms of language?

Answer 17

Unambiguous, precise, and comprehensive.

Question 18

What happens to a Bill if it successfully completes all necessary stages in Parliament?

Answer 18

It becomes an Act of Parliament.

Question 19

What does the government do when introducing a Bill into Parliament?

Answer 19

Sets out a timetable and prioritizes their Bills over all other business.

Question 20

What are Public Bills?

Answer 20

Public Bills are the most frequent type of bill, usually involving matters of public policy that affect the whole country or a large section of it.

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005
The Equality Act 2010.

Question 21

Can a Private Members’ Bill be a Public Bill?

Answer 21

Yes, a Private Members’ Bill can be a Public Bill if it affects the whole population.

The Abortion Act 1967.

Question 22

What are Private Bills?

Answer 22

Private Bills are designed to pass a law that affects only individual people or corporations, not the whole country.

The University College London Act 1996.

Question 23

What are Private Members’ Bills?

Answer 23

Private Members’ Bills are introduced and sponsored by individual MPs, with limited time for debate.

Only the first six or seven members in the ballot have a realistic chance of introducing a Bill.

Question 24

What are some examples of important laws passed as Private Members’ Bills?

Answer 24

Important laws passed include the Abortion Act 1967 and the Marriage Act 1994.

Question 25

Can members of the House of Lords introduce Private Members’ Bills?

Answer 25

Yes, a rarer form of Private Members’ Bills can be introduced by a member of the House of Lords.

Question 26

What is the legislative process?

Answer 26

The legislative process is the procedure a Bill must go through to become an Act of Parliament, usually involving approval by both Houses of Parliament.

Question 27

What is the first stage of the legislative process?

Answer 27

The first reading is a formal procedure where the name and main aims of the Bill are read out, with usually no discussion or vote.

Question 28

What occurs during the second reading?

Answer 28

The second reading is the main debate of the whole Bill, focusing on the main principles rather than finer details.

Question 29

What is the Committee Stage?

Answer 29

The Committee Stage allows for detailed scrutiny of the Bill, involving examination of each clause and line.

Question 30

How does the Committee Stage differ in the Commons and the Lords?

Answer 30

In the Commons, a committee of 16-50 MPs examines the Bill, while in the Lords, the whole House participates and any peer can contribute.

Question 31

What happens during the Report Stage?

Answer 31

The Committee reports back any additions or amendments made. If there are no amendments, there will be no report stage.

Question 32

What happens during the Third Reading?

Answer 32

Amendments will be debated by the House and then either accepted or rejected. Further amendments can also be added.

Question 33

What is the significance of the final vote on the Bill?

Answer 33

This is the final vote on the Bill and is the same in both Houses. The Bill is unlikely to fail at this stage if it has passed through all the other stages.

Question 34

What is the process after a Bill passes the House of Commons?

Answer 34

The Bill then passes to the other House for consideration, repeating all the stages it went through in the first House.

Question 35

What happens if the other House makes changes to the Bill?

Answer 35

If the other House makes changes, the Bill returns to the original House where the changes will be considered. The Bill will move between the Houses until both Houses are happy with it, known as ‘ping-pong.’

Question 36

What do the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 limit?

Answer 36

They limit the power of the House of Lords to reject a Bill, allowing a Bill to become law even if rejected, provided it is reintroduced in the House of Commons in the next session.

Question 37

2 Advantages of the legislative process

Answer 37

The law is democratic - made by elected representatives
Lengthy discussion process

Question 38

2 Disadvantages of the legislative process

Answer 38

Lengthy process- can take several months
Parliamentary Sovereignty- supremacy over other government institutions