Parliamentary Law Making

Question 1

What are some influences on Parliamentary law making (state the AO2)

Answer 1

• The governments’s program; the manifesto;King’s speech
• EU law (ie the Consumer Protection Act 1987)
• Events and media (ie Dunblane)
• Pressure groups and public opinion ( ie Disability Discrimination Act 1993)
• Commissions, enquires, law refrom (ie Police and Criminal Evidence Act PACE 1984; regulated policing after commission)

Question 2

What is a green paper?

Answer 2

• a consultive document with proposals for reform by the government but inviting parties to comment

Question 3

What is a white paper?

Answer 3

• the governments firm proposals for new law ( official document sent to Parliament, proposals from green paper transferred.

Question 4

What is a public bill?

Answer 4

• matters of a public policy affecting the whole country or much of it; majority of government bills

Question 5

What is a private bill?

Answer 5

• matters only affecting individual people or corporations (ie UCL Act 1996 were funding was taken away)

Question 6

What is a private member’s bill?

Answer 6

• sponsored by an individual MP; debate is limited

Question 7

Define the 10 minute rule bill.

Answer 7

-MPs make a speech for 10 minutes to introduce new legislation

Question 8

Define the House of Commons.

Answer 8

• the most powerful out of the two houses, 650 elected representatives.
• decides new law and tax; party with the most MPs run government

Question 9

Define the House Lords

Answer 9

• second chamber of Parliament
• 735 unelected representatives
• main role is to double check new proposed laws (ie Bills)
• cannot refuse a proposed law as powers are limited by the Parliamentary Act of 1911and 1949; can only delay for one year.

Question 10

What is the first reading consisted of?

Answer 10

Name and the main aims of the bill, MPs vote for the first time

Question 11

What is second reading consisted of?

Answer 11

Main debate on the bill, speaker controls debate, vote again

Question 12

What is the Committee Stage consisted of?

Answer 12

Detailed examination undertaken by the standing Committee of 16-50 MPs as well as specialists.
Amendments can be made.

Question 13

What is the Report Stage?

Answer 13

Standing committee reports back to the house of amendments.
If no amendments the bill is passed forward to the third reading.

Question 14

What does the Third Reading consist of?

Answer 14

Final chance for the MPs to debate.
House of Commons can’t suggest any new amendments.

Question 15

What happens in the House of Lords when a bill is passed?

Answer 15

Follows the same procedure; same as the HoC
If amendments are made it goes back to the HoL (ping pong effect)
Both houses HoL and HoC must agree on the exact wording of the bill.

Question 16

What does the Royal Assent consist of?

Answer 16

Monarch gives approval to the Bill.
Becomes an act of Parliament (law)
Monarch will only see the short title of the bill.