scrutiny

Question 1

what are departmental select committees

Answer 1

committes that were created in 1979 that are dedicated to overseeing the work of the specific daprtment’s expendature ond policy as well as scrutinising public bodies related to the department

Question 2

example of departmental committee scrutiny

Answer 2

in 2020 the education select committee would have scrutinised the a lelvle algorithm and ofqual for signing off on it

Question 3

what functions of scrutiny do select committee’s hold

Answer 3

power to

• conduct inquiries into policies
• conduct pre-legislative scrutiny
• scurtinise the departments nominations for public office

ALL OF THESE HOWEVER ARE ADVISORY

Question 4

example of nomination to public office

Answer 4

2016 amanda speilman was nominated to be head of oftead.

education select committee didn’t agree but she was appointed anyway

Question 5

what does the split of the memebers in select committes have to represent

Answer 5

the split of the parties in the commons

Question 6

how are select committee members selected

Answer 6

in 2010 through the reccomendation of the wright committee memebrs are not voted on by MP’s in the commons and the chair is elected through secret ballot

Question 7

what is the role of the public accounts committee

Answer 7

dont focus on policies but focus on checking that money is being spend effectivley in departments and the chair is always a member of the opposittion

Question 8

what is the joint liason committee

Answer 8

all chairs of departmental slect committees sit on one committee and question the PM 2x a year

very effective scrutiny during covid

Question 9

how do committees inthe lords differ to the commons

Answer 9

arent focused on shadowing a department but are focued on particular areas of policy

Question 10

how many permenant lords committees are there?

Answer 10

6 based on things from the constiution committe to the economic affairs committe

Question 11

what happens when something doesnt fit into one of the 6 lords committes

Answer 11

ad hoc or temorary committs are set up and sibanded after a report has been published

ex in 2017 a ad hoc committe was set up to understadn artifical intelligence

Question 12

how many urget debates did bercow allow

Answer 12

significantly increased the use of urgent questions allowing 159 which increases scrutiny onthe governemnt

Question 13

how are question times important for scruity

Answer 13

despite some questions being submitted 3 days before and the minister has had time to prepare 25% of the time is tabled for topical questions where Mps can ask questions about current events that arent prepared

and MPs whos questions are picked cna ask 1 supplimentary supreise question

Question 14

why is PMQS considered effective scrutiny?

Answer 14

leader of the oppsotion is allowed 6 suplimetnary questions to be asked to the PM without preparation

its bery unique in a democracy to have the opportunity to directly scrutnise your leader

Question 15

why is PMQ unaffective scruinty

Answer 15

more about partisan point scoring where memebers of the party ask questions tat display the leader in a good light to bet further up the party

qesutions are sbumitted before and ministers and civil srevetns wont tirelessley to make an answer up for leader

more political theature

Question 16

how can the lords question parliament

Answer 16

lords reserve 30 mins at the end of each day for 4 oral questions with the key difference that the questions put to the government as a whole rather than a specific department

ministers are required to go and aswer

ballot urgent questions are also used

Question 17

what are public bill committees

Answer 17

the committees were given their new title after reforms were passed to allow them to begin taking oral and written evidence from outside experts while scrutinising bills. This arguably leads to more informed scrutiny and improved legislation.

Question 18

what limits the effectivness of public bill committees

Answer 18

they arent elected like select committes but rther chosen by whips so less likely to provide scrutiny

Question 19

example of select committee being ignored

Answer 19

foreing affris committee advised against intervention into syria but were ignored

Question 20

how many backbench days

Answer 20

35

Question 21

how many oppsotion days

Answer 21

20

Question 22

opposition day succsess

Answer 22

• only 1x in 1978 has opposition day been effective. Which was in 2008 over the Gurkha campaign condemning gordon brown’s refusal to grant gurkah’s residency in the UK

Question 23

how can the opposition hold the government to account?

Answer 23

• shadow ministers expect to expose mistakes of the opposite member of government
• if the government has a small majority then the oppsoiton can work together with the lords to delay and oppose legsialtion