Scrutiny In Parliament

Question 1

What is question time?

Answer 1

. Question time or PM questions is an event held in parliament every so often where MPs can question and scrutinise the government and its many ministers
. The most high profile event is PMs questions which is held every Wednesday

Question 2

What are select committees?

Answer 2

. A select committee is essentially a group of 11 backbench MPs who scrutinise the policy, administration and expenditure of government departments.
. Departmental Select Committees were created in 1979

Question 3

What are the 4 methods in which the government can be scrutinised?

Answer 3

. Question time
. The opposition vs the government in the Commons
. Debates in parliament
. Select Committees

Question 4

What are the advantages and disadvantages to Select Committees?

Answer 4

Advantages:
. The government is more open to the public via Select Committees, if the public gets involved in a matter which they do not like this can encourage the government to change a policy, issue etc.
. Is less Partisan meaning it’s less likely to favour a select group or individual

Disadvantages:
. Does not have the power to make civil servants or ministers talk and give information meaning they can be uses less at times as they don’t have the information to act with meaning the government isn’t properly scrutinised
. They ultimately have a small budget and resources meaning they can’t scrutinise the government as effectively as they might want to

Question 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages to question time?

Answer 5

Advantages:
. Allows the government and its leader to be questioned on key issues that currently stand therefore directly scrutinising the government

Disadvantages:
. The debates themselves often turn into a slanging match between the two major parties, the speaker tries with great difficulty to restore order, because of this few questions are actually asked
. Under Tony Blair the length of question time and PMs questions was reduced/ instead of 2 15 minute sessions a week this was replaced by 1 30 minute session a week, this therefore means that not every MP who has a question can put it forward due to the event not being spread out over the week
. Under tony Blair