SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMON AND LORDS

Question 1

COMMONS

Answer 1

Supreme legislative power
Chamber proposes and passes laws, and can stop bills from being passed into law.
‘confidence and supply powers- the government only exists as long as it has the confidence of the Commons, and if defeated on a motion of confidence the government would step down, prompting a general election.
granting the government money through supporting legislation involving the supply of taxation

Question 2

LORDS?

Answer 2

Delay bills passed by the Commons by up to one year, but there are exceptions to this.
cannot delay ‘money bills’
bills which were specifically outlined in the governing party’s manifesto- this second type of bill is protected under the Salisbury Convention
veto powers - delaying a general election

Question 3

Commons more powerful than the Lords

Answer 3

Lords can only delay bills, and suggest amendments, which can then be overturned by the Commons —–2017 the Lords attempted to add amendments onto the passing of the Article 50 bill to trigger the exit from the EU which guaranteed EU citizens’ rights for those already living in the UK.
Commons can actually vote down legislation
Commons has vote of no confidence option
MPs are more independently-minded than in the past, so are less likely to toe the party line.
Commons is democratically legitimate - more right to challenge the government.

Question 4

The Lords to be powerful at challenging the government because

Answer 4

Party control is much weaker as Lords don’t need to be re-elected, so the government can’t rely even on their own party peers backing them
no one party dominates
More expertise/specialist knowledge- this means bills are potentially more carefully.
Government tends to dominate Commons, usually having a majority, meaning bills can be passed fairly easily
Peers are from a range of backgrounds, so represent different groups and interests in society- this gives them some legitimacy

Question 5

BACKBENCHERS

Answer 5

introduce Private Members’ Bills which may become laws
Ten Minute Rule Bills’ are an opportunity for backbenchers to voice an opinion on a subject or aspect of existing legislation. MPs make speeches of no more than ten minutes outlining their position.
carry out detailed scrutiny of government bills and policy, through working on public bill and select committees.
pose questions to government ministers during Question Time.
examine government actions through debates in the Commons.
write questions to ministers, who must provide a response.
parliamentary privilege- this grants legal immunities for MPs and peers to allow them to perform their duties without interference from outside of the House

Question 6

Backbenchers - not have a significant role in Parliament, because

Answer 6

Private Member’s Bills very rarely become law -
To scrutiny, government whips limit role of their backbenchers, limiting their independence and significance
When debating, there is a limited time available to discuss issues in detail, and debates often have little direct impact on legislation.
MPs could represent the people better- they are often elected with less than 50% of the vote in their constituencies, and the views of women and minority groups could be argued to be not properly represented