the legislative process

Question 1

what is a private bill?

Answer 1

if a local authority or church etc wants to take some action that the law currently forbids it from doing, they can apply for a private bill, which will allow it to pass

Question 2

who are private bills considered by?

Answer 2

committees

Question 3

what are private member bills?

Answer 3

presented by a group of MPs or peers

Question 4

how do private member bills work?

Answer 4

• MPs enter their names in for the ballot
• 20 names are drawn
• they are guaranteed at least one reading

Question 5

what is a downside of private member bills?

Answer 5

they have little chance of being turned into a bill as it is difficult to ask MPs to turn up for a debate, and there is a quorum (minimum number needed for the bill to progress)

Question 6

what are public bills?

Answer 6

• presented by government and are expected to pass without too much obstruction
• up to a year before they are announced, they are preceded by a white paper
• during the white paper stage, any potential problems are identified and sometimes the bill is dropped if there are serious concerns

Question 7

white paper

Answer 7

a document outlining the main intentions of a public bill. it is presented to parliament for up to a year before it is converted into the bill, an any problems are identified

Question 8

the legislative process

Answer 8

first reading
second reading
committee stage
report stage
third reading
the house of lords stage
royal assent

Question 9

first reading

Answer 9

formal introduction of the bill, a vote is done to enter it into the legislative process

Question 10

second reading

Answer 10

the proposer of the bill has to present more details and be subject to questions
a vote is then taken

many private members bills don’t go further than this

Question 11

committee stage

Answer 11

the bill passes to a public bill committee, where the bill is debated and amendments are made to make the meaning clearer

Question 12

report stage

Answer 12

the public bill committee reports back to the HOC and the whole chamber votes on the proposed amendments. after this is done, the bill is ready for final approval

Question 13

third reading

Answer 13

the final version of the bill is presented and debated in the HOC, followed by a vote by the whole chamber

if successful, it is passed to the HOL, if unsuccessful, it may return to the committee stage or be dropped entirely

Question 14

the house of lords stage

Answer 14

the bill is introduced to the house of lords as a first reading then it continues through the whole process in the same way it did in the commons

if they do decide to amend legislation, for approval or rejection and can be sent back and fourth between the two houses

after all this, the lords vote and approves the final text

Question 15

parliamentary ping pong

Answer 15

during the HOL stage, when the bill is passed back and fourth between the 2 chambers

Question 16

royal assent

Answer 16

once both chambers of parliament have passed the bill, it is sent to the monarch, where it is signed into law

Question 17

when was the last time a monarch has refused to sign a bill into law?

Answer 17

1708 by Queen Anne

Question 18

what is parliamentary privilege?

Answer 18

the right of MPs or lords to make certain statements within parliament without being subject to outside influence.
this gives them freedom of speech

members of parliament no longer fear being arrested if their words were seen to be threatening to the monarch or state

Question 19

list 3 roles of backbenchers

Answer 19

• take part in debates on legislation
• scruitinise proposed legislation during the committee stage
• hold regular surgeries so constituents can raise issues with them in person

Question 20

how significant are MPs in Parliament? (3 arguments saying they are not)

Answer 20

• backbench MPs are powerless compared to front benchers, they have little to no influence on legislation
• parliamentary debates have low attendance, meaning MPs lack interest in public policy
• parliament has very long recesses, meaning the executive can work unchecked for long periods of time

Question 21

how significant are MPs in Parliament? (1 argument saying they are)

Answer 21

• if the MPs are under a minority government, and they disagree with the PM, it will make passing legislation very difficult, as whips need to offer incentives etc, Theresa May struggled in 2017 with Brexit

Question 22

how did Mhairi Black have a significant role in UK parliament?

Answer 22

she made an instant impact, as she specialised in issues concerning welfare and inequality, and she was a prominent spokesperson for LGBTQ+, thanks to her work, she moved to be a frontbench MP for the SNP in 2019

Question 23

4 reasons MPs vote with the party whip

Answer 23

1. they agree with gov policy
2. they have loyalty to the party
3. there is the promise of reward, like promotion (backbench MPs being promoted to front bench)
4. threat of punishment (need to resign or being sacked)

Question 24

when has a vote of no confidence been successful?

Answer 24

Jim Callaghan: HOC called a vote of no confidence and defeated him, which lead to Margaret Thatcher winning general election