The Structure And Role Of Parliament: Scrutiny Of The Executive

Question 1

What is the role of the legislative scrutinising or checking the government known as?

Answer 1

Scrutiny of the executive

Question 2

What is the main ways that parliament performs the role of scrutinise the executive?

Answer 2

Debates in the chamber, parliamentary question and parliamentary committees (standing and select)

Question 3

What can parliamentary debates offer the chance to happen?

Answer 3

MPs the opportunity to raise their concerns and opinions, and on occasion can force the government to change its mind

Question 4

What is parliamentary privilege?

Answer 4

Freedom of speech in parliament and the right go both Houses to regulate their own affairs, dates back to the Bill of Rights in 1689, also puts parliamentary debates into public domain meaning news outlets an use report on them freely without the threat of prosecution

Question 5

What is an example of parliamentary privilege being used?

Answer 5

In 2018 Lord Peter Hair broke an interim injunction gained by the Court of Appeal ton name business person Sir Philip Green as the person who had the injection prevention the Daily Telegraph from publishing allegation of sexual and racial harassment that had been against Green

Question 5

What is an example of parliamentary privilege being used?

Answer 5

In 2018 Lord Peter Hair broke an interim injunction gained by the Court of Appeal ton name business person Sir Philip Green as the person who had the injection prevention the Daily Telegraph from publishing allegation of sexual and racial harassment that had been against Green

Question 6

What is an example of parliamentary privilege being used?

Answer 6

In 2018 Lord Peter Hair broke an interim injunction gained by the Court of Appeal ton name business person Sir Philip Green as the person who had the injection prevention the Daily Telegraph from publishing allegation of sexual and racial harassment that had been against Green

Question 7

What is an example of parliamentary privilege being used?

Answer 7

In 2018 Lord Peter Hair broke an interim injunction gained by the Court of Appeal ton name business person Sir Philip Green as the person who had the injection prevention the Daily Telegraph from publishing allegation of sexual and racial harassment that had been against Green

Question 8

What is an emergency debate?

Answer 8

A debate, called by an MP at the speaker’s discretion, and must be ‘specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration’

Question 9

How many emergency debates were called in the 2017-2019 session of parliament?

Answer 9

22, with many being highly political and partisan, like Brexit and universal credit, with less being non-partisan like the debate on the contained blood scandal called by Labour MP Diana Johnson in July 2017

Question 10

What was set up in 2010, after being first proposed a year early by the Wright Committee, that gives MPs more opportunities to shape Commons business?

Answer 10

The Backbench Business Committee, which decides the topic for debate on the floor of the Commons and Westminster Hall for roughy 1 day a week

Question 11

How many days are Westminster Hall held for?

Answer 11

4 days a week

Question 12

How does Westminster Hall debates work and what’s some examples of its debates?

Answer 12

MPs apply for a debate and all debates are then allocated by a ballot by the Speaker’s Office, any MPs may attend, there are no votes but the opportunity to raise matters of concern not least those relating to their local area, for example on the 12th February 2020, Cumbria MO and former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron raised the topic of support for hill farmers, while Mansfield MP Ben Bradley led a debate on education and attainment of white working-class boys

Question 13

What discussion are Mondays reserved for in parliament?

Answer 13

Discussions of petitions and e-petitions,

Question 14

What is an example of an e-petiton being debated?

Answer 14

In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, one petition that garnered nearly 700,000 digital signatures requested that the self-employed received statutory sick pay, which was raised by the government

Question 15

Why do many feel like debating with many MPs is pointless?

Answer 15

Because many have made their mind or have being intercede how to vote

Question 16

Why does many feel like debating is pointless with a majority government?

Answer 16

Because the majority government is usually guaranteed to win most Common votes

Question 17

why does Westminster Hall debates have little impact?

Answer 17

Because of the poor attendance and little impact over government

Question 18

How are finance and money bills scrutinised?

Answer 18

They are poorly scrutinised or debated, with a Democratic Audit report on 2018 commenting that ‘Finance debates on the floor of the House are simply general political talk-fest for the government and opposition’

Question 19

What is vote on the budget effectively seen as by many?

Answer 19

A confidence vote

Question 20

Though Lord’s debates are normally high-quality why is their power limited?

Answer 20

They have limited effects on the government

Question 21

What is one of the most high-profile way of calling the government to account through parliament?

Answer 21

Through parliamentary questions

Question 22

During the parliamentary year 2017-2018 how many questioned were asked with how many written?

Answer 22

55,000 question asked, of which 50,000 were written, representing a 42% increase over the previous years suggesting a growing trend of MPs interrogating the government

Question 23

What is the biggest spectacle for questing the government in parliament?

Answer 23

Prime Minster’s Question Time (PMQs)

Question 24

What are ‘pasty’ questions?

Answer 24

Questions in PMQs by backbench MPs to make the government, Prime Minster or Ministers in the best possible light

Question 25

What can the opposition do in PMQs?

Answer 25

Attack the government, while making themselves look good at the same time

Question 26

What do many people call the politics that occurs in PMQs?

Answer 26

‘Punch and Judy’ politics

Question 27

How many urgent questions were granted by the speaker in the 2017 session of parliament?

Answer 27

114

Question 28

What are the 3 main types of parliamentary committees which play a part in scrutinising the government?

Answer 28

Public bill committees
Select committees
Lords committees

Question 29

What are public bill committees?

Answer 29

These are committees that go through legislation line by lien and can make changes to the bill, these are also called standing committees

Question 30

How long does a public bill committee last and what’s the effect of that?

Answer 30

They are temporary as jeu only last for the lifetime of the bill, therefore lack the continuity and accumulated wisdom of the permanent departmental select committees

Question 31

How many are normally on the public bill committee?

Answer 31

Between 16 and 20

Question 32

What did a 2013 report by the UCL Constitution Unit say about the effectiveness of bill committees?

Answer 32

‘Parliamentary scrutiny of bills is arguably where the House of Commons is at its weakest - and the committee stage is central to that weakness’

Question 33

What do select committees do?

Answer 33

They check the government and public bodies are doing their job properly and spending taxpayers money efficiently

Question 34

How do select committees scrutinise?

Answer 34

they do this by launching investigations, calling witness, and publishing reports with their findings and key recommendations and scrutinising draft bills venire they are morally debated in parliament

Question 35

What is the oldest and arguably most important committee and what is its role?

Answer 35

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which dates back to 1857, with its tole is to have an overview of how efficiently government spends money, often launching inquiries unto major government projects like HS2 and university technical college (UTCs)

Question 36

What is every government department ‘shadowed’ by, after a extensive select committee expansion in 1979?

Answer 36

By a select committee

Question 37

How many select committees were there in 2020?

Answer 37

28, with most directly corresponding to government departments

Question 38

How many members are normally on a select committee?

Answer 38

11

Question 39

Since 2010, how have select committee chair been elected?

Answer 39

By a secret ballot of all MPs at the sty of each parliamentary session

Question 40

What is the aim of any select committee?

Answer 40

To achieve consensus and unanimity among all its members, not least so reports have the most impact

Question 41

What is an example of, though select committee having a majority party majority, the committee going against the government?

Answer 41

In September 2020, the Treasury Select Committee urged the government to consider extending the Coif-19 furlough scheme, a policy advocated by Labour

Question 42

Why do MPs in select committees often develop specialist knowledge than those government minister?

Answer 42

The MPs sit on the select committee for lengthy periods of time while government ministers are normally a brief period of time

Question 43

What had select committee chairs enjoyed since 2003?

Answer 43

Chairs have been paid an additional salary and have enjoyed a high media profile

Question 44

What have select committee had since 2007?

Answer 44

The ability to review major ministerial appointments of those heading quasi-government agencies

Question 45

Up to 2017, out of 59 hearing how many ministerial appointments of those heading quasi-governments agencies have been rejected?

Answer 45

13 times

Question 46

How many reports have select committees produced in the 2017-2019 parliamentary sessions?

Answer 46

267 reports

Question 47

How many days does the government have to formally reposted to select committee reports?

Answer 47

60 days

Question 48

What percentage of select committee suggestions does the government accept?

Answer 48

Around 40%

Question 49

Which committee consists of all select committee chairs and questions the prime minister on policy matters around 3 times a year?

Answer 49

The Commons Liaison Committee

Question 50

What does the Civil Service Code make clear about accountability?

Answer 50

That civil servants are accountable to minister who in turn are accountable to parliament, so when civil servants give evidence to a select committee they are doing so as a representative of their ministers

Question 51

What are the rules called for the scenario where civil servants are summoned to hearings?

Answer 51

The Osmotherly rules

Question 52

What are some of the rules for civil servants when giving evidence and accountability when giving evidence at a select committee hearing?

Answer 52

Not to give personal views, and can refrain from giving evidence on the grounds of national security and though are not personally accountable they cannot shift nay blame back upwards to ministers

Question 53

What are Lords committees?

Answer 53

Though probably the least significant of the 3 committees, they investigate specialist subjects, taking particular advantage of the Lords’ breadth of expert unties across a wide variety of areas

Question 54

What are the six main permanent Lords committees?

Answer 54

European Union Committee
Science and Technology Committee
Communications Committee
Constitution Committee
Economic Affairs Committee
International Relations Committee

Question 55

What are most Lord committees?

Answer 55

Short-term ad hoc committees set up to deal with specific concerns

Question 56

Typically how many special inquiry committees does Lords committees have each year and who do peers propose these special inquires committees to?

Answer 56

Around 4 a year and put to the Lords Liaison committee

Question 57

How many members do Lords committees normally comprise of?

Answer 57

12 member, with the government not having a majority on them, repressing the party representation in the Lords

Question 58

What is an example of the parliamentary committees?

Answer 58

The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, originally set up by the Intelligence Services Act 1994, which oversees the British intelligence community including MI5, MI6 and GCHQ