The UK Parliament

Question 1

Functions of parliament

Answer 1

• making legislation
• scrutinising the executive
• sustaining government
• representation
• financial scrutiny
• redress of grievances
• debating major issues

Question 2

What does making legislation include?

Answer 2

• the biggest focus in a new government
• passing through a lengthy process in the HOC and HOL before reaching the statute book
• members given an opportunity to debate the principles of the bill, and details of the legislation
• opportunity for MPs to table amendments to get concessions from government
• delegated legislation does not have to pass through rigorous process, but orders laid before MPs

Question 3

What does scrutinising the executive include?

Answer 3

• scrutiny by questions to ministers, PMQs, opposition days (when opposition decide what is discussed in the Commons for the day)
• necessary when government has significant majority

Question 4

What does sustaining government include?

Answer 4

• ensuring that the government can govern due to having a majority of the seats in the Commons, and the ability to legislate through giving party MPs the whip
• the recruitment and training of ministers in junior roles of opposition to create the future ministers and cabinet members

Question 5

What does representation in parliament include?

Answer 5

• political parties attempt to represent the people who elect them and reflect their views
• individual MPs attempt to represent the people in their constituency
• MPs are held accountable for representation of their constituents
• discussion about how representative parliament is overleaf

Question 6

What does financial scrutiny include?

Answer 6

• scrutiny of public spending
• the Budget (annual finance bill) has to be passed in order for taxation and spending to continue
• many parliamentary committees oversee matters such as government spending
• parliament have on-going control of public finances

Question 7

What does redress of grievances include?

Answer 7

• one of the earliest purposes of the Commons to hear problems of the people
• citizens can go to parliament and lobby their MP about a particular issue that concerns them
• some MPs take up these causes and try to persuade government to change the law based on them using procedure of private members’ legislation

Question 8

What does debating major issues include?

Answer 8

• the discussion of major issues
• when parliament is the focus of the nation’s attention during emergency
• if crisis emerges during parliamentary recess, members may demand parliament to be recalled for debate

Question 9

selecting members for the House of Lords

Answer 9

• no maximum number
• PM can nominate
• hereditary peers: family- inherited title who have been lords throughout history
• life peers: chosen by the PM to be a lord
• lord spiritual: bishop or archbishop in the Church of England

Question 10

House of Lords Reform

Answer 10

1909- ‘people’s budget’ by Chancellor George was damaging to upper classes so HOL voted against it, but Lords cannot vote against Salisbury Convention (1946)
1911 Parliament Act- power to veto replaced by 2 year delay
1949 Parliament Act- power to delay 2 years reduced to 1 year
1958 Parliament Act- introduced life peers
1999 HOL Reform- removed majority of hereditary peers to 92
2014 HOL Reform Act- Lords could be removed if they had a prison sentence, disqualified for poor attendance, could resign or retire
2015 HOL (explusion and suspension) Act- House could expel/ suspend members
2015 Lords Spiritual (women) Act- female church of england bishops could become lord spirituals
2017 Burns Report- recommended reducing number of Lords to 600 through two-out one-in approach to appointing members

Question 11

Roles of HOL members

Answer 11

• debate legislation sent from the Commons
• initiate legislation
• delay legislation
  hold general debates
• lords with more experience and expertise than the commons, and don’t represent anyone
• lords are not elected so are said to lack legitimacy