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Politics Unit 2 > Topic 2 Parliament > Flashcards

Topic 2 Parliament Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 6 features of the Hoc?

A

650 MPs- constituency
Frontbench and backbench MPs
Select committees
Legislative committees
Party whips
Speaker

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2
Q

Who makes up the frontbench MPs?

A

Gov ministers, leading spokespersons from opposition parties

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3
Q

How many frontbench MPs are there?

A

About 150

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4
Q

How many backbench MPs are there?

A

About 500

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5
Q

Who are members of select committees?

A

Backbench MPs

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6
Q

What are select committees?

A

Permanent committees with various roles

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7
Q

What are legislative committees called?

A

Public bill committees

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8
Q

What are legislative committees?

A

Temporary, scrutinise proposed legislation and propose amendments

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9
Q

Who are party whips?

A

Senior MPs

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10
Q

What is the role of party whips?

A

Keep party discipline, inform MPs about parliamentary business, discipline dissident MPs

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11
Q

What is the role of speaker?

A

Elected by MPs, neutral, keeps order

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12
Q

What is an example of when a speaker would ask an MP to withdraw a comment?

A

Calling another MP a liar

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13
Q

What are 3 features of the HOL?

A

Non-elected peers
Bills scrutinised by whole house
3 types of peers

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14
Q

What are the 3 types of peers in the HOL?

A

Life
Hereditary
Lord spiritual

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15
Q

How many hereditary peers are there?

A

92

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16
Q

What are hereditary peers?

A

Inherited title and pass peerage on, replaced by other hereditary peers when die

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17
Q

What are life peers?

A

Appointed for life by party leaders

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18
Q

What are lords spiritual?

A

Senior bishops of church of England

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19
Q

How many life peers are there?

A

687

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20
Q

How many lords spiritual are there?

A

26

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21
Q

Who are 2 examples of competent Life peers in the HOL?

A

Baroness Lawrence
Baroness Benjamin

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22
Q

Who is Baroness Lawrence?

A

Made life peer in 2013, work against racism and crime

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23
Q

Who is Baroness Benjamin?

A

Previously tv presenter, contributor to uk arts and culture

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24
Q

What is a crossbencher?

A

Member of HOL with no party allegiance

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25
Q

What is a non-affiliated member of the HOL?

A

Does not associate with any other group, including cross benchers

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26
Q

What are the 6 functions/powers of the HOC?

A

Legitimation
Gov accountable
Scrutiny
Constituency representation
Interest representation
National debate

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27
Q

What is legitimation?

A

Process of making proposed laws legitimate by granting consent (on behalf of people)

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28
Q

What are 3 ways the HOC can make the gov accountable?

A

PMQs
Select committees
Vote of no confidence

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29
Q

What is scrutiny?

A

Ensure proposed legislation is fair, clear and does not discriminate against minorities

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30
Q

Who is an example of an mp that represents domestic violence charities?

A

Jess Philipps, MP for Birmingham

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31
Q

What are 2 examples of great issues of national debate?

A

NHS waiting times
Ukraine War

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32
Q

What are the 4 functions/powers of the HOL?

A

Revising
Delaying
Secondary legislation
National debate

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33
Q

What is revising legislation?

A

HOL scrutinise carefully, contains experts

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34
Q

What are the HOL delaying powers?

A

Delay legislation for a year

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35
Q

What is secondary legislation?

A

Minor regulation within major laws, HOL spend time approving

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36
Q

What are 5 powers/functions of the HOC only?

A

Examine/approval of gov financial affairs
Veto of legislation
Vote of no confidence
Select committees
Final approval of amendments to legislation

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37
Q

When does a bill become an act of parliament?

A

Signed by monarch

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38
Q

What are the 4 types of bills?

A

Public
Private
Hybrid
Private members

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39
Q

What is a public bill?

A

Proposed by gov (most bills)

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40
Q

What is a private bill?

A

Proposed by organisation

41
Q

What is a private members bill?

A

Proposed by mps

42
Q

Where do most bills start?

A

HOC

43
Q

What are the first 4 stages of the legislative process?

A

First reading
Second reading
Committee stage
Report stage

44
Q

What happens in the first reading of a bill?

A

MPs informed about bill/proposed legislation, not debated yet

45
Q

What happens in the second reading of a bill?

A

Main debate, if passed move to more detailed scrutiny

46
Q

What happens in the committee stage of a bill?

A

Bill committee scrutinises and may propose amendments

47
Q

What happens in the report stage of a bill?

A

Debated again with all passed amendments included

48
Q

What are the last 4 stages of the legislative process?

A

EVEL vote
Third reading
Passage to other house
Royal assent

49
Q

What happens in the EVEL vote?

A

If bill declared English, only English MPs may vote on issue

50
Q

What happens in the third reading?

A

Final debate, last chance block legislation

51
Q

What happens in the passage to the other house?

A

Pass to HOL, scrutinise with same procedures as HOC but as whole house

52
Q

What is the royal assent?

A

Formal passage of bill into law

53
Q

What is parliamentary privilege?

A

Right of MPs/lords make certain statements within parliament without subject to outside influence (can’t be sued) -freedom of speech

54
Q

How does parliament interact with the executive?

A

Backbench MPs/peers

55
Q

How can a backbench mp represent an outside interest/cause?

A

Campaigning/lobbying/speaking

56
Q

How can a backbench mp develop policy on a particular issue?

A

Member of committee formed by own party

57
Q

How can a backbench mp act to try and regress grievances of constituents against a public body?

A

Lobbying ministers/government officials

58
Q

What can a backbench MP speak in when national or constituency interests can be aired?

A

Backbench debates

59
Q

What can a backbench MP have active membership in on a particular issue?

A

Campaign committee of MPs

60
Q

What can a backbench mp take part in often with groups of MPs and abroad?

A

Fact finding missions

61
Q

What is an example of an mp using their parliamentary privilege?

A

Lib Dem mp named Ryan Giggs as having been person protected by gagging order on press about 2011 affair

62
Q

How is the significance of backbench MPs limited even in committees?

A

Committees proportional to seat distribution so if gov has large majority the committees have large gov majority

63
Q

What are 3 powers that keep most backbenchers in line most of the time?

A

Patronage
Party loyalty
Whips

64
Q

What are the 5 key roles played by backbench peers?

A

Represent sections of society in parliament
Represent important political causes- publicity
Scrutinise legislation
Call gov to account
Sitting on committees investigate aspects of gov policy

65
Q

How can peers in the HOL call the government to account?

A

Every gov department has frontbench representative in lords

66
Q

How are members of select committees selected?

A

Secret ballot within parliamentary groups since 2010

67
Q

What is an example of an mp being selected for a select committee based on expertise?

A

Sarah Wollaston was GP on health select committee

68
Q

What are select committees responsible for?

A

Scrutinising a gov department

69
Q

What do small committees focus on?

A

aspects of gov work

70
Q

How do select committees operate?

A

Less formal, more effective manner

71
Q

What is the oldest and arguably most influential select committee in the HOC?

A

Public accounts committee (PAC)

72
Q

What does the public accounts committee (PAC) scrutinise?

A

Value for money of public spending and hold gov to account for delivery of public services

73
Q

What are the 5 reasons the public accounts committee is so powerful?

A

Chair = member of main opposition party
Chair has great prestige and higher salary
Chair and members elected by MPs
Members act independently
high profile in media

74
Q

What is the significance of members of the PAC being elected by MPs?

A

Not controlled by party leaders

75
Q

What is the significance of the members of the PAC acting independently?

A

Mainly ignore their party allegiances

76
Q

What is an example of a key PAC investigation?

A

2015 effectiveness of cancer care by NHS

77
Q

What was the result of the investigation into NHS cancer care by the PAC?

A

Gov launched review into cancer treatment and set up independent cancer task force to improve delivery of cancer treatment by 2020

78
Q

What do departmental select committees do?

A

scrutinise work of a gov department in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, fairness and value for money

79
Q

How many departmental select committees are there?

A

19

80
Q

How are members of DSCs elected?

A

By MPs on party basis- proportion of seats determined by party representation

81
Q

What is the membership of DSCs?

A

Varies between 11 and 14

82
Q

What do DSCs largely act independently of?

A

Party allegiance

83
Q

What is often the nature of DSC and PAC reports?

A

Unanimous conclusions

84
Q

Who are the reports and recommendations of DSCs presented to?

A

HOC and receive considerable publicity

85
Q

Which groups can the PAC and DSCs call witnesses from?

A

Ministers, civil servants, pressure group reps, experts

86
Q

What are 2 other select committees in the HOC?

A

Liaison Committee
Backbench Business Committee

87
Q

Who is the liaison committee made up of?

A

All chairs of departmental select committees

88
Q

What does the liaison committee do twice a year?

A

Questions PM extensively over key aspects of gov policy

89
Q

What does the backbench business committee do?

A

Determines business of house for 35 days a year, decided what backbenchers debate on those days

90
Q

What is an example of the culture media and sport select committee having a major impact?

A

Into press standards and phone hacking, held high profile interviews, led to leveson inquiry and some police investigations

91
Q

What is an example of the business energy and industrial strategy committee having a major impact?

A

In 2016 highly critical of sir Philip Green, said he had to solve problems with BHS pension scheme

92
Q

According to a study in 2011, how many recommendations from select committees are accepted by the government?

A

40%

93
Q

What is the official title of the second largest party in the HOC (opposition)?

A

His majesty’s opposition

94
Q

What are the 4 roles of the opposition?

A

Force gov to explain/justify policies/decisions
Highlight gov shortcomings
Present alternative proposals to gov (if appropriate)
Ready to be alternative gov in case current gov defeated in next election

95
Q

What are 2 big set events where the opposition are called on to oppose/respond to the government’s proposals?

A

Queens speech
Governments budget

96
Q

How many days are given to opposition parties to set subjects for debate?

A

20

97
Q

What must ministers answer at PMQs?

A

Written questions from MPs and peers

98
Q

When are PMQs?

A

Every Wednesday at midday for 30 mins

Politics Unit 2 (3 decks)

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