Week 3: Lords and civil servants Flashcards
What are the stages of pushing through a bill at the UK parliament?
Bill starts at house of commons - first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading….first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, consideration of amendments.
What is the only bill that is not allowed to be voted on in parliament?
The Budget Money Bills (Bills designed to raise money through taxes or spend public money) start in the Commons and must receive Royal Assent no later than a month after being introduced in the Lords, even if the Lords has not passed them. The Lords cannot amend Money Bills. (www.parliament.uk)
What are green papers?
Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government.
The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to give the department feedback on its policy or legislative proposals.
Copies of consultation documents such as Green Papers are available on the related departmental websites.
What are white papers?
White papers arepolicy documents produced by the Government thatset outtheir proposals for future legislation.
White Papers areoften published as Command Papers and mayinclude a draft version ofa Bill that is being planned.
This provides a basis for furtherconsultation and discussion with interested or affected groups and allows finalchanges to be made beforea Billis formally presented to Parliament
How is the house of lords made up?
Officially, the full name of the house isthe Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.
Lords Spiritual – 26 Bishops
Lords Temporal – 91 hereditary peers (usually 92 – one taking ‘leave of absence at the moment) and 658 other peers
Makes up a total of 775 at the moment (there are ineligible Lords who have been disqualified or are on a leave of absence).
Until 2014, you couldn’t be thrown out of the Lords, nor resign
When a hereditary peer dies, an internal by-election takes place amongst the other 91 who vote on his/her replacement.
House of Lords reform act 2014 - what is it?
TheHouse of Lords Reform Act 2014made provision for members’ resignation from the House, removal for non-attendance, and automatic expulsion upon conviction for a serious criminal offence (if resulting in a jail sentence of at least one year).
In June 2015, under the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015,the House’s Standing Orders may provide for the expulsion or suspension of a member upon a resolution of the House.
Role of the leader of the HOL?
The current Leader of the House of Lords is Baroness Evans of Bowes Park. As with all past Leaders, she was appointed to the position by the prime minister.
Responsibilities include:
Leading the government benches in the House of Lords
Conduct of government business in the Lords (jointly responsible with the Chief Whip)
Repeating in the Lords statements made by the prime minister to the Commons
Giving guidance to the House on matters of order and procedure
Taking part in formal ceremonies in the House, such as the State Opening of Parliament
Chairman, Board of Trustees for Chevening
What is the Parliament Act 1911 & 1949?
Under the act, any bill passed by the House of Commons in three separate sessions without being altered could be presented for the royal assent without the consent of the Lords, providing that two years had elapsed since the bill had been introduced (The royal assent is required for an act of Parliament to become law).
The maximum period that the House of Commons could remain in session was reduced from seven years to five (changed in 1911).
Times when the parliament act 1911 and 1949 has been used?
1991: War Crimes Act
1999: European Parliamentary Elections Act
2000: Sexual Offences Amendment Act
2004: Hunting Bill
Role of the civil service?
Civil service work behind the scenes to support the government
Do not have political alliances or should not show it
If a government changed, or a new party took over Downing St., then the civil service would support the new government
Cabinet Secretary is the most senior role in the civil service
Cabinet Secretary is a non-elected post
Can usually cross-over into new governments
Different ways to describe the relationship between civil service and gov?
Constitutional model - where civil servants are neutral and impartial
Adversarial model - where civil servants and ministers are in conflict
Village life model - where civil servants and ministers work in harmony. The Ministers create policies and civil servants have the experience to implement them effectively.
Bureaucratic expansion model - civil servants want to increase their own power
what are SPADS?
Ministers will have special advisors (nicknamed SPADs as you may hear in your future careers)
SPADs are chosen by the party to help win an election or keep a party in power
Then there are administrators who carry out the day-to-day duties
It is known that SPADs work their way up to become politicians
Usually a conflict between administrators and SPADs
What is iPSA?
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
IPSA was created in 2009 by the Parliamentary Standards Act. The Act was amended in 2010 by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act. Together they gave IPSA three main responsibilities:
To regulate MPs’ business costs and expenses.
To determine MPs’ pay and pension arrangements.
To provide financial support to MPs in carrying out their parliamentary functions.
IPSA is independent of Parliament and the Government.
This allows it to take decisions about the rules on business costs and expenses and on MPs’ pay, without interference.
MPs code of conduct?
MPs must adhere to the code of conduct and the code of ethics.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an independent officer of the House of Commons.
His or her job is to oversee the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and the Code of Conduct for MPs. The Commissioner also advises the Committee on Standards about issues relating to the Code of Conduct
Who hold SMPs to account?
Ethics Standards Commissioner
The Commissioner and her team work within her remit to encourage fairness, good conduct and transparency in public life in Scotland.
They will investigate complaints about the behaviour of MSPs, local authority councillors, and board members of public bodies and about lobbyists, and look into how people are appointed to the boards of public bodies in Scotland
