the structure and roll parliament

Question 1

forms of scrutiny

Answer 1

PMQs
select committees
debating legislation
vote of no confidence

Question 2

positive of PMQs

Answer 2

provides opportunity to question the government

Question 3

negative of PMQs

Answer 3

controversial questions or planned questions
example : Boris Johnson questioned over lockdown parties

Question 4

negative of parliamentary debate

Answer 4

MPs will usually vote along party lines so hard to influence

Question 5

positive of select committeee

Answer 5

many political ideologies are represented as chaired by MPs of different parties. the govt also only has 60 days to respond

Question 6

negative of select committees

Answer 6

governing party will always have the majority and so never properly held accountable

Question 7

Burkean/trustee theory of representation

Answer 7

-vote in the best interests of their constituents using their expertise
-duty to vote in line with their best judgement

Question 8

Delegate theory of representation

Answer 8

MPs vote exactly how their constituency wishes acting as a mouthpeice
May vote against their own best judgement

Question 9

Mandate theory of representation

Answer 9

-MPs have a mandate from their constituency to implement their party’s manifesto from the last election
-must vote in support of its party lines

Question 10

Roles of BOTH MPs and Peers

Answer 10

Vote on legislation
Debate
Scrutinise the executive

Question 11

Roles of just MPs

Answer 11

Democratically elected to represent constituents
Help constituents with redress of grievances
Select candidates for party leadership
Decide which legislation is passed
provide ministers o cabinet

Question 12

Roles of peers

Answer 12

Unelected and do not represent the electorate
Provide and independent voice in Parliament (25% are cross benchers)
Provide specialised expertise

Question 13

Why is the HOC superior to HOL

Answer 13

Financial policy privilege (taken away from HoL with acts of 1911 and 1949)
Primacy over legislation
Power to dismiss the executive

Question 14

Laws and conventions upholding HOC supremacy over HOL

Answer 14

Parliament Act 1911 and 1949
Convention that HoL cannot vote against money bills
The Salisbury convention prevent HoL voting against a winning party’s manifesto

Question 15

Strengths of select committees

Answer 15

Detailed scrutiny of govt policy and decisions
Power to call witness and access govt documents
Increasing independence since 2010

Question 16

Weaknesses of select committees

Answer 16

Usually a government majority of committees
Evasion of difficult questions
No power of enforcement

Question 17

Roles of the opposition

Answer 17

Form a government in waiting
Has the right of first response to the government
Scrutinises specific departments
Receives and opposition fund
scrutinise executive

Question 18

3 ways the government may try to limit the power of Parliament

Answer 18

-Maintain tight party discipline, use three line whip system, allowing it to win votes
-Pressure civil servants to be evasive in their answers to select committees
-Choose loyal MPs to allocate to committees

Question 19

Redress of grievances

Answer 19

The right to complain or seek the assistance of one’s government without the fear of punishment

Question 20

three stages of legislative process

Answer 20

second reading
committee stage
HoL stage

Question 21

second reading

Answer 21

main debate on the bills principles in the commons
a defeat is rare
less significant
last defeat in second reading 1986 Sunday Trading Bill

Question 22

committee stage

Answer 22

bill is sent to public bill committee
suggest amendments + call witnesses and expertise
govt always have a majority in committee
members are appointed by party whipe

Question 23

HOL stage

Answer 23

consider committee amendments (may reject accept or amend)
but any amendments must be accepted by commons
e.g. Prevention of terrorism 2005 was considered 5 times by HoL and 4 by Hoc OVER 30 HOURS UNTIL a compromised was reahced

Question 24

three ways of initiating bill

Answer 24

govt bills
PMB
e-petitions

Question 25

govt bills

Answer 25

majority start in govt can make and unmake without any restriction from parliament
2015-2017 55 govt bills made and 48 were passed

Question 26

PMB

Answer 26

backbenchers have the freedom to respond to public policy concern
allows individual MPs to influence parliament
e.g. abortion act 1967
ballot bills, ten minute bills
often fail (only 2 in 2017 passed)

Question 27

e-petitions

Answer 27

direct democracy and impact of media and technology
require 100,000 signatures to be considered by parliament
not reliable or effective
only 130 have been debated in commons

Question 28

three works of comittees

Answer 28

cross party cooperation
scrutinise govt
scrutinise legislation

Question 29

committee work - scrutinise govt

Answer 29

check doing job properly and spending tax revenue well
launch investigations and call witnesses and examine documents under court like interrogations

e.g. Public Accounts Committee oversees how efficiently the government spends money e.g. HS2 rail project

Question 30

committee work - cross party cooperation

Answer 30

encouraging parties to work together to form new ideas for more balanced views
large amounts of influence from shadow cabinets

Question 31

committee work - scrutinise legislation

Answer 31

shadowing the work of major govt departments
scrutinise draft bills before they are fully debated in parliament
whips control individual appointments to committees, meaning loyal MPs can be placed in them

Question 32

trustee theory example

Answer 32

Labour backbench MP Ben Bradshaw defied the whip of supporting Article 50 following the Brexit referendum result and he was not prepared to vote for a process that would impoverish his constituents

Question 33

vote of no confidence

Answer 33

if successful -14 day period to form new govt
if no new govt forms and wins confidence, a general election will occur
removed Callaghan in 1979

Question 34

committees scrutinising exec

Answer 34

examine govt policy
select comms oversee govt departments and can call witnesses etc
around 40% of com recommendations are accepted

Question 35

why is it difficult for committees to scrutinise govt

Answer 35

select comms usually chaired by majority party in government
govt under no obligation to accept their recs
public bill coms are proportionally chaired by party in govt so will always be dominated by majority party

Question 36

PMQs scrutinising exec

Answer 36

in the parliamentary year 2017-2018 55k PMQs were asked
one of the most direct methods

Question 37

PMQs not good at scrutiny

Answer 37

planted questions
often used for political point scoring
boris johnson often accused of this during covid 19 and party gate scandals
questions may be designed to make the exec look better and deliberately catch out the opp