2 - The structure and Role of Parliament Flashcards
Key info for the HOC
650 MP’s
Elected every 5 years
Key info for the HOL
around 800 members
Most are life peers but 92 hereditary peers
26 senior church of england bishops
Functions of the HOC, HOL and executive
Main law-passing body in the uk
To scrutinise government
Forum of representation
A lot of work done by committees rather than debates
What is the advantages of PMQ’s
Can give positive publicity to the opposition party eg, in 1997 blair accused major of being “Weak,Weak,Weak”
Can allow unwelcome questions to the PM which show their weaknesses eg, Gordon Brown accidently said “We not only saved the world” instead of saved the banks
On rare occasions the pm’s party can go against the pm eg, in jan 2022 David Davis used the quote “In the name of god go” during Johnsons partygate scandal
What is the disadvantages of PMQ’s
They convey an image of rowdiness and theatricals,referred to as punch and judy politics EG, in 2021 Johnson attacked labour and their members about vaccines
In 2014 former speaker John Bercow wrote to party leaders asking them to help moderate behaviour at PMQ’s
Most questions are done to try and outsmart the opposition rather than change opinions or polices
Advantages of parliamentary debates
Allow free expression of views and opinions about the issues of the day
Are televised which helps the accessibility and transparency of parliament
Opportunity to change how MP’s and peers might vote
Disadvantages of parliamentary debates
Most debates are set-piece occasions, MP’s usually adopt party lines
Many use speech’s to impress their higher ups
Few minds and votes are changed, mp’s simply follow party lines
Advantages of select committees
less partisan and confrontational than debates
They are often chaired by opposition mp’s eg, Public accounts is chaired by labour backbencher Meg Hillier
The government must respond within 60 days
reports are often hard hitting and influential eg, In may 2018 The health Select committee recommended a number of measures to reduce child obesity, within a month the government announced changes
Disadvantages of select committees
The governing party will always have a majority
Consensus between parties aren’t always reached, leading to majority and minority reports along party lines
Witnesses can be evasive and illusive
Governments can ignore what the committees say, they only have to respond to the report. Eg in early 2021 the government rejected most of the recommendation regarding universal credit by the work and pensions select committee
Advantage of a vote of no confidence
The nuclear option which can bring down a government, this happened to callaghan’s labour government in 1979
disadvantage of a vote of no confidence
Very unlikely to succeed, only an unstable minority government will lose eg, May survived 2 votes
What is a parliamentary debate
One of the main ways of government scrutiny
They provide an opportunity for the opposition to say how they would handle matters differently
The topics are selected by the governing party but the opposition has 20 “Opposition days” per year were they decide
Where can bills start from
The HOC or the HOL
Mp’s can introduce private member bills but they need government support
What are public bills
The measures that are universally applicable to all people and organisations, most legislation comes from these
What are private bills
usually promoted by organisations to give them powers beyond or in conflict with current laws
The bills only change the law for individual people or company’s eg, the new southgate cemetery act 2017
What are government bills
created and promoted by the government, often fills manifesto promises. All members of the governing party are expected to support these bills
What are private members bills
Bill’s introduced independently by backbenchers, either as 10-minute rule bills or one of the 20 “Winners” of the annual ballot
Few happen with only 7 being made between 2019-21, an example of one is the 2021 botulinum toxin and cosmetic fillers act
What happens during the first reading
The bill is formally introduced to parliament
What happens during the second reading
The main opportunity for debate,questions and voting on the bill. Amendments can be proposed here
Bills can be stopped at this stage, eg 2017 the commons voted 309 to 305 to give parliament the final say on the brexit deal
what happens during the committee stage
A chance to go over the bill and any amendments made during the second reading.
Each bill gets it’s own public bill committee, comprised of backbenchers. Changes rarely happen due to the governing party having a majority in the committee, but changes can happen
Pressure groups and mp’s can submit evidence and address the committee at this stage
What happens during the report stage
Any changes with the committees are discussed and voted on, last chance for mp’s to make amendments
What happens during the third reading
A short debate, no further changes can be made to the bill
A final vote is taken on the bill
What happens at the consideration of amendments stage of the legislative process
Each house considers the others amendments before the bill go’s of for royal assent
At which stage is the bill most likely going to be rejected
The second reading
Example of a bill being started in the HOL
The 2021 Air Traffic management and unmanned aircraft act
