2.2 the comparative powers of the house of commons and house of lords Flashcards

1
Q

What area does the commons have exclusive authority?

A

to give consent to taxation and public expenditure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Where is the chancellor of the exchequer obliged to sit and why?

A
  • in the commons
  • the annual budget is always presented
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is confidence and supply?

A
  • type of informal coalition agreement sometimes used in the event of a hung parliament where the minority partners agrees to vote with the government on key issues
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is an example of a confidence and supply situation?

A

The conservative party’s arrangement with the democratic unionist party following the June 2017 election (conservative were 8 seats short of a majority)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the two most important legal restraints on the power of the Lords?

A

Parliament Act of 1911 and 1949

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What did the Parliament Act of 1911 set out?

A
  • the lords had no right to delay money bills
  • its power to veto non-financial bills was to be replaced by a power of delay lasting two parliamentary sessions (two years)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why was the Parliament Act of 1911 created?

A

The Lords rejected the ‘peoples budget’ in 1909, which brought out a long constitutional crisis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What did the Parliament Act of 1949 do?

A

halved the length of time that the upper house could use its delaying power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What was the 1945 Salisbury convention?

A

the House of Lords does not delay or block legislation that was included in a governments manifesto

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the current distinctive powers of the Lords?

A
  • acts mainly as a revising chamber (proposes amendments to government legislation, which government can accept or reject)
  • can delay non-financial legislation for one year
  • if a government were to attempt to prolong the life of parliament beyond it legal maximum term, the Lords is legally empowered to force it to hold a general election
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What has increased the Lords’ sense of legitimacy?

A
  • removal of most hereditary peers, meaning the Lords was now dominated by life peers
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How was the reformed House of Lords more inclined to challenge the government?

A

Life peers were more likely to play a regular part in the work of the House

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How many government defeats were there in the House of Lords by the conservative government between 1979-97?

A

241

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How many government defeats were there in the House of Lords by the labour government between 1997-2010?

A

528

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How many government defeats were there in the House of Lords by the conservative-liberal democrat coalition government between 2010-15?

A

99

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How many government defeats were there in the House of Lords by the conservative government between 2015-16?

A

60

17
Q

What party’s dominance in the House of Lords was removed after the departure of hereditary peers?

A

Conservative

18
Q

How did the Lib Dem peers demonstrate growing independence during the period of the New Labour government?

A
  • after the 2005 election, they opposed Tony Blair’s proposals for identity cards
  • even though this policy had been announced by the Labour Party in advance
19
Q

What did the the Lib Dem peers do in order to demonstrate growing independence during the period of the New Labour government?

A
  • argued that the salisbury convention no longer applied because the government had been re-elected on a very low share of the popular vote
20
Q

How did cross-bench peers begin to play a more important role in holding the government to account?

A
  • as neutral figures, they are more likely to assess a bill on its merits and to decide accordingly whether to support or oppose the government
21
Q

What is parliamentary ping pong?

A

a bill going back and forth between the two houses

22
Q

How long was the 2005 Prevention of Terrorism Bill debate?

A

30 hours

23
Q

What can the government use to force a bill through?

A

Parliament Act

24
Q

How many times did the Blair government use the Parliament Act?

A

three times

25
Q

What three bills were passed using the Parliament Act during the Blair government?

A
  • changing the voting system for European parliament elections (1999)
  • equalising the age of consent for gay and heterosexual people (2000)
  • banning hunting with dogs (2004)