Functions of parliament

Question 1

List the five most important functions of parliament

Answer 1

• Legislation
• Scrutiny and accountability
• Debate
• Recruitment of ministers
• Representation

Question 2

What is the main function of parliament?

Answer 2

Making, amending and passing laws (legislating)

Question 3

What does legislating through parliament do to executive made law?

Answer 3

Gives it democratic legitimacy by providing the indirect consent of the people

Question 4

Why is legislating through parliament the most practical means of providing democratic legitimacy?

Answer 4

People cannot be continually assembled and referendums cannot be held for every decision

Question 5

Why is the process of legitimising government laws mostly held by the commons?

Answer 5

• It is the democratically elected chamber
• The Salisbury Convention stops the lords from holding up legislation that was part of the governing party’s election manifesto

Question 6

What must the commons approve every spring and summer?

Answer 6

They give formal approval to the chancellor’s budget. The lords have not been able to do this since the 1911 parliament act

Question 7

What is private members legislation?

Answer 7

When backbenchers, rather than the government, have a chance to introduce legislation

Question 8

What are the three ways private members bills can be introduced?

Answer 8

• 10 minute rule
• ballot
• presentation

Question 9

Explain the idea of the ballot

Answer 9

Names of backbench MPs are randomly drawn on the second thursday of a parliamentary session and are allocated time to have their bill discussed

Question 10

Why is the ballot the strongest way of introducing private members legislation?

Answer 10

Because the bill can be introduced with full opportunity for debate and discussion within the allocated time

Question 11

Explain the idea of a 10 minute rule bill

Answer 11

This is where an MP is allowed to make a 10 minute speech introducing the issue for consideration

Question 12

Why is private members legislation introduced through the 10 minute rule unlikely to succeed?

Answer 12

Because time is so limited, it is often used to make a political point rather than as a serious attempt to introduce the bill

Question 13

How can a private members bill be introduced through presentation?

Answer 13

This is where the bill is formally ‘presented’ to the house with no discussion or comment

Question 14

Why is introducing a private members bill through presentation unlikely to succeed?

Answer 14

The government will have many opportunities to thwart the bill

Question 15

How many PMBs became statute law in the 2017-2019 parliament?

Answer 15

15

Question 16

Give two examples of successful PMBs during the 2017-2019 parliament?

Answer 16

EU Act 2019 - Yvette Cooper (Labour)
Holocaust Act 2019 - Theresa Villiers (Conservative)

Question 17

Why was the 2003 Sexual Offences Act limited?

Answer 17

It was passed before the widespread use of mobile phones and so did not account for things like upskirting

Question 18

What was the only way to prosecute upskirting?

Answer 18

Under the common law tradition of outraging the public decency

Question 19

What did the voyeurism act look to do?

Answer 19

Ban the practise of upskirting with the intent of causing distress or alarm to the victim

Question 20

Who introduced the voyeurism act?

Answer 20

Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse, after an online petition gained 58,000 signarures

Question 21

How did Theresa May give the voyeurism act a boost in its early stages?

Answer 21

She announced that it would have government support

Question 22

Why did the voyeurism act fail to be passed on backbench business days?

Answer 22

Two MPs shouted oppose, thus moving it to a different day for further debate. They did this on the grounds that a government supported bill should not receive time on a BBB day

Question 23

Why was the voyeurism act eventually able to pass in 2019?

Answer 23

Because it was given government time by Theresa May and had a mass cross party support

Question 24

What do the lords do to legislation instead of legitimatising it?

Answer 24

Scrutinise it, offer their opinion, ask the government and commons to rethink and perhaps amend proposals to improve them

Question 25

How long can the lords delay a piece of legislation for?

Answer 25

1 year

Question 26

What is the lords effectively saying when they delay legislation?

Answer 26

Although we do not have the power to stop you we have serious reservation about this legislation and think you should reconsider

Question 27

List the 4 main examples of when the lords has delayed legislation for a year but the commons passed it anyway

Answer 27

• The War Powers Act 1991 - allowed the UK to prosecute war criminals for crimes committed outside of the UK
• The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 - established a new closed list system for elections to the European parliament
• Sexual Offences Amendment Act 2000 - lowered the age of consent for gay men to 16
• The Hunting Act 2004 - banned fox hunting with packs of hounds

Question 28

Define bill

Answer 28

A proposal for a new law, or a change to a current law, that has not yet completed the parliamentary process

Question 28

Define bill

Answer 28

A proposal for a new law, or a change to a current law, that has not yet completed the parliamentary process

Question 29

What happens to a bill when it has completed the legislative process?

Answer 29

It is placed on the statute books as an act of parliament

Question 30

Where does the government set out its legislative programme?

Answer 30

In the queens speech at the start of a parliamentary session