parliament

Question 1

what are the themes you need to discuss to do with parliament ?

Answer 1

1.majority vs minority gov
2. accountability
3. scrutiny
4. representation

Question 2

how are members of the HOC selected?

Answer 2

1. members are elected by people in general elections
   - for example, members are elected every 5 years
2. the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins
   - for example, using the FPTP system
3. there are 650 members chosen

Question 3

how are members of the HOL chosen?

Answer 3

1. there are life peers who are pointed for their expertise
   - for example, lord sugar was appointed a life peer in 2009
2. hereditary peers who inherit the title
   - for example, the house of lords act 1999, reduced it from 700 to 92
3. lord spirituals who are appointed by the church of england

Question 4

what are the functions of the hoc?

Answer 4

1. PASSING LAWS
   - for example, the european union (withdrawal) act 2018 was passed through the commons, repealing the eu’s supremacy and allowing brexit to happen
2. SCRUTINISING THE GOV
   through PMQ’s, select committees and debates
   - for example, the public’s account committee scrutinised the gov’s handling of the nhs during the covid 19 pandemic
3. REPRESENTATION (mp’s represent constituents’ interests and views
   - for example, in the 2017 GE, mp’s were elected to reflect public views on brexit and the NHS

Question 5

what are the functions of the hol?

Answer 5

1. SCRUTINY (by using debates and committee work to examine gov policy and bills in detail)
   - for example, the house of lords constitution committee examined the implications of brexit on uk constitutional arrangement
2. PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND EXPERT KNOWLEDGE
   to improve debates and the quality of legislation
   - for example, lord adonis, an education expert, contributed detailed knowledge during debates on education reform
3. CHECK ON GOV POWER
   while it cannot block legislation indefinitely, it acts as a check on poorly drafted laws by the gov
   - for example, the lords delayed the 2015 trade unions act, forcing the gov to reconsider the provisions

Question 6

what are weaknesses of the hol?

Answer 6

1. SCRUTINY
   sometimes ignored as they lack democratic legitimacy
   - for example, gov often overrides lord’s amendments such as during brexit related bills in 2019
2. EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE
   when it comes to expertise, due to members being appointed, it raises questions about accountability and diversity
   - for example, some life peers are seen as political appointees rather than experts
3. CHECK ON GOV POWER
   thay are limited by acts of parliament, as the commons can override the lords after after delay
   - for example, despite the lord’s attempt to delay the european union withdrawal bill (2017), commons pushed it through

Question 7

what are weaknesses of the hoc?

Answer 7

1. PASSING LAWS
   based on gov majority so most bills pass with little opposition or debate
   - for example, the johnsons brexit withdrawal agreement 2020 was able to pass through parliament in 3 days because he had an 80 seat majority in the 2019 GE
2. SCRUTINY
   mp’s may struggle to want to scrutinise due to strong smart whips who often force mp’s to support gov, limiting independent scrutiny
   - for example, during brexit debates, many mp;s followed party lines rigidly, limiting genuine scrutiny
3. REPRESENTATION
   mp’s may want to prioritise party loyalty over constituent’s interests
   - for example, some mp’s ignored local opinions on brexit to follow their party stance (e,g, labour MP’s in pro leave areas)

Question 8

what are the key powers the hoc have?

Answer 8

1. controls money and tax bills(financial) that the lords cannot block or amend
   - for example, the annual budget by the chancellor is is only voted in the commons
2. makes and passes most of the laws (main legislative chamber)
   - for example, passed the european union withdrawal act 2018 (brexit bill)
3. can remove a gov with a vote of no confidence
   - for example, the labour gov lost a vote of no confidence in 1979 which led to a general election

Question 9

what are the key powers of the hol?

Answer 9

1.can amend legislation and improve bills with expert input
- for example, they amended the the illegal migration bill 2023 with human rights concerns

2. can delay most bills for up to a year (not including financial ones)
   - for example, they delayed the public order bill 2022 which was introduced by the cons to crack down on disruptive protests; where the lords voted to remove or amend its controversial sections
3. less party political so debates are often more thoughtful and detailed
   - for example, there are 180 crossbench peers that vote independently based on the issue not party loyalty

Question 10

what are arguments for the hoc having more power?

Answer 10

1. it is democratically elected (so greater legitimacy)
   - for example, in the brexit debates, the gov argued that elected mp’s had the final say, not unelected lords
2. can override the lords using parliament acts
   - for example, the hunting act 2004 (which banned fox hunting) was forced through by the commons after the lords rejected it twice
3. controls financial matters such as budget, taxation and spending
   - for example, the parliament act 1911, prevents the lords from rejecting or amending money bills
   - for example, the 2023 budget by chancellor jeremy hunt was passed exclusively by the hoc and the lords couldn’t change it

Question 11

what are arguments that the hol have more power?

Answer 11

1. the lords can delay legislation (except financial bills)
   - for example, the identity cards bill (2005) was delayed by the lords due to concerns about privacy and cost
2. less controlled by party whips ans many peers are crossbenchers (not in a party) so debates are more independent
   - for example, lord dubs, a crossbench peer and holocaust survivor, successfully amended immigration legislation to help refugee children
3. lords can amend bills with expertise and improve poorly written laws
   - for example, in 2023, the lords made multiple amendments to the illegal immigration bill, adding protection for children and trafficking victims

Question 12

what is the legislative process?

Answer 12

1. FIRST READING
   which is the formal introduction of the bill where its just read out
   - for example, the online safety bill had its first reading in march 2022
2. SECOND READING
   main debate of the bill and votes are taken place
   - for example, the illegal immigration bill had its second reading in march 2023, with heated debate over its approach towards asylum seekers
3. COMMITTEE STAGE
   a public bill committee examines the bill in detail and amendment can be proposed
   - for example, during the elections act 2022, amendments were made to include voter ID requirements
4. REPORT STAGE
   the bill returns to the full house and further amendments can be made
   - for example, the police, crime, sentencing and courts act 2022 was significantly amended at this stage public protests

5.THIRD READING
final debate and vote on completed version

6. HOUSE OF LORDS
   the bill goes through the same five stages in the HOL and they can propose amendments
   - for example, the lords challenged parts of the rwanda asylum plan in the illegal migration bill 2023
7. ROYAL ASSENT
   the monarch formally agrees to the bill and it becomes an act of parliament
   - for example, the public order act 2023 received royal assent in may 2023

Question 13

describe the role and composition of public accounts committees?

Answer 13

ROLE:
1. scrutinises gov spending
- for example, test and trace (2021) was criticised by the public accounts committee due to its spending of £37 million on the system, when there was no clear evidence it reduced the spread of covid

2. helps hold departments to account in terms of spending
   - for example, they questioned officials over the delays in distributing free school meal vouchers (2020) during lockdown
3. publish reports and make recommendations to improve gov efficiency on spending
   - for example, with the ongoing HS2 project, they published reports warning of the unrealistic costs and advised improved planning

COMPOSITION
1. around 15 MPs, reflecting party balance
- for example, ensures representation from all parties

Question 14

describe the role of the liason committee?

Answer 14

ROLE:

1. questions the pm directly on public policy to hold them to account
   - for example, in may 2023, they questioned rishi sunak on the cost of living crisis and nhs pressures
2. chooses the select committee reports that should be debated in parliament; so will give priority to the most urgent ones
   - for example, it has previously chosen high profile reports such as public accounts committee’s report on HS2
3. coordinates the work of other select committees
   - for example, it decides which select committee reports are debated in the HOC, enhancing the impact of their findings

Question 15

describe the role of backbench business committees?

Answer 15

ROLE:

1. strengthens parliamentary scrutiny and democratic engagement as non gov voices can be of influence
   - for example, in 2021, they pushed a debate on increasing universal credit (after covid) and influenced political pressure on the gov
2. they respond to public petitions and issues on specific topics (can choose debates based on e petitions or urgent matters of the public)
   - for example, in 2022, a debate was held on assisted dying after the petition gained over 100,000 signatures
3. allocates times for debates and gives MP’s that arent in gov or opposition roles a formal way to raise important issues
   - for example, in 2023, they scheduled debates on the NHS workforce crisis and the situation in gaza based on MP’s requests

Question 16

what is the role of backbenchers?

Answer 16

ROLE

1. scrutinise the gov through questions and debates (PMQ’s ministerial questions)
   - for example, in 2023, they regularly challenged MP’s on issues like housing and NHS waiting times during PMQ’s
2. raise issues in parliament
   - for example, the hillsborough disaster debate 2011 was brought forward by a backbencher using the backbench business committee
3. reprsent constituents
   - for example, an mp may raise issues about nhs services or train delays affecting their local area

Question 17

what are roles of the public bill committees?

Answer 17

ROLES

1. examine gov bills line by line
   - in 2023, a public committee reviewed the renters bill, scrutinising each clause about landlord and tenant rights
2. propose and debate amendments to bills by suggesting improvements or clarifications
   - for example, during the scrutiny of the online safety bill (2022), mp’s proposed amendments to strengthen protections for children online
3. may invite experts or campaigners to give evidence for major bills
   - for example, for the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill (2021), the committee heard evidence from police officials and civil rights groups like liberty

Question 18

what is the role of the opposition in parliament?

Answer 18

1. hold the gov to account through challenging them on their decisions, policies and conduct
   - for example, in 2023, kier starmer questioned sunak over nhs waiting times, economic instability and immigration policy during PMQ’s
2. providing an alternative gov (gov in waiting)
   - for example, labour’s 2024 proposals on green energy and rail nationalisation positioned them as a policy driven alternative to the cons
3. challenge misuse of power and the gov’s transparency
   - for example, in party gate (2022-2023), labour and SNP MP’s repeatedly challenged the cons over breaches of lockdown rules, helping lead to Johnson’s resignation