Powers Of The House Of Commons

Question 1

Name the 3 main functions / powers of the House of Commons.

Answer 1

1. Legislating
2. Scrutinising legislation
3. Representation

Question 2

How does the House of Commons legislate?

Answer 2

• Legislating is the House of Commons most important constitutional function.
• Legislating involves the process of passing legislation and approving public finance.
• The process of considering proposed laws, and then passing them ensures the laws have democratic legitimacy and the support of the people, which is expressed through the House of Commons.

Question 3

How does the House of Commons scrutinise government?

Answer 3

• The HoC can largely scrutinise the government through select committees. Here, members of the HoC investigate the quality of government. For example how well we are governed, whether taxpayers money is being well spent and whether policies have been well investigated.
• It can also take the form of criticising the government, for example every Wednesday for half an hour on PMQs.
• Finally, the HoC can refuse to pass a piece of legislation. When this happens repeatedly, the govt is weakened and appears ineffective. This can force a PM from power, like in 2019 when TM failed to pass Brexit proposals many times through Parliament. Between 2017 - 19, Theresa May suffered 33 defeats

Question 4

How does the House of Commons represent their constituency?

Answer 4

• An MP is expected to represent the interests of all constituents, no matter who they voted for.
• This may involve lobbying a minister whose department is proposing something unpopular in a constituency, or raising the matter in the HoC.

Question 5

What is the most important constitutional function of the House of Commons?

Answer 5

Legislating

Question 6

How does the House of Commons take part in national debate?

Answer 6

National debate happens when a great national issue arises that stands above party politics. Often it is an issue that concerns foreign policy.

Question 7

What is secondary legislation?

Answer 7

Laws created by specific departments and individuals.

Question 8

Give 2 examples of the House of Commons Legislating.

Question 9

What are Private Members Bills?
How many passed from 2017 - 2019?

Answer 9

• PMBs are where backbench MPs develop their own legislation and introduce it to parliament, either through a ballot, a presentation or a ten minute speech.
• Although the MP can present a bill to parliament, their chances of seeing it through to law are low because the government has many opportunities to threat a procedure if it wants to.
• Between 2017 - 19, only 15 PMBs achieved royal assent and became statute laws.

Question 10

Give 3 examples of Private Members Bills that have been passed.

Answer 10

• European Union Withdrawal Act (2019) - Proposed by Yvette Cooper.
• Organ Donation Act (2019) - Proposed by Geoffrey Robinson
• The Voyeurism Act (2019) - Wera Hobhouse.

Question 11

Explain how PMBs can be passed through a ballot.

Answer 11

• The names of backbench MPs can be put in a ballot, and drawn randomly on the second Thursday of a parliamentary session.
• They are allocated specific time to introduce and have the proposed bill discussed.

Question 12

Explain how PMBs can be passed through the Ten minute speech.

Answer 12

The MP can make a 10 minute speech in support of a proposed bill. This method is not generally successful, as time is so limited.

Question 13

Explain how PMBs can be passed through a presentation.

Answer 13

The MP notifies the HoC with their intention to propose a new bill and simply presents the title of the proposed bill to the House, but doesn’t discuss it.

Question 14

Explain what happened in the Voyeurism Offences Act.

Answer 14

• The Sexual Offences Act (2003) criminalised some forms of Voyeurism, but did not cover the new crime of Upskirting.
• Gina Martin, a victim of upskirting, began a campaign to have the practice criminalised.
• In response to the campaign, MP Gina Martin introduced a PMB to the HoC which would have banned the practice of upskirting.
• At the Second Reading an MP shouted oppose, and following a public outcry, the government reintroduced it to the HoC as a government Bill.
• in 2019, the bill gained royal assent and became the Voyeurism Offences Act.

Question 15

What is the most important political function in the HoC?

Answer 15

The scrutiny of government

Question 16

Give 2 examples of the HoC scrutinising government.

Answer 16

1. Select committees-
2. TM

Question 17

Give 2 examples of MPs representing the interests of their constituents.

Answer 17

• Fracking:
• Heathrow Expansion: