Public Affairs HIGH TIER

Question 1

What is the role of the Department of Health?

Answer 1

Improving the health and wellbeing of people in England
Set overall strategic direction of the NHS
Set national standards to improve quality of services
Securing sufficient funds from overall government spending
Working with key partners to deliver the best quality care

Question 2

What is NHS England?

Answer 2

NHS England is an arm’s length body whose job it is to lead the NHS, overseeing the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the NHS in England. They allocate funding to the clinical commissioning groups and oversee their work.

NHS England directly commissions some primary care services, offender healthcare and healthcare for the Armed Forces.

Question 3

What are Integrated care boards?

Answer 3

Replacing the old Clinical Commissioning Groups, ICBs are responsible for commissioning secondary care in the NHS, such as planning hospital care and mental health services as well as some primary care.

They are localised bodies that aim to produce a ‘bottom up’ approach to healthcare planning.

Question 4

What are NHS Trusts?

Answer 4

These bodies ‘run’ NHS services including hospitals, ambulances. Set up like businesses within the NHS, they have control over day-to-day funding, staffing etc for the service.

Question 5

What are Health and Wellbeing Boards?

Answer 5

Every ‘upper tier’ local authority has established a health and wellbeing board to act as a forum for local commissioners across the NHS, social care, public health and other services.

Question 6

What is Health Watch England?

Answer 6

Health Watch England is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in England.
Each local Health Watch (of which there are 152 across the country) covers the same geographical area of each of the Health and Wellbeing Boards

Question 7

What does Health Watch do?

Answer 7

Through the local Health Watch network, Health Watch England gathers evidence to identify national consumer trends and issues in health and social care.

It tells government bodies and local authorities in England about its findings, and reports to Parliament every year.

It can also ask the health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, to take action when we have special concerns.

Question 8

What is NICE?

Answer 8

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Set up by the Labour government in 1999.

Responsible for deciding which drugs and treatments should be available to patients on the NHS
Draws up guidelines for doctors

Aims to eliminate the ‘postcode lottery’ in medical care -

Decisions by NICE only apply in England and Wales.

Sometimes adopted in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Question 9

What do the Care Quality Commission do?

Answer 9

Assesses trusts and health services including dentists, hospitals, care homes etc in the public and private sector and produces publicly-available reports, ranking them from Outstanding to Inadequate.

Carries out annual assessment on state of NHS nationally.

Question 10

Describe and explain the two types of executive decision making in councils

Answer 10

Councils serving 85,000 or more now have one of the following internal structures – leader and cabinet or elected-mayor and cabinet.

the power lies in the hands of an executive/cabinet in a similar way to what we see at national government level. Essentially the party with a majority rules the roost.
Scrutiny committees exist to check the work/decisions of the cabinet.

Question 11

Describe the council leader and cabinet system for local government.

Answer 11

This is where the council leader is voted in by the COUNCIL.
They are usually the leader of the party with the most seats.

Cabinet is chosen by the leader and each cabinet member is given a portfolio of responsibility (environmental services, adult services, development and regeneration etc).

Decisions are made by the cabinet, chaired by the council leader, and are approved by the full council.

Decisions of the cabinet can be called in by scrutiny committees who can send them back with recommendations, but these are are usually ignored.

Question 12

Describe the elected mayor and cabinet

Answer 12

The mayor is elected by the electorate (residents within the borough).
The Mayor will appoint a cabinet who each have an area of responsibility.
They set the budget and formulate significant policy framework plans but amendment or rejection of the proposals requires a two-thirds majority of the council.

Rest of the council have more power each vote is weighted the same.

Question 13

What is a scrutiny committee?

Answer 13

Scrutiny committees exist to act as a check and balance on decisions made by the cabinet.
They have the power to ‘call in’ a decision where they can look at it and make recommendations to the cabinet.
They are pretty toothless, however, as the cabinet can essentially ignore the recommendations and plough on regardless. Sometimes though the publicity created by the scrutiny committee can be enough to force change.

Question 14

How are the local government budgets split up?

Answer 14

Local Government budgets are split into two distinct sections – CAPITAL and REVENUE.

Question 15

What is the capital budget for local councils

Answer 15

This is the money that local authorities/councils spend on the big stuff.
Spending of this kind is done on assets which last more than a year – buildings, vehicle fleets, roads etc.

Question 16

What is revenue funding for local councils?

Answer 16

This is the money that local authorities/councils spend on the day-to-day stuff. Things like staff wages, utilities, services etc.

Question 17

Where does money for councils come from?

Answer 17

Borrowing
Grant
Capital receipts
PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership)
Government grants
Council tax
Business rates
Other local fees and charges

Question 18

What are the sources of capital funding?

Answer 18

Borrowing – just like businesses councils borrow money to fund capital projects. They have to demonstrate an ability to pay back the money in much the same way. They are free to borrow what they want although the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy do set guidelines they’re meant to follow.
The repayment of any loans is essentially a REVENUE cost which means that in a time when councils are being forced to make savings, less are inclined to want to take out big loans.

Grants – these have come from a variety of sources in the past – central Government, European Union, National Lottery. Councils bid for the funding and don’t have to pay it back.

Capital receipts – this is using the money made from selling off other assets such as buildings. Trouble councils have with this is that they have loads of stuff they want to sell but no-one wants to buy it.

PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership) – this is where the public sector body (in our case the council) signs an agreement with a private sector partner to design, finance and build the facility, which it then leases. Positive is that it doesn’t require the council to find the cash upfront but the negative is it will cost more in the long run.

Question 19

How do councils borrow money for capital funding?

Answer 19

Just like businesses councils borrow money to fund capital projects. They have to demonstrate an ability to pay back the money in much the same way. They are free to borrow what they want although the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy do set guidelines they’re meant to follow.

Question 20

What are capital receipts?

Answer 20

this is using the money made from selling off other assets such as buildings. Trouble councils have with this is that they have loads of stuff they want to sell but no-one wants to buy it.

Question 21

What is PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership)

Answer 21

this is where the public sector body (in our case the council) signs an agreement with a private sector partner to design, finance and build the facility, which it then leases. Positive is that it doesn’t require the council to find the cash upfront but the negative is it will cost more in the long run.

Question 22

Describe government grants

Answer 22

known as the local government finance settlement, this is the amount of cash each council is given by central Government.
Grants generally come as two types – formula and specific.
Formula grants can essentially be spent on whatever the council wants while specific grants are ring-fenced and must be spent on specific areas (schools etc). The majority of grants are formula grants.

Question 23

Describe council tax (revenue funding)

Answer 23

this is the money the council collects from domestic properties. Every domestic property (houses, flats etc) are put into one of eight bandings (A-H) based on value with those Band A properties paying the lowest share and those in Band H paying the highest share.

Discounts are available for empty properties, single-occupancy etc.
Councils set their own level of council tax but can only increase by a max of 2% per year unless they hold a referendum.
For last few years they have been allowed to add a precept of a further 2% to pay for adult services.

Question 24

What are business rates?

Answer 24

similar to council tax but charged on business/commercial properties. Set by the central Government, collected by the local council, sent to the central Government who then redistributes it to councils as part of the formula grant settlement.

Question 25

What are the external structures of local government?

Answer 25

Unitary, two-tier and hybrid.

Question 26

What is a unitary structure of local government?

Answer 26

This is a single-tier all purpose council which looks after all services in a specific area. Often found in metropolitan areas/cities etc. Each of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Trafford, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Wigan – is represented by a unitary council.

Question 27

What is a two tier system of local government?

Answer 27

This is when a specific area is served by two tiers of council – usually a county council (upper tier) and a district/city/borough council (lower tier). Both tiers look after different services: The upper tier looks after ‘major’ services such as education, adult social services, children’s social services, waste disposal, strategic planning. The lower tier looks after other services such as waste collection, housing, planning applications, elections, council tax collection. An example is Surrey County Council and the 11 district councils covering the same area.

Question 28

What is a hybrid system of local government?

Answer 28

This is when a unitary authority exists in a geographical area which is predominantly two-tier. Examples include Brighton being a unitary despite the rest of East Sussex being two-tier. Brighton exists as its own entity and gets no services from East Sussex County Council.

Question 29

Are local government meetings accessible to the public?

Answer 29

All principal authority meetings, including cabinets, full council, committees and sub-committees (name them) are open to press and public. They can however be removed if the council are dealing with confidential or exempt information.

Question 30

What would qualify as confidential information in a council meeting?

Answer 30

Information supplied by government departments on terms forbidding public disclosure Information prohibited from being disclosed under statute or by the courts. Example relating to national security prohibited by anti-terror laws. Confidential information carries an automatic exclusion.

Question 31

What would qualify as exempt information in a council meeting?

Answer 31

Exempt information: Issues judged a personal or commercially sensitive (terms of contracts) Matters in the process of being negotiated (contractual negotiations) Issues protected by legal privilege (discussing confidential legal advice) Exempt information does not carry an automatic exclusion (subject to a vote) Councillors may divide meeting in two with confidential/exempt items discussed in the second half of the meeting. They may hold a vote to exclude press and public during specific agenda items Must be formally proposed, seconded and carried – citing reasons for the exclusion (citing the 1985 Act)

Question 32

How are councillors paid?

Answer 32

Councillors are not salaried, instead receiving allowances paid monthly (like a salary). There are three types of councillors allowances to be aware of: Basic allowance: A flat rate payment for all councillors (average £7,000 a year in England) Special responsibility allowances: Additional payment for posts of greater responsibility such as council leader or cabinet member Other allowances: Subsistence, travel, childcare, internet Councillors set their own allowances, which are also reviewed by the Independent Remuneration Panel. However councillors can reject the findings of the panel.

Question 33

What access to information must councillors provide?

Answer 33

Public registers – councillors’ names and addresses and committees they serve on Agendas – at least five clear days before meeting takes place Background papers – used to prepare reports, must be listed but a ‘reasonable fee’ may be charged if you want a copy Minutes of previous meetings should be available on request ‘Reasonable accommodation’ must be provided for press and public – including overflow rooms and audio/video feeds

Question 34

What must local governments publish as part of the local government transparency code?

Answer 34

Any spending transactions over £500 Location of public land & assets (e.g. social housing) Senior salaries in brackets of £5k (over £50k with job titles, over £150k with names) Organisational charts (top three staff levels, with contact details) Contracts Council constitution Number of employees being investigated for fraud

Question 35

Describe councillors

Answer 35

elected politicians within local authorities. The majority of councillors represent a political party, although some are independent. Their job is to represent their ward (local area within the borough/city), help make and pass policy decisions, take part in debates.

Question 36

What are council officers?

Answer 36

Officers are not elected but employed by the council. They are essentially the experts in each department (like the civil service). Whereas the political head of a department might change if a different party takes power, it’s highly unlikely that officers will change. Their job is to advise councillors, implement policy, deal with the logistics of decisions.

Question 37

What are main powers of the PM?

Answer 37

Appoint fellow ministers to the crown Chair meetings of the cabinet at least once a week Appoint members of cabinet committees Keep the sovereign informed of government business on a weekly basis Declare war and peace (would now, more than likely, require a vote in parliament) Recommend the passage of government bills to royal assent Recommend the dissolution of parliament for a general election (less relevant now with introduction of fixed-term parliaments)

Question 38

Who makes up the cabinet?

Answer 38

The Cabinet is made up of the Prime Minister and the various Secretaries of State (the political heads of each Government department). This is the body which makes decisions. Secretaries of State are the people in charge of departments and they’re expected to come up with policy within their department, answer for it in Parliament, be the public face of the department.

Question 39

What are the roles of ministers?

Answer 39

Other Government ministerial ranks include Minister of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. These look after specific areas of policy within a department (eg. in the Department for Education there are ministers for school standards, universities etc). These are classed as ‘junior ministers’.

Question 40

What is collective responsibility?

Answer 40

This is a constitutional convention that members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in the cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them This support includes voting for the government in the legislature

Question 41

What is ministerial responsibility/ or individual ministerial responsibility?

Answer 41

This is a convention that a cabinet minister bears ultimate responsibility for the actions of their ministry or department Where there is ministerial responsibility, the accountable minister is expected to take the blame and ultimately resign, but the majority of coalition within Parliament of which the Minister is part, is not held answerable for that Minister’s failure This means that if waste, corruption or any other misbehaviour is found to have occurred within the ministry, the minister is responsible even if they had no knowledge of the actions

Question 42

What type of monarchy does the UK have?

Answer 42

The United Kingdom has a constitutional monarchy, which is one which reigns but does not rule. The Monarch should play, by convention, no day-to-day role in politics.

Question 43

How is the power of the monarchy split?

Answer 43

Actual powers, as you would expect, are those carried out by the monarch him or herself. Notional powers are those which are deferred to the Executive (Government) under the royal prerogative and are carried out by the Government.

Question 44

What are the actual powers of the monarchy?

Answer 44

reading the King’s Speech at the annual State Opening of Parliament or shortly after a general election; creating peers and conferring knighthoods and honours in person, meeting the Prime Minister once a week to discuss Cabinet business, entertaining visiting heads of state at Buckingham Palace, chairing meetings of the Privy Council,

Question 45

What is the Privy Council?

Answer 45

A body of advisors made up of members of the current and previous Cabinets which issues Royal Charters etc and attending the Trooping of the Colour, the monarch’s annual birthday parade.

Question 46

What are notional powers?

Answer 46

The notional powers are carried out by the Prime Minister/Government and include: Dissolving and summoning Parliament, calling elections and forming new parliaments after the results are in; Royal Assent to Bills passed by Parliament; Appointing ministers and other senior public officials, including judges, diplomats, governors, officers in the armed forces, police chief constables and CofE bishops and archbishops; Devising the legislative agenda for each parliamentary year and writing the King’s Speech which makes these proposals public at the State Opening of Parliament; Declaring war and peace; suspending of the activities of Parliament for holiday periods such as the summer recess and the Christmas and Easter breaks; Drawing up a list of nominations – in consultation with the leaders of the opposition parties – for peerages, knighthoods and other honours.

Question 47

How is the monarchy funded?

Answer 47

The work of the King and the Royal Family is funded three ways: the Sovereign Grant, the Privy Purse and the King’s personal wealth.

Question 48

What is the Sovereign Grant?

Answer 48

The sovereign grant replaced three previous funding sources – the civil list paid by the Exchequer, and grants-in-aid for royal travel and the maintenance of royal. Funding for the Sovereign Grant comes from a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue (initially set at 15% but currently higher – 25% - to help pay for the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace). The Crown Estate is a commercial portfolio of land and assets that is managed by an independent organisation which manages the properties. The King does not own these properties and the other 85% (currently 75%) goes into the public purse.

Question 49

What is the privy purse?

Answer 49

is an historic name for the Duchy of Lancaster, another portfolio of land, property and assets which is held in trust and the profits used to fund the work of the monarchy. Assets predominantly in the north west of England.

Question 50

Describe the Department of Education

Answer 50

Current Education Secretary is Bridget Phillipson It is directly responsible for state schools in the UK Also responsible for policies surrounding the safeguarding and protection of children, early years education – such as nurseries – families and issues around teenage pregnancy. Big remit with the burden for most of what it does shared with the local authorities

Question 51

What is a local education authority?

Answer 51

A local education authority (LEA) is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction In a two-tier system it would be the upper tier while in a unitary/hybrid system it would be the individual unitary authority Since the Children Act 2004, each local education authority is also a children's services authority and responsibility for both functions is held by the director(s) of children's services

Question 52

What are the responsibilities of an LEA?

Answer 52

They are responsible for distribution and monitoring of funding for the schools They are responsible for co-ordination of admissions, including allocation of the number of places available at each school They are the direct employers of all staff in community and voluntary controlled schools – and decide catchment areas of community schools Proposes new schools or close existing ones if too few/too many places available They have a responsibility for the educational achievement of looked-after children, i.e. children in their care They have attendance and advisory rights in relation to the employment of teachers, and in relation to the dismissal of any staff Also look after pre-school education, including nurseries, registered childminders and other early years childcare providers

Question 53

Describe School Governors

Answer 53

School governors play a key role in maintaining and raising standards of schools In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, every state school has a governing body, consisting of specified numbers of various categories of governors depending on the type and size of school

Question 54

Describe community schools

Answer 54

Primary and secondary (comprehensive) schools set up and run by the local authority which owns and maintains the buildings - largest category of schools in England and Wales Most of the funding for the school comes from central government through the local authority which employs the staff and oversees the running of the school

Question 55

Describe Academies

Answer 55

Still state schools, still funded by taxes but receive money directly from central government (via Education and Skills Funding Agency) - there is no Local Education Authority intermediary Accountable to Education Secretary All-ability schools Independently run by an academy trust can employ unqualified teachers and do not have to follow national pay scale do not have to follow the National Curriculum Have some control over admissions

Question 56

Describe Free schools

Answer 56

Free schools are set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, but funded directly by central government They can be run by an "education provider" - an organisation or company brought in by the group setting up the school - but these firms are not allowed to make a profit The first Free Schools opened in September 2011, just 15 months after Michael Gove invited proposals from groups interested in setting up a new type of school The schools are established as academies, independent of local authorities and with increased control over their curriculum, teachers' pay and conditions, and the length of school terms and days Similar schools exist in the United States and in Sweden - in these countries, non-profit and profit-making groups, can set up schools funded by the government, but free from its control (these schools are called Charter Schools in the US)

Question 57

What are the similarities and differences between free schools and academies

Answer 57

Similarities Independent of LEAs and decide their own curriculum Have to admit all abilities and be non-selective Have control over teachers’ pay and conditions, length of school days and terms Funded by central government Inspected by Ofsted Differences Free schools are new creations - existing schools cannot change to free schools Can be set up essentially by anyone in any building

Question 58

Describe Grammar schools

Answer 58

Successive Labour and Conservative governments have played ‘ping pong’ with future of grammar schools There are still 163 in England, but the creation of new ones was banned in School Standards and Framework Act 1999 But in 2017, Weald of Kent Grammar School built a £19m ‘annex’ in Sevenoaks, Kent – ten miles away from its main site – effectively first ‘new’ grammar school in five decades

Question 59

What is the national curriculum

Answer 59

The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988 It does not apply to independent schools, which may set their own curricula, but it ensures that state schools of all Local Education Authorities have a common curriculum Academies, while publicly funded, have a significant degree of autonomy in deviating from the National Curriculum

Question 60

What is Ofsted

Answer 60

The Office of Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)

Question 61

What is the role of Ofsted?

Answer 61

The services Ofsted inspects or regulates include: local services, childminding, child day care, children’s centres, children’s social care, CAFCASS, state schools, independent schools and teacher training providers, and colleges and learning and skills providers in England It also monitors the work of the Independent Schools Inspectorate

Question 62

Describe Ofsted inspections

Answer 62

Schools have a full inspection every three years if ‘good’ or after two years if ‘requires improvement’ Usually notified around midday the day before A team of inspectors observe and grade lessons and publish report on Ofsted’s website It judges the schools as: Outstanding Good Requires improvement Inadequate: Serious weaknesses – below standard but able to improve Special measures – failing to provide an adequate education, it will be closely monitored and re-inspected within two years May appoint a new temporary governing body - forced by law to convert to an academy if a maintained school While Ofsted will continue to inspect schools and use this system to rate them across sub-categories, Labour has now scrapped the overarching one word rating with immediate effect

Question 63

What is the cabinet?

Answer 63

Collective decision-making body of the government - meets weekly at 10 Downing Street Made up of government’s most senior ministers - appointed by the Prime Minister

Question 64

What are the three main roles in a government department?

Answer 64

Secretary of State, Minister of State, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary

Question 65

What is the role of a secretary of state?

Answer 65

Head of a major department is a Secretary of State - all Secretaries of State sit in the Cabinet

Question 66

What is the role of the civil service?

Answer 66

If Cabinet draws up the plans (architect) the civil service puts them in place (builder) - delivers public services Employees of the Crown (not government) and must remain politically neutral both in and out of work

Question 67

What is a permanent secretary?

Answer 67

Most senior civil servant in each department

Question 68

What is a permanent secretary?

Answer 68

Most senior civil servant in each department Supports the government minister at the head of the department, who is accountable to Parliament for the department's actions and performance Stays in post when government changes

Question 69

How many MPs sit in parliament?

Answer 69

650 elected Members of Parliament (MPs)

Question 70

How many peers in the HoL?

Answer 70

around 800

Question 71

What is a backbencher?

Answer 71

A ‘backbencher’ is the term for a member of parliament who does not hold any ministerial office or a role in the official opposition front bench

Question 72

What is the role of select committees?

Answer 72

Scrutinises a specific government department and public authorities relating to it Have powers to summon MPs, senior civil servants and public officials

Question 73

Who are whips?

Answer 73

People charged with ‘whipping in to line’ backbenchers Led by chief whip (current government chief whip is Sir Alan Campbell) – must persuade MPs to vote with leadership of party

Question 74

What is the whip?

Answer 74

Weekly circular sent to MPs and Peers – this is a memo detailing upcoming parliamentary business along with expectation of how they will vote Three-line whip is the most serious – and MPs must vote on this the way their party expects or risk ‘losing the whip’ Two-line whip – MPs must attend unless pairing is arranged One-line whip on non-party political issues or ‘votes of conscience’

Question 75

What is the party whip?

Answer 75

Refers to ‘membership’ of the party, can be withdrawn if MP does not toe the party line Classic example is when Boris Johnson withdrew the whip from 21 Tory MPs in September 2019 for voting against the government line regarding an amendment to prevent a No Deal Brexit

Question 76

How does a bill pass?

Answer 76

Green & white papers Can start in either House of Commons or House of Lords First reading – title of the Bill is read out, formal launch of Bill Second reading – first debate about the principles of the Bill Committee stage – scrutiny of Bill by a committee of MPs Report stage – returns to House for further debate Third Reading – final chance to debate current contents of Bill Same stages in the House of Lords (or Commons if started in Lords) Consideration of Amendments – both Houses agree on the wording of the Bill Royal Assent – formally becomes law but is just a formality