Topic 3 - Parliament Flashcards
(26 cards)
How is the House of Commons structured?
650 elected MPs representing constituencies, including frontbenchers and backbenchers.
What is the basic salary of MPs as of 2024?
£91,346 plus expenses for staff and travel.
What is Parliamentary privilege?
Legal immunity for MPs when speaking in debates, allowing free speech without risk of being sued or prosecuted.
What do whips do?
Ensure party discipline, encourage MPs to vote along party lines, and manage dissent.
What is the role of the Speaker in the House of Commons?
Chairs Commons debates, maintains order, and ensures fairness while being politically neutral.
What are the differences between Hereditary and Life Peers?
Hereditary: Titles passed through family, only 92 remain post-1999 reforms. Life Peers: Appointed for life, cannot be inherited, often based on merit.
How has the House of Lords changed since 1958?
Introduced life peers, removed most hereditary peers, and became more diverse and expertise-based.
What has been a failure in the reform of the House of Lords since 1999?
Attempts for an elected chamber have collapsed due to lack of cross-party support.
How did the Parliament Act change the role/power of the House of Lords?
1911 Act limited Lords’ power to veto money bills to a 2-year delay; 1949 Act reduced it to 1 year.
What is financial privilege?
Commons can override Lords on financial bills, as Lords can’t block money-related legislation.
What is confidence and supply?
An informal agreement where a smaller party supports the government on key votes.
How does the Salisbury Convention affect the House of Commons and the House of Lords?
Lords won’t block government manifesto bills, upholding Commons’ democratic mandate.
What is the reasonable time convention?
Lords are expected to consider bills in a timely manner.
What is secondary legislation?
Laws made by ministers under powers given in primary Acts of Parliament.
How has the House of Lords become more assertive since 1999?
More independent with many crossbenchers, fewer party whips, and repeated defeats of government legislation.
What are the debates regarding the relative powers of the Commons and Lords?
Lords: more scrutiny and expertise; Commons: democratic legitimacy and elected.
What are the arguments for reforming the House of Lords?
- Democratic legitimacy
- Transparency and accountability
What are the arguments against reforming the House of Lords?
- Risk of gridlock with elected chamber
- Lords bring expertise and independence
What are the different stages of the legislative process?
- First Reading
- Second Reading
- Committee Stage
- Report Stage
- Third Reading
- Lords Consideration
- Royal Assent
What are the three different types of private members’ bills?
- Ballot Bills: Chosen by lottery
- Ten Minute Rule Bills: Introduced with a short speech
- Presentation Bills: Formally introduced without choice
What is secondary legislation?
Laws made by ministers under authority from primary legislation.
What different types of legislatures are there?
- Bicameral: Two chambers
- Unicameral: One chamber
- Active: Parliament initiates and amends laws
- Passive: Mostly approves laws proposed by government
How is Parliament’s effectiveness limited by the dominance of the executive?
- Majority governments can dominate legislative agenda
- Whipping reduces independent scrutiny
- Government controls timetable and resources
How effective can the opposition be in scrutinising and holding the government to account?
- Can question ministers, propose amendments, and lead debates
- Effectiveness depends on size, unity, and media support
