ENOUGH HAS BEEN DONE 1911: After Lords rejected Liberal’s ‘People’s Budget’ in 1909. Could only delay for 2 years and couldn’t delay money bills. 1949: could delay for one year - the Commons can use the 1949 PA to force the bill through - allows the Lords to delay a...
SCRUTINY Scrutinise the actions of the public and government. Health Select Committee inquiry (2011) into public health identified problems with the coalition government's proposals for NHS reform. It helped persuade the government to make significant changes to the...
LIMITED IMPACT A government with a majority in the Commons will also have a majority in committees. Ministers and civil servants may not provide much information when questioned, and access to documents may be denied. They have no power to propose policy — governments...
BBBC It decides the topic for debate on the floor of the Commons and in Westminster Hall for roughly 1 day per week. MPs pitch ideas for debate to the committee, which takes account of backbench opinion and select committee reports when determining subjects for...
BBs UNDERREPRESENTED Only thirteen Fridays are allocated each year for PMBs, which amounts to a maximum of 65 hours, in which a large number of bills aim to be considered. The Citizenship (Armed Forces) Act (2014) was one of just three ballot bills to pass that year,...
DESCRIPTIVE The Lords is not only undemocratic, but also unrepresentative. As of March 2017, there were 207 female Peers in the House of Lords, 25% of the 794-sitting total, up slightly from 181 in 2012. A report released by Parliament in June 2016, claims that there...
LEGISLATION The legislative programme of Parliament is determined by the government, and the nature of the majoritarian first past-the-post electoral system, which almost always produces majority government means that, with party discipline, government bills virtually...
BBBC Created in 2010 and has given MPs opp to shape agenda. Decides topic for debate 1 day a week. E-petitions that attract more than 100,000 signatures are often debated – 32 between 2011-15 and one on a second EU referendum in 2016. Gov does not have to respond to...
MPS ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO QUESTION THE GOVERNMENT Parliamentary questions:an opportunity for MPs and Lords to question government ministers about matters for which they are responsible. This usually entails more detailed questioning and ministers are given notice...
PARLIAMENT ACTS 1911: After Lords rejected Liberal’s ‘People’s Budget’ in 1909 – financial privilege. Could only delay for 2 years and couldn’t delay money bills. 1949: could delay for one year - the Commons can use the 1949 PA to force the bill through - allows the...
ISSUES WITH QUESTIONING OF GOVERNMENT MP’s will generally try to embarrass the PM by highlighting policy failures - provides parliamentary theatre rather than effective scrutiny. Qs are usually pre-prepared and used for partisan point scoring. In 2015-16, 35,000...
LEGISLATION The fusion of powers and divisions with the main opposition make it difficult to challenge government bills. The fusion of powers also allows the party whips to offer the prospect of future promotion into a ministerial position to keep backbench MPs loyal....
GOOD SCRUTINY OF EXEC MPs express their views and try to influence policy in a range of debates on current events and government actions. Half hour adjournment debates held at the end of each day give MPs a chance to raise a particular issue. Debates give the...
LEGISLATION Whereas a government with a large majority can usually rely upon the whips to persuade sufficient MPs to support its agenda, a slim majority, or a coalition, can make this much more difficult. When University College London examined 12 bills from...
OPPOSITION The opposition can only choose the topic for debate on 20 days of the parliamentary year (‘opposition days’) Gov suffered a rare defeat on an opposition motion in 2010 when Liberal Democrats initiated a debate on the Brown government’s refusal to grant...
REPRESENTATION An elected House of Lords would be more democratic and could be more descriptively representative. The Lords is not only undemocratic, but also unrepresentative. As of March 2017, there were 207 female Peers in the House of Lords, 25% of the 794-sitting...
READINGS AND COMMITTEE STAGE First Reading: formal presentation of title by minister from dept. Second Reading: the main debate on the principle of the bill + vote. Committee Stage: bills are sent to a Public Bill Committee (new one established for each bill) where...
PUBLIC BILLS PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS Initiated by backbench MPs. Early in each parliamentary session, 20 names of MPs who wish to introduce a bill are drawn in a ballot. Only a small number of private members’ bills become law. Two landmark laws to originate as private...
SURGERIES MP’s hold regular surgeries, in which constituents can discuss problems, this ensures they represent their constituent’s best interests. The ‘Audit of Political Engagement’ (2007) showed that- 41% of people were satisfied with their local MP and 12%...
LEGISLATION Legislative process SCRUTINY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Parliament can scrutinise government legislative proposals. Parliament can scrutinise the actions of the executive and ensure they are accountable to their actions - the convention of individual ministerial...
BURKEAN (TRUSTEE) Elected representatives are entrusted by voters with the responsibility of governing for all. Representatives are free to serve the people as they think best. DELEGATE Elected representatives are delegated the responsibility to act in the interests...
REPRESENT CONSTITUENTS MPs will hold 'surgeries' where local people can meet with their MP Some MPs send out newsletters to their constituents and communicate via their own website or social media accounts. MPs are asked to attend a large number of meetings and...
LEGISLATE A bill may begin in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. If a bill originates in the Commons, once it has passed its third reading it is passed to the House of Lords – discussed, examined by committee, amendments made and voted on and sent back to...
SCRUTINY OF GOVERNMENT POLICY It proposes motions and amendments to legislation and is able to get these debated. Receive ‘short money’ to support research on topics and provide some balance in resources against the Government that has the whole of the civil service...
SCRUTINISE THE POLICY/ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT The Liaison Committee scrutinises the PM twice a year - only meets for 4 hours every 6 months – Johnson failed to attend 3 consecutive times in 2019. Foreign Affairs Com (2016) inquired into Cameron’s actions in Libya in...
SIZE OF MAJORITY FPTP usually delivers a working majority. A government with a large majority is in a commanding position, able to push legislation through by using whip system and controlling timetable – the larger the majority, the more difficult for other parties...
PARLIAMENT ACTS (1911+49) 1911: After Lords rejected Liberal’s ‘People’s Budget’ in 1909. Could only delay for 2 years and couldn’t delay money bills. 1949: could delay for one year - the Commons can use the 1949 PA to force the bill through - allows the Lords to...