Introduction to the UK Parliament and how it works. Produced by the UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Service, September 2016.

1. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Parliament Explained
Kate Anderson
Senior Outreach and Engagement Officer
andersonk@parliament.uk
@KateAHoP

2. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
The UK Parliament is made up of:
a) House of Commons and House of Lords
b) House of Commons and Government
c) Government and Monarch
d) House of Commons, House of Lords
and Monarch

3. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
How many MPs are there in the House
of Commons?
a) 678
b) 664
c) 650
d) 659

4. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
How can people become members of
the House of Lords?
a) Members of the public nominate them
b) An independent Commission
recommends them
c) The Prime Minister chooses them
d) Their titles are passed down to them
through their family
e) All of the above

5. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
What is the UK Parliament?
House
of Commons
The monarch
(The Queen)
House of
Lords

6. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Which TWO answers describe the work of
the UK Parliament?
a) running Government departments
b) checking up on the work of
Government
c) being the highest court of appeal in the
UK
d) making new laws

7. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
The UK Government
The party with (usually)
the majority of seats in the
House of Commons forms the
Government
The Government:
 Runs public departments
(e.g. Home Office)
 Proposes new laws to the UK
Parliament
 Is accountable to Parliament

8. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
UK Parliament UK Government
• Commons, Lords and Monarch
• Holds Government to account
• Makes laws
• Enables the Government to raise and
spend money
• Some MPs and some Lords,
chosen by the Prime Minister
• Runs Government departments
and public services

10. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Types of legislation
Public Bills are proposed changes to general law
• Government Bills
• Private Members Bills
Private Bills are local /one-off changes to laws
Hybrid Bills are a mixture of the above
Delegated/Secondary Legislation

11. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
The House of Lords pass more
changes (amendments) to
legislation than the House of
Commons.
a) True
b) False
c) Both Houses pass approximately the
same number of amendments

12. www.parliament.uk/get-involved

13. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Select Committees

14. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
What are Select Committees?
• Select Committees scrutinise the work, policies and
spending of the UK Government
• They run in-depth inquires
• They want to hear public’s views and experiences
• The Government must respond to their reports

15. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Select Committees
• Committees control work programme
• Independent of Government
• Seek consensus
• Programmes are flexible
• Inquiries are based on evidence received
• Anyone can submit evidence

16. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Inquiry Announced
Call for Evidence
Written Evidence Deadline
Oral Evidence Sessions
Report Preparation
Publication of Report
Government Response

17. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
All-party parliamentary groups
• All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups set up
by backbench MPs and Peers from different parties.
• APPGs focus on either a country or subject.
• Some groups involve individuals and organisations from
outside Parliament to help with administration, research
and other activities.
• The Register of All-Party Groups shows who their senior
members are and what support groups receive from
outside Parliament.

18. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
House of Commons Library Blog:
http://commonslibraryblog.com/
Twitter: @commonslibrary
Read the research prepared for
Peers and MPs
The Libraries of
the UK Parliament and
POST

19. www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Get involved
 Contact your MP or a member of the House of Lords
 Follow relevant Select Committees on Twitter
 Share your expertise with a Select Committee
 Access parliamentary briefings and topical research
Find out more at www.parliament.uk/get-involved or
call the House of Commons Enquiry service on 0800 112 4272 or the House of Lords
Enquiry Service on 020 7219 3107
andersonk@parliament.uk
@KateAHoP