Parliament Explained: Introduction to Parliament
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Parliament Explained: Introduction to Parliament
- 3. What is Parliament? House of Commons House of Lords The Monarch The Queen
- 4. What is the role of the Queen? • politically neutral • signs off laws passed by Parliament (Royal Assent) • opens Parliament each session
- 5. The House of Commons
- 6. The House of Lords
- 7. The core tasks of Parliament Makes and passes laws (Legislation) Holds Government to account Enables the Government to set taxes
- 8. The 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 Parliament – is accountable to Parliament
- 9. Parliament (Westminster) • Commons, Lords and Monarch • holds Government to account • passes laws Government (Whitehall) • some MPs and some Lords, chosen by the Prime Minister • runs Government departments and public services
- 10. Legislation
- 11. Types of legislation • Public Bills are proposed changes to general law o Government Bills o Private Members Bills • Private Bills are local /one-off changes to laws • Hybrid Bills are a mixture of the above • Delegated/Secondary Legislation
- 12. Passage of a bill
- 13. Scrutiny of legislation • Green Papers and White Papers • Pre-legislative committees, Draft bills • Passage of a bill – Public Bill committees – MPs and members of the House of Lords • Act of Parliament • Post-legislative scrutiny
- 20. Select Committees • scrutinise specific areas of work and Government departments • carry out public inquiries • groups and individuals can submit evidence • relevant Government Department is required to respond to report
- 25. Questions and debates Parliamentary Questions • written or spoken questions asked by MPs and Lords, directed at the Government Written Ministerial Statements • Can be in response to oral questions not answered or ways of informing the House without coming to the chamber Debates • debates happen every day that the House of Commons or the House of Lords are sitting.
- 26. Other ways MPs can raise issues? Petitions • usually a call on Government for action regarding an issue (local or national) Early Day Motions • a published statement allowing MPs to show their opinion on a specific subject
- 27. • Only includes provisions on imposition and alteration of taxes to raise money for central Govt • Controversial, important or novel provisions dealt with by Committee of whole House The Finance Bill
- 28. • Lords debates, but does not amend Finance Bills by convention • Lords do not debate Finance Bills clause by clause by convention The Finance Bill – scrutiny?
- 29. • Government introduced fixed-term Parliaments • End of session just a few weeks after Budget • Provision for Collection of Taxes Act amended by 2011 Finance Act to allow for carry-over of Budgets • Will not apply for dissolution of Parliament prior to elections The Finance Bill – carried over
- 31. Run up to the General Election Lots of Housekeeping • Preparing for new MPs • Organising rooms with the Whips • Organising new technology for Members
- 33. Questions?
- 34. Where can I get information? • www.parliament.uk and @UKParliament • Commons Information Office 020 7219 4272 hcinfo@parliament.uk • Lords Information Office 020 7219 3107 hlinfo@parliament.uk • Parliament’s Outreach Service 020 7219 1650 parliamentaryoutreach@parliament.uk