Parliament Explained: Civil Service Communicators

for Government Communicators

Parliament Explained

Part 1: What is Parliament?

Part 2: Legislation

Break

Part 3: Scrutiny of Government

Part 4: Public Engagement with Parliament

Programme

Questions?

Part 1: What is Parliament?

What is Parliament?

House of Commons

House of Lords

The Monarch

What does Parliament do?

Makes and passes laws(Legislation)

Holds Government to account

Enables the Government to set taxes

The party or parties who can command the confidence of the Houseof Commons forms the Government

The Government: runs Government departments proposes new laws to Parliament is accountable to Parliament

The Government

• Commons, Lords, Monarch

• Holds Government to account• Passes laws• Enables taxation• Represents public • Raises key issues

Parliament(Westminster)

• Some MPs and some Lords

• Chosen by the Prime Minister

• Runs Government departments and public services

• Accountable to Parliament

Government(Whitehall)

The House of Commons

The democratically elected chamber of Parliament

There are currently 650 MPs

The House of Commons

All MPs are elected every 5 years

The House of Lords

The second Chamber, also known as the revising House

No party, or combination of parties has an overall majority in the House of Lords

There are also many Cross-Benchers in the Lords, who are independent of party

Around 760 eligible Peers

The House of Lords

Scrutinise legislation in detail

Hold Ministers to account through questions and debates

Debate key issues at length and in detail

Scrutinise EU legislation

Bring experience to bear on issues of the day

The role of the House of Lords

The work of Parliament

Questions?

Part 2: Legislation

Government and individual members can propose laws

All legislation proposed by the Government must be scrutinised by both Houses of Parliament

Members can suggest changes (“amendments”) at particular stages

Much of the most careful scrutiny goes on in Committee, particularly in the House of Lords

Legislation

A bill can start in either the Lords or Commons

Both Houses must agree on a text

Must pass by the end of the Parliamentary Session (but can sometimes “carry-over”)

Procedures balance need for scrutiny and Government right to its programme

Principles

The Government publishes some Bills in draft form before they are introduced formally in Parliament

These draft Bills will usually be accompanied by a Government consultation

They receive pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament

The draft Bill will be considered either by an existing Select Committee or a Committee put together specially for this purpose

Draft Bills

Types of Bills

Public Bills◦ either Government or Private Members’ Bills

Private Bills◦ “legislation of a special kind for conferring

particular powers or benefits on any person or body of persons – including individuals, local authorities, companies, or corporations” (Erskine May)

Hybrid Bills◦ affect “a particular private interest in a

manner different from the private interest of other persons or bodies of the same category or class” (Speaker Hylton-Foster) Eg. Crossrail Bill

Stages of a Bill

Second Reading

First substantive proceedings on the Bill, usually a whole day

Debate on general principles of Bill Debate will usually be opened or wound up by

Cabinet minister in charge of the Bill Opponents of a Bill can table a “reasoned

amendment” – statement of reasons why Bill should be rejected

Often no vote at Second Reading

What’s next?

Most Bills committed to a Public Bill Committee

Some Bills considered “in Committee” on the floor of the House: known as Committee of the whole House (CwH)◦ Major constitutional importance (e.g. Fixed-

Term Parliaments Bill)◦ Emergency legislation (e.g. Northern Ireland

(St Andrews Agreement) Bill) Bills can be divided between CwH and PBC –

Finance Bill

Public Bill Committee

1.Take oral and written evidence◦ Public can submit evidence like a Select

Committee inquiry◦ Written evidence published on website and

circulated to Members

2.Line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill

Public Bill Committee

Whip

Whip

Amendments

Can be tabled by any Member of the House Clerks advise backbenchers and Opposition

front bench on amendments as required Amendments grouped together to assist

debate Amendments must be in order: relevant and

within scope Chair has power of selection of amendments Not all amendments formally put to decision

Tip: amendment papers can be found on the Bill pages at www.parliament.uk/business/bills-and-legislation

Report Stage and Third Reading

New version of Bill “as amended in Committee” printed and debated on the floor of the House

Any Member can table amendments Grouping and selection as at Committee, but more

stringent Different order of consideration

◦ New clauses◦ Amendments to clauses◦ New schedules◦ Amendments to schedules

Third Reading: ◦ one hour, immediately after Report◦ Similar to Second Reading

What now?

After Third Reading, Bill goes to the House of Lords

Lords undertakes same process with some differences◦ Committee stage in the Lords on the floor of

the House◦ No programming◦ Amendments possible at Third Reading◦ Financial legislation (“Money Bills”) passed

with little scrutiny◦ No Government majority

Ping-pong (Consideration of Amendments)

Either:◦ No amendments in Lords, straight to Royal Assent

Or:◦ amendments sent back to Commons for

consideration◦ Commons can accept, disagree, amend, offer

amendments in lieu◦ “ping-pong” between Houses can go on for some

time◦ Bill can be lost on “double insistence”◦ Reasons Committees

Royal Assent

Once both Houses agree the text of a Bill, submitted to the Queen for Royal Assent

Speaker announces Royal Assent in the Commons

The Parliament Acts The Parliament Act 1911 and the Parliament Act

1949 define the relationship between the Commons and the Lords in terms of the passage of legislation

If Commons passes a Bill in two successive Sessions and the Lords rejects it, it can become law after the second rejection without the consent of the Lords

Used very rarely – last was the passage of the Hunting Act 2004

MPs and Lords can introduce their own Bills In the Commons, MPs can bring in a Bill through

the 10-minute rule

MPs can also enter the Private Members Bill ballot every session

Members of both Houses can also simply present new Bills, but they are not guaranteed any debating time

Private Members’ Bills

Questions?

15 minute Break

Part 3: Scrutiny of Government

Questions to Ministers

Urgent questions

Opposition and Back-Bench debates

Adjournment debates/questions for short debate

Questions after statements

In the Chamber

Select Committees in the Commons and Lords conduct detailed inquiries into direction and impact of Government policy

All-Party Parliamentary Groups allow members of both Houses to find out more about particular issues

Committees and APPGs

Select Committees

Select Committees

Temporary

Internal

JOINTOther

scrutiny

Departmental

Departmental select Committees

Composition and appointment

Membership reflects balance of parties in the House

Since 2010, Chairs elected by House-wide ballot

Other members elected by their parties

Vexing civil servants since 1668

“At the office all the morning, where comes a damned summons to attend the Committee of Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that I should by my place become the hackney of this Office, in perpetual trouble and vexation, that need it least.” ~ Sam. Pepys

Revised core tasks – overall aim

To hold Ministers and Departments to account for their policy and decision-making and to support the House in its control of the supply of public money and scrutiny of legislation

Committee Inquiries Seek written submissions

Hold public evidence sessions

Visits

Produce reports

Issue can be debated in Chamber following Government Response

Questions?

Part 4: Public Engagement with Parliament

Write to an MP or Peer about an issue

Ask an MP to present a public petition

Submit evidence to a Select Committee Inquiry

Submit evidence to a Public Bill Committee

Visit Parliament – open to everyone!

How can the public get involved?

Parliament Explained: Delegated Legislation8 May 2014, Thatcher Room

parliamentaryoutreach@parliament.uk0207 219 1650

Don’t forget our evaluation form

Want more?

www.parliament.uk

Lloyd OwenHead of Campaigns Management, Public Information and Outreach Service

e:owenl@parliament.uk t:020 7219 7374

www.parliament.uk/outreach

Further information