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www.parliament.uk/get-involved
How the UK Parliament Works
Lynn HobsonDecember 2016
@YourUKParl
Parliamentary Outreach and Engagement
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Parliament’s Outreach Service
•A free service from the Houses of Parliament
•Politically neutral
•Aims to increase knowledge and engagement with work and processes of Parliament
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Session objectivesBy the end of this session, you will know:•What Parliament is and what it does•The difference between Parliament and Government•How Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords hold the Government to account
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
What is Parliament?
The Monarch
House of LordsHouse of Commons
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The Queen
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The House of Commons•The democratically elected chamber of Parliament•650 MPs, all are elected at Least every 5 years•Approximately 70,000 people per constituency
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
What is the role of the House of Lords?
•Scrutinising legislation
•Holding Government to account
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
The House of Lords• The House of Lords is the second chamber of Parliament, also known as ‘the revising House’• There are approximately 800 Members in total (173 are Crossbenchers)•Members include: •Over 650 Life Peers•Up to 92 Hereditary Peers• 26 Bishops
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
The core tasks of ParliamentMakes and passes laws(Legislation)
Holds Government to account
Enables the Government to set taxes
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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
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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
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Contacting your MP
• Your MP’s contact details will be on the Parliament website: www.parliament.uk• You can call the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272•Or at your town hall or local library•Many MPs will have a contact address and number in the constituency
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Contacting Members of the Lords• You can call the House of Lords Information Office on 020 7219 3107 • Identify Peers who will support your campaign• Biographies of all Peers are available at www.parliament.uk•Members of the House of Lords do not have constituencies, so in theory, you can contact any member
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Questions?
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
How does Parliament hold Government to account?
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Parliamentary Questions•Parliamentary Questions, questions asked to Government Ministers which allow MPs and Lords to hold the Government to account
•PQs can be tabled for either oral or written answer
•In the Commons, each working day includes a different ministerial question time
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Parliamentary Debates•Westminster Hall debates, in the House of Commons; Questions for Short Debate in the House of Lords
•Opposition Day debates•Back-Bench Business debates
•General debates
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Questions?
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Select Committees
Holding Government to Account
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Select Committees•Scrutinise specific areas of work and Government Departments•Groups and individuals can submit evidence to inquiries•Relevant Government Department must respond to
the reports they produce
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Select Committees• In the Commons, Select Committees typically have eleven members• The Chair of the Committee is elected by MPs from across the House • Committees are most effective when they work by consensus to produce a report• Committees scrutinise Government work in detail
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Passage of a Bill
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Public Bill Committees (House of Commons)•Both Houses refer legislation to committees for detailed discussion and approval
• If the Bill starts in the Commons the committee is able to take evidence from experts and interest groups from outside Parliament
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Questions?
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
E-PetitionClear request to UK Parliament or the UK Government, about something which is within their responsibility
Petition.parliament.uk
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All-Party Parliamentary Groups• Cross-party• MPs and Members of
the House of Lords• Based around
common interest• Not involved in formal
decision making
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Questions?
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Find out more
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Where can I get information?• www.parliament.uk and @yourUKParl
• Commons Information Office0800 112 4272 (Freephone); 020 7219 4272
• Lords Information Office020 7219 3107 [email protected]
• Parliament’s Outreach Service020 7219 [email protected]
www.parliament.uk/get-involved
Questions?
