Questions Text 7

1. What kind of body is the Commons?

The HoC is a representative assembly elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of men and women (MPs) from all sections of the community, regardless of income or occupation

2. The major political parties

The UK has many political parties, the main three being Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats (they work in both the HoC and HoL)

3. The number of mPs’. The functions of the Commons.

The UK public elects 650 MPs to represent their interests. MPs (1)consider and propose new laws, (2)can scrutinize government policies by asking ministers questions about current issues either in the Commons Chamber or in Committees. Also MPs (3)may challenge the policy put forward by a minister during a debate on particular bill in the second reading or (4)may put forward amendments at committee stage, through the institution of parliamentary questions and answers as well as during adjournment debates or during the debates on “Opposition days”

4. Prove that the Commons is now more powerful than the Lords.

Nowadays power of the HoC are greatly exceed those of Lords. Under the Parliament Act 1911 , the Lords’ powers to reject most legislative bills was reduced to a delaying power + the Government is primarily responsible to the HoC + the Prime Minister stays in office only as long as he retains its support + almost all ministers are drawn from the HoC and, with one exception, all prime ministers since 1902.

5. The number of constituencies. The requirements for standing as mp. The procedure of general elections, how often they are held. A by-election.

There are 650 constituencies in the UK. During an election everyone eligible to cast a vote in a constituency (constituents) selects one candidate to be their MP. To stand as an MP a person must be aged 18 or over, a citizen of the UK, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland, and not disqualified.

General elections commonly happen every 4 or 5 years, after a Parliament has been dissolved and a new one summoned by the Sovereign. In a general election, all constituencies become vacant and a MP is elected for each from a list of candidates standing for election. The candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for the area until the next election.

If a person stands down as an MP a by-election is held in that constituency alone to find a new one. A by-election is hold when a seat in the HoC becomes vacant during the lifetime of a Parliament, because the sitting MP dies, resign (by applying for the Chiltern Hundred), is elevated to the peerage, or becomes ineligible to sit for some other reason.

6. What must an mp do if he wishes to resign?

MPs hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved. An MP who wishes to resign has to go through the process of applying for paid office of the Crown, which automatically disqualifies the MP from holding a seat in the HoC.

7. The functions of the Speaker. How is the Speaker chosen?

The Speaker is the chief officer and highest authority in the HoC. Nowadays he is politically impartial figure. He chairs debates in the HoC. During debates he keeps order and calls for MPs to speak. Also he represents the Commons to the Monarch and other authorities and chairs the HoC Commision. The Speaker must be above party policies at all times

The speaker of HOL presides over business in the Chamber, because the HoL is self-regulating.

He is elected MP by other MPs. New system of 2007- candidate must be nominated by at least 12 members, of whom at least 3 must be of a different party from the candidate. Each member may nominate only 1 candidate, The candidate should receive more than half the votes by secret ballot in the House. Speaker still stand general election, Speaker do not campaign on any political issues but simply stand as ‘the Speaker seeking re-election’