The System of Government

Treasury

Foreign Office

Home Office

Etc.

During the last 27 years there have been eight general elections. Four of these resulted in a change of Government.

1970 Conservatives took over from Labour.

1974 Labour took over from Conservatives.

1979 Conservatives took over from Labour.

1997 Labour took over from Conservatives.

On each of these occasions the ministers hi each Department changed. Ministers of the winning party took over from those of the loosing party. The two main parties have very different ideas - for example, about education, housing and industry.

Departments and ministers are run by civil servants, who are permanent officials. Even if the Government changes after an elec­tion, the same civil servants are employed..

The United Kingdom has no Ministry of Justice. Responsibility for the administration of the judicial system in England and Wales is di­vided between the courts themselves, the Lord Chancellor, and the Home Secretary. The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the compo­sition of the courts, civil law, parts of criminal procedure and law reform in general; the Home Secretary is responsible for the preven­tion of criminal offences, trial and treatment of offenders and for the prison service.

WORDS AND PHRASES

Government – уряд;

Parliament – парламент;

legislative - законодавчий орган;

executive - виконавча влада;

judicial – судовий;

hereditary – спадкоємний;

to succeed - успадковувати;

to preside – головувати;

Lord Chancellor-Лорд-канцлер (глава судового відомства та верховний суддя Англії, глава Палати лордів);

the House of Commons - Палата общин (громад);

the House of Lords - Палата лордів;

peer - пер, лорд;

legislation – законодавство;

tax – податок;

to protect – захистити;

right – право;

constituency - виборчий округ;

appeal - апеляційна скарга;

the Labour Party - Лейбористська партія;

general election - загальні вибори;

civil servant - цивільний службовець;

court – суд;

civil law - цивільне право;

Home Secretary - міністр внутрішніх справ;

prevention -запобігання, попередження;

criminal offences - карні злочини;

trial - судовий розгляд, судовий процес;

treatment - поводження (із злочинцями);

offender – злочинець;

prison -тюрма, в'язниця;

Treasury – казна;

Foreign office - Міністерство закордонних справ;

Home office - Міністерство внутрішніх справ;

spiritual –духовний;

bishop – єпископ;

temporal - світські (члени Палати лордів).

Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks:

1. All the heads of ministries (departments) are included into....

2. The Cabinet is headed by the ....

3. The Prime Minister chooses the ....

4. Mr Blair is the... of the United Kingdom.

5. The majority of the members of Mr Blair's Cabinet are mem­bers of the ....

6. Mr Blair's Cabinet belongs to the ... Party.

7. The Cabinet meets at 10 ... Street.

8. During the last 27 years there have been eight general....

9. Ministers rely on ... servants for advice and informatioo.

10. The Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the ... (he­reditary monarch), the House of... and the House of... .

11. Only the House of Commons can give permission for the Govern­ment to collect....

12. Members of Parliament protect the ... of the individual.

13. The House of... is a Court of Justice.