JN 805 British Public Affairs The House of Commons and the House of Lords.

JN 805 British Public Affairs

The House of Commons and the House of Lords

1. Parliament and the House of Commons2. Party Loyalty and the Whip System 3. Question Time and Debates4. Passage of a Bill 5. Committees6. Roles of MPs7. House of Lords

Lecture Outline

1. Parliament and the House of Commons

Power vested in the Houses of Parliament and specifically the MPs elected to the primary legislative chamber: the House of Commons.

Parliament provides link between electoral preferences and government decisions.

Bicameral legislature: Commons and House of Lords.

Commons now has 650 MPs representing constituencies of 65,000 (average).

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/




Parliamentary Sovereignty: Parliament (body of MP’s following election)

can make laws; Can also repeal laws; Any one Parliament not bound by the actions

of a predecessor; and (it is the sovereignty of Parliament that the

Euro sceptics claim the European Union threatens).



Layout of House of Commons mirrors (and reinforces) adversarial process with Government and Opposition benches.

History of conservative/radical or reformist struggle: Royalists and Parliamentarians, Whigs and Tories, Liberals/Labour and Conservatives.


Commons chaired by the Speaker – John Bercow.

Speaker presides over votes and debates, restores ‘order’ to the House, chooses MPs to speak.

Drawn from elected MPs but discards party allegiance in post.

Controversy over appointment of Commons Clerk:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28941205




(Recalling last topic) Parliamentary Privilege:

Constitutional principle fundamental to the working of the Parliament;

Allows MPs and peers to raise issues on the floor of the Chambers without fear of prosecution or defamation.



MPs are not however above the law

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/mar/11/mps-expenses-charges-parliamentary-privilege

Expenses scandal (2009) broke by Daily Telegraph journalists after leaks and FOI requests.








Claims on house renovations, second homes, employment of family members.

Claim of £1,645 for ‘duck island’ by Conservative MP Peter Viggers.

Resulted in resignation of Speaker Michael Martin, and resignations of Ministers and MPs.

Gordon Brown commissioned inquiry by Sir Christopher Kelly resulting in changes such as: Establishment of Independent Parliamentary

Standards Authority (IPSA) to evaluate expenses and salaries;

Banning MPs from employing family members; Scrapping the ‘additional costs allowance’

(ACA) subsidy relating to second homes.


Expenses scandal eroded public trust in Parliament, and MP salary levels still generating public debate:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11079707/MPs-will-get-10-per-cent-pay-rise-expenses-watchdog-says.html






Business in the House The main business in the Commons is usually a set-piece

debate on some area of government policy, often involving a series of motions and orders, or a stage of a new bill.

MP questions must be submitted three days prior to Question Time session.

Government business. Some opposition days (20 in each session). Ministers summoned to the House to answer questions

outside of regular question time.



House business timetable set by the Leader of the House – William Hague.

Whips – individuals charged with ‘whipping into line’ back benchers when an important debate or vote occurs.

The party whip – refers to an MP or peer’s ‘membership’ of his or her parliamentary party.

Three-line whips – most important votes where attendance and voting on party lines is compulsory.

2. Party Loyalty and the Whip System


Current chief whip: Michael Gove.

Former chief whip was Andrew Mitchell who was involved in the ‘plebgate’ affair.

MPs do have degree of autonomy and Governments have lost votes in Commons debates:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/aug/30/cameron-mps-syria

http://www.channel4.com/news/cameron-faces-commons-vote-on-europe








3. Question Time and Debates

Opportunity for MPs to quiz PM and senior departmental ministers about policy decisions and workings of their ministries.

PM’s question time is Wednesdays between 12 and 12.30. Departments answer questions on a fortnightly rota.

At least one hour a day when Commons is sitting.

Backbenchers only allowed single question. Opposition leader is allowed six questions.

In addition to Question Time there are: Written questions – more detailed and

forensic questions that can yield information for MPs and their constituents, (and also journalists).

Urgent questions – (previously private notice questions). Used for important issues that have just arisen. Do not require usual 3 day notice.


Other forms of Commons scrutiny of executive include: Early day motions (EDMs) – enables backbenchers to

highlight issues of concern, does not lead to debate but can pave way for private member’s bill;

Adjournment debates – half-hour debates at end of sitting day;

Urgent debates – debates take place within 24 hours; and

E-petition debates – 100,000 or more signatures on petition refers it to the Backbench Business Committee – used by public interest groups.


A bill is a proposal for a new law, or a change to an existing law.

Prospective legislation outlined in Green and White Papers.

It can be introduced in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords.

Once a bill has been examined and debated and both Houses agree on the content it then receives Royal Assent.

Once given Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

4. Passage of a Bill

1st reading: actual reading out of title of Bill 2nd reading: opportunity for debate Committee stage Report stage 3rd reading: reviewed and debated in final

intended form. Guillotine – Leader of House restricts time for

specific stages of Bill or ‘Programme Orders’ – sets fixed number of sittings for Bill’s passage.

4. Passage of a Bill

5. Committees

Select Committees – permanent established in 1979, scrutinise the workings of individual government departments and Parliament itself – example Public Accounts Committee (PAC) - http://www.parliament.uk/pac

Has the power to call for witnesses and papers. Evidence taken in public. Elections of Chairs and members – reduces power of the

whips. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/

http://www.parliament.uk/pac

http://www.parliament.uk/pac

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/

General Committees – includes public bill committees (formerly standing committees) that scrutinise bills, and grand committees that deal with impact of legislation on nations and regions.

Joint Committees – comprised of MPs and Peers.

5. Committees

6. Roles of MPs

MPs represent concerns and interests of all constituents.

Principal duties of MPs: Holding weekly ‘surgeries’ in their constituencies; Writing to ministers to try to resolve grievances of

constituents; Asking written or oral questions at Question Time; Introducing private members bills, etc.

7. House of Lords

Revising Chamber: Scrutinises bills.

Can result in ‘Ping Pong’ when a Bill goes between Commons and the Lords.

Shouldn’t usurp the business of the Commons.

Undemocratic status.

7. House of Lords

The Lord Speaker elected by peers. She or he:

is elected for five years - and can serve no more than two terms.

presides over the proceedings of the Upper House

cannot call Members to order or select who speaks

Role formerly (until 2006) performed by Lord Chancellor but changed after Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

Current Lord Speaker is Baroness D’Souza.

House of Lords Reforms Parliament Act 1911 – Replaced Lords’ power

of veto with a right merely to delay Bills for a maximum 2 yrs (now two parliamentary sessions over 13 months).

House of Lords Act 1999 – 92 hereditary peers allowed to remain (90 voted by fellow peers) plus 10 new life peerages (not elected).

7. House of Lords

House of Lords then comprised of: 26 Lords Spiritual, 598 Lords Temporal (27

Law Lords, 2 non-elected hereditary peers, 90 elected hereditary peers, 477 life peers)

Clegg’s failed House of Lords Reform Bill 2012:


7. House of Lords



Most recent appointments:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/08/karren-brady-stuart-rose-new-peers

7. House of Lords




JN 805 British Public Affairs The House of Commons and the House of Lords.

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