cbw._HomeOfficeA Journey to Citizenship

LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

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i h e H o m e 5 e ( r e t a r yI h e R t H o n J o h n R e i d M P

he first edition of this handbook became a best-seller when it came out towards the end0f 2004. Some people will have bought it out of interest, or a wish to know more about

the United Kingdom's history and instituiions. And many more will have obtained it as a studyguide for the new tests of knowledge about life in the United Kingdom which we brought induring 2005 for people who want to become British citizens.

Those te$s, together with the new citizenship ceremonies which celebrate the achievement ofnew Britons in becoming citizens, have been a real success. They have encouraged people whohave decided to make their lives in Britain to learn more about our culture and institutions, andin many rases t0 improve their knowledge of our language. We think that the benefits of thisapproach in creating strong and cohesive communities are clear. That is why, from 2 April 2007,we will also be asking people who apply for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom-which must be obtained before someone can apply for citizenship-to pass the same test.

We have taken the opportunity to revise this handbook thoroughly. I would like to thank heartilythe members of the Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration who have led this task.We have taken account of the manv romments made about the handbook.

Whether you are reading this handbook in order to take the settlement test, or simply toincrease your knowledge of British life and institutions, I hope that, like many thousands ofothers, you will find it both interesting and helpful.

How to use this handbook

This handbook is intended for those readers who are intending to becomepermanent residents 0r citizens 0f the United Kingdom, and are studyingit in order t0 take the tests of knowledge of English and of life in theUnited Kingdom which all applicants now need to pass.

5ince 2005, everyone who applies to become a British citizen has had toshow their knowledge ofthe English language and of life in the UnitedKingdom in one oftwo ways. They can take a special t50L (English for5peaken ofOther Languages) course, which uses teaching materialsbased on the practical meaning of citizenship. 0r they can take the newLife in the UK test, which consists of24 questions about important aspectsof life in Britain today. Those 24 questions will be different for each penontaking the test.Ihe Life in the UKTest will normally be taken in English,although special arrangements can be made if anyone wishes to take it inWelsh or Sconish Gaelic.Ihe questions are deliberately written in a waythat requires an understanding of the English language at the level (calledES0L Entry 3 level) that the law requires of people becoming Britishcitizens. 5o there is no need io take a separate test of knowledge oftheEnglish language.

From 2 April 2007, everyone who applies for permanent residenre in theUnited Kingdom (often called settlement'or'indefinite leave to remain')will also need to quali! either by taking the speclal ES0L course or bypassing the Life in the UK test. A person who qualifies for settlement ineither of these ways will not need to g0 through the same proces againif he or she later decides to apply for British citizenship. This handbookrontains all the answers t0 the questions that may be asked in the Lifein the UK test. The questions will all be based on chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 and6 ofthe handbook. You do not have t0 study the other chapters in orderto be able to pass the test, but we hope and believe that they will be ofinterest and practical tlalue t0 many readers and they will certainly helpyour understanding ofthe chapters you will be tested on. The handbookhas been written t0 ensure that anyone who can read English A the E50LEntry 3 level or above should have no difficulty with the language.

To provide extra help for readers who are not native English speaken, wehave provided at the end ofthe handbook a glossary ofsome key wordsand phrases, which you may find helpful. We have also highlighted someareas that are particularly important. These are headed'Make sure youunderstand'but are intended only as guidance; reading ju$ these sectionswill not be enough to pass the test. You may not get questions 0n thesehighlighted areas, and you may be asked about topics that have not beenhighlighted. 5o please make sure you read each chapter carefully.

We would also advise you tc think carefully before purchasing any of rhestudy guide(t0 the Life in the UK test which can sometimes be found inbookshops or on the internet. None ofthese is officially approved, eventhough some suggest they are, and may not be 0f much help to you.Some might even mislead you by suggesting you memorise answers toquestions that aren't genuine and are very differcnt to the ones you willbe asked in your test.

lf you want to find out more information about the Life in the UK test,please visit the website of UFl, the company that manages them 0nbehalf of the Home Office. This website (www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk)gives contact details for centres where the test can be taken, backgroundinformation about the tests and the fees involved, and also offers asample test to give you an idea of what to expect. lf you want informationabout the alternative way 0f obtaining permane,nt residence by taking aspecial ESOL with citizenship rourse, the UFI helpline on 0800 0154245,and your local library, are good sources of information on colleges offeringthese courses in your area.

The Government welcomes new migrants to Britain. We very muchhope that those who meet our residence qualifications and decide tospend their lives in this country will seek permanent settlement, andwill eventually go on to become British citizens. That is why we call ourhandbookA Journey to [itizenshipi We hope that thisjourney will be afascinating and worthwhile one for you.

CONTENTS

ftapter 1: THE MAKING 0F THE UNITED KINGD0M

What's in a name?Early BritainThe Middle AgesThe early modern periodStability and the growth of empireThe 20th centuryPolitics in Britain since 1945

chaoter2: A CHANGING S0ClETY

Migration to BritainThe changing role of women(hildren, family and young people

(hapter3: UK T0DAY: A PROFILE

PopulationThe nations and regions ofthe UKReligionCustoms and traditions

(haoter 5: EVERYDAY N EEDS continued

LeisureTravel and transport

78

1013172173

69

71

(hapter6: EMPL0YMENT

Looking for workEqual rights and discriminationAt workWorking for yourselfChildcare and children at work

75777982B4

272930

chapterT: KN0WING THE LAW

The rights and duties ofa citizen(riminalcourts

Civil courts35 Legal advice and aidl7 Human rights38 Children40 Consumer protection

87909091929697

(hapter4: HOW THE UNITED KINGD0M 15 G0VERNED

The British ConstitutionThe UK in Europe and the World

(hapter 5: EVERYDAY NEEDS

HousingServices in and for the homeMoney and creditHealthEducation

ftaptera:50URCES 0F HELP AND INF0RMATION

43 lntroduction52 Public libraries

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

The police serviceOther sources of information

(haptere: BUILDING BETTER C0MMUNITIES

101102'r03

103104

107555B60ot

66 GLOSSARY t'15

[hapter 1:

0 understand a country it is important to know something about its history. This

section is a brief chronological account of how the United Kingdom came to be what

it is today. Any account of history, however, is only one interpretation. Historians often

disagree about what to include and what to exclude in historical accounts. As well as

the main historical events and people, this section also mentions people who are not

necessarily the most important historically, but whose names often appear in books,

newsoaoers and on TV.

Ihere is some confusion about

the rorrect meanings and use

of the terms'United Kingdomi'British lslesl'Britain' and'Brltishi

The United Kingdom consists

today offour countries: England,

Scotland, Wales and Northern

lreland (the rest of lreland is an

independent country). These

four countries came together at

different times to form a union

called the United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Northern lreland,

which is the official name of

the country. The name'Britain'

or'Great Britain'refers only to

England, Scotland and Wales, not

to Northern Ireland. ihe adjective'British; howevet usually refers

to everyone in the UK, including

Northern lreland. There are also

several islands which are closely

linked with the United Kingdom

but do not form part of it the

[hannel lslands and the lsle of

Man. These have kept their own

institutions ofgovernment and are

called'Irown Tenitoriesi

In the United Kingdom, national

identity and citizenship do not

always mean the same thing. The

Scottish and Welsh will usually

say that they have Briiish (or

UK) citizenship, but that their

nationality is Scottish orWelsh.

In Northern lreland some people

say they are British, some people

say they are lrish and somepeople say they are both. This

depends on their political and

cultural allegiances. People born in

England will more often say that

their nationality as well as their

citizenship is British.

Many important institutions are

common to [ngland, Scotland,

Wales and Northern lreland,

such as the laws and customs

ofthe [onstitution, the Irown

as a symbolof unity, andparliamentary and representative

government. But there are many

important differences between

England, Scotland, Wales and

Northern lreland. Scotland, Wales

and Northern lreland now have

parliaments or assemblies of their

own, with Iimited but signif rantpowen. ln sport there are four

different football teams whichplay separately in international

competiiions, but there is only one

Olympic team for the whole of the

United Kingdom.

ln addition to national divenity,

there is a very long tradition of

ethnic and religious diversity in

the United Kingdom. This goes

back to early history, as you will

see in this chapter.

ln very early history the land waspopulated by tribes who came

to the British lsles from differentparts of Europe. Stonehenge, thegreat prehistoric temple which still

stands in what is now the English

county of Wiltshire, is one of thegreai monuments of prehisto'ic

Europe. ln Iater centuries Britain

was invaded by [eltic tribes who

had a sophisticated culture and

economy. The people spoke [eltic

dialects which la{er became the

languages which are spoken loday

in some parts of Wales, Scotland

and lreland.

In 55 Bt the Romans, who had

an empire covering most of the

Mediterranean lands, first came to

Britain with Julius [aesar. Nearl,

a hundred years later they came

back and began a conquest ofall

of Britain except the highlands

of Scotland. There was strong

opposition from the native tribes

who fought to try to keep the

Romans out. A famous tribal

leader who fought the Romans

was Boudicca, the queen ofthelceni in what is now eastern

England. Latet when the tribes in

the south ofthe island had been

conquered, one ofthe emperon,

Hadrian, built a wall in the north

or England to keep out the Pirts(ancestors ofthe Scottish people;

the Scots were oriqlnally a tribe

who came over from lreland).

Parts ofthis wall can still be seen

today.

The Romans had a big impact on

life in Britain. Before they left in

4'10 AD, they established medicalpractire, rreated a structure of

admini$ration and laW and builtgreat public buildings and roads.

Ihe language ofthe Romans was

Latin Those local people who

learned to speak, read and write

Latin often became admini$raton

and traders.

t

i

As the Roman Empire graduallybecame weaker, n€w tribesinvaded from northern Europelooking for better land. Thesewere called the Jutes, Anglesand Saxons. Ihese people spokedialects which laier becamethe basis of English. The peopleof Britain fought against thesenew invaders and were led for awhile in the 6th century by thelegendary King Arthur. Eventually,however, the invaden took overall ofsouthern and eastern Britain,setting up thek own kingdomsand pushing the Britons to ftewest and to the north.

During the 6th tentury,missionaties from Rome led bySt Augustine came to Britainand spread the new religion of(hristianity across the south.Monks from lreland did the samein the north of Briuin.

In the 8th and 9th renturietVikings fom Denmark andNorway invaded Britain andlreland. They conquered manyof the small kingdoms of the eastof England and Scotland.6radually the kingdoms inEngland were united under thekings ofWessex and becamestrong enough to fight againstthe Mkings. King Alfred the Greatdefearcd theVikings in England atthe end ofthe fth century. Theywere also defeated in Scotlandand lreland. Yet many of the Vikinginvaders stayed, especially inthe east of England where man,,names of places come from theViking languages. They farmedthe land, mixed with the localpopulations and ronverted to{hristianity. For a while in the1 lth century they again ruledEngland under King (anute. Theirlanguages also had an influenceon the early forms of tnglish and,in Scotland, on 6aelic.

After King Canute, the Saxonsagain ruled [ngland until aninvasion led byWilliam, Duke ofNormandy (part oftoday's France)in 1066. He is also called Wlliamthe Conqueror Wlliam defeatedHarold, the King of England, at thebattle of Hastings. The NormanConquest was the last successfulforeign invasion of England.

The Normans took completeownership ofthe land andintrodu{ed new laws andadministration. Norman Frenchbecame the official languageand had a big influenre on theAnglo-Saxon language of thecommon people. The Normansand the kings who followed thembegan the conquest ofWales andsome parts of lreland. They didnot yet invade srotland but theScottish kings and nobility in thesouth were strongly influencedby Norman - French culture. Thefirst Jewish settlemen6 in the U|(were also established at this time.William the [onqueror encouragedJews from France to settle inBritain. Jewish rommunities grewup in several towns and cities.

The period after the Norman

[onquest is called the Middle Ages

or the medieval period. lt lasted

until about 1485. lt was a time of

almost constant war. ln the 12th

and 13th centuries, many kniqhts

from the British lsles took part in

the [rusades, in which European(hristians fought for control of

Jerusalem and of other cities in

the Holy Land. King Richard I(known as Richard the Lionheart)

spent much of his reign takingpart in the Crusades.

At home, the English kings tried to

dominate the Welsh, the Scots and

the lrish. The Scots, led by Robert

the Bruce, defeated the English at

the battle ofBannockburn in 1314;

the English kings were unable

to (onquer the scots during the

Middle Ages.

ln Wales, however, the English

managed to destroy the power of

the Welsh princes by 1 300. They

built huge castles to maintain

their power and by the middle of

the 15th century the lastWelsh

rebellions had been put down.

From 1536, England imposed its

laws on Wales and the English

language became compulsory for

legal and official purposes.

During the Middle Ages, the

English kings also fought a long

war wrth the French, called the

Hundred Yean Wan The English

won some important battles

against the French, such as

the banle of Aqincour{, which

Shakespeare describes in his play

Henry V.Later the French fought

back and reclaimed their country.

The origins of Parliament lie in the

early Middle Ages. Before 12 15,

there were no laws to limit thepower of the king of England. The

most powerful landowners, the

barons, wanted to make sure that

their voices were heard and that

new taxes could only be made

with their agreement. ln '12'15,

the

barons forced King John to sign a

charter of rights called the Magna

[arta (which means the Great

Charted. This was not a charter

of rights for the common people,

but it did take away the absolutepower ofthe king. The king could

no Ionger collect taxes with0ut the

consent ofthe barons. To make or

change laws he had to consult and

negotiale wilh them. At the end

ofthe '13th

century, Parliamentgradually became the place

where the king consulted with his

subjects.

The English Parliament was not

unique: there were parliaments

in Scotland and much ofthe rest

of Europe in the Middle Ages. The

English Parliament did, however,

become the most developed in

Europe. The aristocrats and great

Iandownen sat in the House

of Lords, but there was also aseparate House ofCommons. TheHouse of [ommons representedcountry landowners and wealthypeople in the market towns andcities. Judges began to developEnglish common law by a processof precedent and tradition. Theywere independent of the Crowr,.In Scotland there were similardevelopments, except that therewere three Houses of Parliament(called'estatej), the Lords, the[ommons and the clergy, andthe legal system developed asa codified one - the laws werewritten down.

l

ln England, in Norman times,

under the system called

feudalism, landlords owned the

land and the people who worked

on their land were called serfs.

They did not earn any money for

their work on the land and were

not allowed to move away, but

they did have a small area ofthe

lord's land on which they grew

enouqh food to survive. The same

system developed in southern

Scotland, but in the north of

Scotland and in lreland land was

owned in rommon by members of

the tlansl

In 1 348, a third ofthe populairon

of [ngland died in the plague

called the Black Death This was

one ofthe worst disasten ever

to strike Britain and Europe but

because it created a shortaqe

of labour lt helped to improve

conditions for the poor in the

lonq run.

The feudal system gradually

changed to a system based

on wages. New social clases

appeared, including large

landownen called gentry and

smaller farmers called yeomen.

Ihey became much moreindependent ofthe great landlordsthan their ancestors had been. lnthe towns, growing wealth ledto the development of a strongmiddle clas by the end of themedievalperiod.

At the end of the Middle Ages,there was a 30-year civilwar inEngland between two aristocratkgroupt the 5upporten oftheHouse (or family) of Lancaslerand those of the House ofYork,This war was known as the Warsofthe Roses, berause the symbolof Lancaster was a red rose andthe white rose was the symbolof York. In 1485 the civilwarended when Henry Tudor wonthe battle of Bosworth, killingRichard lll. Henry became KingHenryVll, and established thedynasty ofthe House ofTudor.Henry Vll deliberately weakenedthe independent military powerofthe aristocracy and began tostrengthen the central power ofthe state.

During the Middle Ages an[nglish language and culturegradually came into being. Thiswas a mixture of Anglo-Saxon andNorman French. Great cathedralswere buill many of them in usetoday. Three hundred yean afterthe Norman Conquest, peoplein England began to think ofthemselves as one nation.0ne ofthe first works ofliterature to bewritten in English, a long poemcalled'The [anterbury Tales' byGeoffrey Chaucer was wriilenat the end ofthe 14th century.It describes themany differentkinds of people who met andwent as pilqilms to a city calledCanterbury. The poem is stillpopular today. In Scotland, theMiddle Ages saw the drvelopmentofthe Scots language whichwas significantly different fromthe English spoken south oftheScottish border

This period was also a time oftrade. Merchants came fromGermany and ltaly. There were alsopeople who came to England withspecial skills, such as weavers from

France, engineers from 6ermany,glass manufacturers from ltaly andcanal builders from Holland. ln1440 there were 16,000 foreignersin England, approximately 190 ofthe population.

HenryVll had alteady begunto strengthen the centraladministration of England andreduce the military power of thearistocracy. His son Henry Vlllcontinued this policy. HenryVlllwas most famous for breakingaway from the [hurch of Rome.

Henry Vlll wanted a divorcebecause his wife, [atherine ofAragon, had not given him asurviving heir. ln order to get adivorce and remarry he neededthe approval ofthe Popg whohad authority over all Christians inwestern Europe. When the Pcperefused, Henry established theChurch of England. The king, notthe Pope, now had the power toappoint the bishops and to derreewhat people were required tobelieve.

At the same time the Reformation-a great movementof opinionagainst the power ofthe Pope-was happening in [ngland,Scatland, and mafly otherEuropean countries. The poplewho opposed the Pope were

called Prote*ants. Ihey read theBible in their own languagesinstead of in Latin, and interpretedit for themselves. The Protestantsbelieved that earh individual'spersonal relationship with Godwas of supreme importance.The Caholics believed that itwas essentialt0 submit t0 theauthority ofthe (hurch, as led.by the Pope. Protestant ideasgradually gained strength inEngland and Scotland during the16th ieniury, but were much lesssuccessful in lreland.

In lreland, the [nglish attemptedto impose Protestantism andEnglish laws governing theinheritance of land. The leaden ofthe tribes in lreland, the chieftains,rebelled against the English andthere was much brutal fightingbetween the English and thelrish rebels. This crcated a senseof national consciousness whichunited lreland. Many of theNorman-English who had settledin lreland remained tatholic.

Henry Vlll's only son and heir wasEdward. Edward was stronglyProtestant, but he died at theage of 1 5 and his half-sisterMary became queen. Mary wasa devout [alholic and broughtEngland back to obedience to thePope. Under Mary, Protestantswere persecuted. Mary, too, diedafter only a short reign and thenext monarch was her half-sister,Elizabeth, a Protestant. ElizabethI was more moderate than Mar/In her religion. 5he re-establishedthe [hurch of England and the[hristian religion as practiredin England became known asAnglicanism. Elizabeth expectedetleryone to anend church butdid not ask questions aboutlheir real beliefs. By keepingto a'middle way'between the(atholics and the more extremeProteslants (later called Puritans),flizabeth managed to keep peacein England, despite her manyenemies. Gradually, howevetElizabethS popularity rose, alongwith strong feelings of tnglishpatriotism, These became strongerwhen the English defeated the

attemptof the Spanish Armada'(or fleet) to conquer England and

re$ore (alholicism in 1588.

ln Scotland the Protestant

reformation was more extreme

and led to constant changes ofg0vernment.'Mary, Queen of

Scotsi was a cousin of ilizabeth

I and was crowned queen of

Scotland while she was only a

baby. Her mother was French,

so Mary was a (atholic. The rival

groups in Scotland fought to

control Mary. When her husband

was murdered by her lover and

her siluation became more

dangerous, Mary fled to England.

Elizabeih l, however, believed

Mary wanted to try to take over

the English throne, and kept her ln

captivity for 20 years. Later Mary

was executed, accused of plotting

against Elizabeth l.

Today the Elizabethan period isremembered for the richness ofits poetry and drama, especiallyfor the plays and poems ofShakespeare, who is stillwidelyrecognised as the greatestwriter in English.Ihe period isalso important for England'sdiscoveries and trade overseas, ala time when EuropeancOuntries began t0 exert powerand influence in other parts ofthe world. Sir Francis Drake,commander in the defeat of theSpanish Armada, was one ofthe founders of England's navaltradition. In Elizabeth 1t time,English settlers first began tocolonise the ea$ern coast ofAmerica, a movement whichgreatly increased in the nextcenrury.

When Elizabeth ldied in 1603,she had no children. Her nearestrelative was the king of Scotland,James Vl. James was the son ofMary, Queen ofScots, but he wasa Protestant. He became KingJames I of England but the twocountries did not become unitedat this time. Scotland kept its ownparliament for another hundredyean and still has its own systemof law.

At this time, lreland was an almostcompletely (atholic country.England had begun invasions intolreland many centuries before (in

the times ofthe Normanil but hadonly succeeded in occupying landaround Dublin, an area called the'Palei The Tudor kings Henry Vlland HenryVlll had managed togain control ofthe whole countryand started to introduce Englishlaws and to break down the powerofthe local leaden. During therule of Elizabeth, rebellionsagainst the English broke out,strengthened by the attemptsofthe English government toabolish the power ofthe (atholic

Church. After one oftheserebellions, James I began a policyof 'plantation'or colonisation byforce in Ulster, the north-easternprovince of lreland. This involvedreplacing the (atholic landholderswith English and especiallyScottish Protestant farmers. Many'planten'went to Ulster, mainlyfrom the south-west of5cotland.Land taken from the (atholic

rebels was given to companies inLondon. These events had seriouslong term consequences forEngland, Scotland and lreland.

During the reigns of Elizabeth Iand James l, the EnglishParliament became more powerfuland influential.The king, Lordsand [ommons were supposedto be mutually dependent andrespectful of each other, but therewere strong merchant andcommercial interests in the Houseof Commons, representing agrowing middle class, many ofwhom wanted a more stronglyProtestant policy. Elizabeth I hadmany political skills and tried tobalance these intere$s. James Iand his son (harles l, however,were les skilled in managingthese conflicts. Many thinken inEurope at that time believed in thetheory of 'the divine right ofkings'+hat the king was directlyappointed by God. (harles I wasparticufa{ly influenced by theseideas and, when he could notget Parliament to agree with hisreligious and foreign policies, hetried to rule without calling anymore Parliaments. A number ofrefugees from the religious policiesofJames I and Charles I decidedto settle in America, where lheyestablished the new Puritancolonies of New Ingland.

[harles ltried to impose theceremonies ofthe thurch ofEngland on the Protestantsof Scotland, who were calledPresbylerians. In response,the Scots invaded the north ofEngland. (harles needed moneyto fight the Scots and this couldonly be granted by Parliament, butwhen it mel in 1640, Parliamentrefused to vote to give money tothe king to fight this war. Manyin Parliament were Puritans who,like the Scots, opposed the king'sreligious policies; they saw noreason to help him suppress the5cots.

When the Gtholics of lreland,who were afraid that Parliamentmight anack their religion,rebelled in 1641, Parliamentdemanded control ofthe armybecause they feared the kingwould use it against them. CharlesI tried to anest five parliamentaryleaders, who fled. The chairmanofthe House of[ommons (the

Speaker) refused to tell the kingwhere they had gone and said thathe was loyal only to the commandof the House of Commons. [ivilwar broke out in England in 1642.

After four years [harles I wasdefeated by Parliament's general,the Puritan 0liver Cromwell.[harles, however, refused tocompromise with Parliamentand was executed in 1649.IheParliament itself had to submitto the rule of its own army andMembers of Parliament whowanted peace with the kingwere expelled. For eleven yearsEngland became a republic forthe only time in its history, underthe leadership of 0liver Cromwell,who took the title of Lord Protectorfrom 1653.

Many Scots had bitterly opposedthe execution ofCharles l, whowas their king as well, and soonafterwards they crowned hisson as King (harles ll. (romwell

defeated Charles, in two battlesat Dunbar and Worcestet andbrought Scotland completelyunder his control. He also finallyput down the lrish rebellion whichhad begun in 1641, using somuch violence that even today thememory of [romwell is still hatedby some lrish Catholics.

Later, in the 19th century, theEnglish came to see Cromwellas the defender of Parliament'srights against the (rown. WhenCromwell died, howevet therewas no credible successor to hispower and no clear system ofgovernment in place.Ihe civilwar had created religious andpolitical extremism. Some groupsof people questioned the wholefoundation ofthe society and theideas of property and social class.The fint English democratic party,the Levellers, had briefly flourishedin Parliament's armies but by thetime of Cromwell's death mostpeople were tired ofchange andwished for a return to stability.

Parliament decided that thebest solution was to bring backCharles ll from his exile in theNetherlands. In 1660 he wasrecalled to England and crownedking. (harles llwanted power buthe also understood that to rulein peace he could not repeat hisfathers mistakes. He was popularenough to get Parliament tosupport his policies and, thoughhe was secretly a (atholic, here-established the power oftheChurch of England. The Puritanswho had ruled England andScotland during the Republic werekept out of power and veatedharshly.

(harles had no legitimatechildren.When hedied in 1685his brother, James ll, who wasopenly [atholic, became king. IheProtestant majority in Englandrapidly became wonied that hemight wish to abolish the (hurch

of England and force England backto the obedience ofthe Pope. AllJames's actions during his shortreign-his appointment of [atholicsas army officers, his defiance o{the laws made by Parliament andhis quarrels with the bishops ot

the (hurch of England-madethese suspi(ions stronger.

In 1688, the great lords whowere opposed to James llconspired to askWlliam of0range, the Prote$ant ruler oftheNetherlands, to invade [nglandand proclaim himself king.William was married to iames ll!daughter, Mary. When heinvaded, there was no resistancein England, and he and Mary '

took over the throne. This chanqewas later called the'6loriousRevolution' in England becauseit was accomplished withoutbloodshed and because it endedthe threat ofarbitrary royal power.

James ll still had many supporterlapecially in Scotland and lreland,who were called Jacobites. Jameswas determined to reclaim theEnglish crown and got militarysupport for an invasion of kelandfrom the powerful king of FnncgLouis XlV. Wlliam defeatedJames llat the battle of theBoyne in '1690, and James fledto France while Wlliamt armiesre-conquered lreland. this victoryis still celebrated by Prcteitantloyalists today. To prevent anyfurther rebellions, the lrishGtholics were prohibitd fiom

holding public office and therewere many other restrictionsplaced on the [atholic fturch.lreland remained a deeplytroubled country.

*

t*

*

,tts

After 1688, many Acts ofParl iament permanently changedthe balance ofpower betweenmonarch and Parliament. A newParliament had to be elected atleast every three years (later thisbecame seven years and nowit is five years). Every year themonarch had to ask Padiamentto renew funding for the armyand the navy. ln order to governeffectively, the monarch had tohave ministers in a (abinet whocould regularly deliver a majorityofvotes in the two Housesof Parliament The monarchremained an important politicalfigure for two more centuries butcould not insist on policies thatParliament would not support:this is called' con$itutionalmonarchyl AfterWlliam lll, themonarch's ministen graduallybecame more important than themonarch. The government ofthetime was not dem0cratic becausemen could only vote if they ownedproperty ofa certain value, andno women were allowed to vote.Some constituencies had only afew electors and were completelycontrolled by a single aristocratwho could force the voters to

elect whoever he wished.Thesewere called'pocket boroughsiwhile small boroughs where thevoters could be bribed were called'rotten borouohsl

Wlliam and Mary's successor,Queen Anne, had no survivingchildren. Ihe English governmentbecame worried that the Scotswould choose a different heir tothe throne than the English. TheEnglish put presure on the Scotsto join England in an Act of Union,called theTreaty of Union inScotland.This took place in 1707.The kingdoms ofEngland andScotland became the KingdomofGreat Bftain. lt had one flagthe Union flag often called theUnion Ja*. (lhe Kingdom ofGreat Britain became the UnitedKingdom ofGreat Britain andlreland in ,l801, after a secondActofUnion. ln 1922 lreland splitinto two-the South became adominion and the North remainedin the Union.The Governmentof lreland Act of 1922 createdthe United Kingdom ofGreatBritain and Northern lreland.)While Scotland was no longer anindependent country, the Scotsobtained trading advantagesfiom union with England whilekeeping their own legal systemand traditional laws, and thePresbyterian [hurch remainedestablished by law

When Queen Anne died in 1714,Parliament chose a German,George l, to be the king of Britain,because he was Annet nearestProtestant relative. The new kingstill had some political power andinfluence but was much moredependent on his ministers andtheirfollowers who could controlParliament. The members ofthe House of(ommons and theHouse ofLords called themselveseitherWhigs orTories {a namestill used today to refer to themodern Conservative Party), buttrue political parties h,ith massmembenhip did not emerge untilthe late 19th century.lhe mostimportant minister in Parliamentbecame known as the PrimeMinister:the fint man to hold thisoffice was Sir RobertWalpolq whowas Pffine Minister for 20 yearsunril 1742.

The lBth century was a timeof relative peace within Britain.However, in 1745 there wasa rebellion in Scotland led byIharles Stuart (Bonnie PrinceCharlie), the grandson ofJames ll. He was supported mainlyby clansmen in the Highlandsin his attemptto regain theBritish throne for his family. Theking's army ruthlessly repressedthe power and influence oftheclans after defeating them at thebattle of Culloden in 1 745. lheclans lost collective ownershipofthe land. (hieftains becamelandlords only through the favourofthe English king and clansmenbecame tenants who had to payfor the land they used. In theI 9th century, many landlordsdestroyed individual small farmsortrofts'to make space for largeflocks ofsheep in what werecalled the'Highland clearanceslMany people were deported or leftfor North America as part of theclearances.

Generally, however, the lBth

century in Britain was a time

of greater domestic peace and

tolerance than previously. lt was

a time of many new ideas inpolitics, philosophy and science

which together are often called

the Enlightenment. Many of thegreatest British thinkers ofthe

Enlightenment, such as David

Hume and Adam Smith, came

from Scotland. Perhaps the

most important principles of the

Enlightenment were that everyone

should have the right to their ownpolitical and religious beliefs and

that the state should not attempt

to dictate in these matters.

Britain was the fi6t rountryto indu$rialise on a largescale. (hanges in farming,metalworking, mining techniquesand the use ofsteam powerbrought greater efficiency andincreased production. Ihe fintlarge factories were built andmany people migrated from thecountryside to the rities to workin them. Although many peopleleft Britain and lreland for the newcolonies, the population expandedrapidly. The fint Jews to come toBritain since the Middle Ages hadsettled in London in '1656 andbetween 1680 and 1720 manyrefugees came from France. Ihesewere called Huguenots. Iheywere Protestants and had beenpenecuted for their religion. Manywere educated and skilled andworked as scientists or in banking,in weaving or other safts.

At the same time, there was anincrease in trade overeas and incolonisation. Britain expandedits power all orler the world.Merchants traded with NorthAmerica and theWest Indies,bringing back sugar, tobacco andoiher goods. Irade in textiles, tea

and spices began with lndia and

in the area which today is called

Indonesia. The British fought with

the Dutch and Spanish traden

for a monopoly of trade in the(aribbean. 0ften, trade led to the

annexation of new tenitories: Ihe

East India Company, interested

at fi6t only in irading, gradually

qained control of vast tenitories

in India in the coune ofthe 18th

century.

There was an evil side to thiscommercial expansion andprosperity-the Atlantic slave trade.Ihe slave trade had started inthe Elizabethan era and was fullyestablished by the I 8th century.It was dominated by Britain andthe colonies in America. The slavetraders bought men and womenfrom West Afrio, and Britishships took them to work on thesugar and tobacco plantations inAmerica and the [aribbean. ]heslaves were transported in verybad conditionsand many died onthe way. 0nce in the Americatthe slaves became the prop€rty

ofthe plantation ownen and hadto work in appalling conditions.Several cities in the U[ such asLiverpool and Sristol, gained greatprosperity as a result ofthis trade.In l8th-century London, therewere numbers of free Afiicans andescaped slavet often working asservants or craftsmen. Some wrotebooks about their experiences.

The conditions ofthe slaves in thecolonies were so bad that manyslaves revolted against theirowners.5ome people in Britain,such as the evangelkal ftristian

Wl liam Wilberforce, wereopposed to the slave trade. Theyput pressure on Parliament toabolish slavery. Public opiniongradually turned against the slavetrade and in 1807 it became illEalto trade slaves in Bdtish ships orfrom Brithh ports. l"ater, in 1833,the Emancipation Act abolishedslavery throughout the Britbh I

Empire. After'l 833, 2 millionlndian and (hinese workersreplaced the freed slaves. Theyworked on sugar plantations in theCaribbean, mines in South Africa,railways in East Aftica and in thearmy in Kenya.

In North America the Britishcolonies had prospered and weremainly self-governing. lmmigrantsfrom England, Scotland andlreland had gone to North Americalmking for a better life and alsoto escape the dominance ofthelandlords and ofthe establishedchurch. The notion of liberty wasvery strong in the colonies. Whenthe British governmenl tied totax the colonies to pay for theirwars in North America against theFrench and the Native Americantribes, the rolonies rebelled. Theysaid there should be'no taxationwithout representation' in theBdtish Parliament. Parliamentrefused to compromise.Thisled the Ameican colonis todedare independence fromBriain in 1776.Ihe Dedaration ofIndependence asserted universalprinciples of free govemment.Many people in Britain andEurope who wanted politicalreform wdcomed the ideas of theDmlaration.

The American colonies defeatedthe British army with the help ofthe French. After a brief periodof peace, wan with Francecontinued, especially after theFrench Revolution of 'l 789.Britaint navy at that time was thestr0ngest in Europe. Britain foughtagainst rombined French andSpanilh flee6, winning the battleofTrafalgar in 1805. ln 1815 theFrench Wars ended with the defeatofthe Emperor Napoleon by theDuke of Wellington at Waterloo.

In 18'15, Britain ruled tenitoriesin (anada, the Caribbean, parts

of India, and a few settlementsin Australia and southern AfiicaA hundred yean later, the British[mpire had expanded further tocover all of India, Australia andlarge ffrts of Aftica. Historianscallthis expansion of the empireafter American independence the'Second British Empire lt becamethe laryest in the world, with anestimated population of over400 million people.

As the empire developed, manypeople left the United Kingdom tofind new opportunities overseas.

Many settled in South Africa,

[anada, Australia, New Zealand

and the United States. Between

1853 and 1913, as many as

1l million British (itizens left the

country. There were also many

migranb to Britain from variousparts of the world. For example,

between 1870 and 1914, around

120,000 Russian and Polish

Jews came to Britain to escapepersecution at home. Many

settled in London's East End and in

Manchester and Leeds.

British industry led the world in

the 19th century. In the late l8th

century there had been a boom rn

the building ofcanals. These linked

the factories in the rities to theports. In the early 19th century,

George and Robert Stephensonpioneered the railway engine and

the building of the railways began.

There were also great advances in

other areas such as the buildinq of

bridges by engineers like lsambard

Kingdom Brunel. Much ofthe

heavy work of creating Britain's

indu$rial infrastructure was done

by immigrant labourfrom lreland.

Many lrish people migrated to

England to escape famine andpoverty and settled as agricultural

workers and labouren. By 1861

there were large populatrons

of lrish people in cities such as

Liverpool, London, Manchester

and Glasgow.

The aristocracy still dominated

Parliament but there was a

challenge from the growing

commercial and entrepreneurial

middle class in the newly wealthy

indunrial towns and cities. Thepower of this new middle class

led to the Reform Ao of 1812.

The riqht to vote was still based

on property but the number ofpeople entitled t0 vote was greatly

increased. The Act also abolished

many anrient ronstituencies

with few voten and gave moreparliamentary seats t0 the cities.

This began a permanent shift

of power away from the landed

interests ofthe aristocracy to the

interests of the cities.

After 1832, the working classes

and other people wjthout property

began to demand the right to

vote. The leaders of this movement

were called the Ihartists.

Although the thartists failed, agenerati0n later the intense rivalry

between the [onservative Party(led by Benjamin Disraeli)and

the Liberal Party (led byWilliam

Gladstone) resulted in the creation

of many more urban seats in

Parliament and a further lowering

ofthe property qualifications to

vote. Although the 1867 Reform

Act again expanded the number

of voters, still only a third of men(and no women) were allowed

to vote. These numbers were

enough, howevet to force the

leaders ofthe political parties

to create organisations to rearh

out to ordinary voten. This was

the beglnning of something

like democratic politics. Even

so, universal suffrage (the right

ofeveryone to vote) took much

longer. lt was not until 1928 that

all men and women had the right

to vote. The right of women to vote

was won after a long campaign by

the Women s Suffrage Movement(the Suffragettes) who had to

resort to civil disobedience to

achieve their goals.

I the late 19th century, the

.cnservative Party favoured the

:rpansion of the British Empire.

)rsraeli promoted the empire by

raking Oueen Victoria Empress of

rdia in 18/6.The Liberals were

rore uncertain about the empire

.,rd were influenced by stories of

roverty and the mistreatment of

:le populations ofthe colonies.

- berals believed that the empire

rad become over-large and

,'.ould soon collapse because ot

rhrs. They thought the (ontinuous

,vars in many parls of the empire

;uch as lndia's northwe$ frontier

lr southern Africa, were futile.rhe [onservatives, by contrast

oelieved that uade and commerce

reeded military security and law

and order. They also believed that

the colonies benefited from the

nfluence ofthe Eritish.

ihe BoerWarof 'lB99to

1902

nade both viewpoints more

entrenched. The British expanded

rnto South Africa to control the

gold mines of theTransvaal, which

had been colonised by settlen

from the Netherlands called the

Boen. The Boen resisted and it

took massive manpower resources

from the empire to defeat them. To

some imperialists this showed the

unity of the empire but to others

it was a warning that the empire

would eventually collapse. The

British Empire did finally come to

an end as a result of events in the

twentieth century.

At the beginning ofthe centurythere was a mood of optimismin Britain. Local government wasreformed on a more democraticbasis. Retirement pensions forthe poor and financial help forthe unemployed were providedby the government, and a newpoliti(al party, the Labour Party,arose t0 represent the interests 0fthe working classes in Parliamentand local gorlernment. There wasa general belief in modernity andprogress. That belief was shatteredwhen a terrible war broke outbelween several European nations.Ihis was the FirstWorld War(1914 -18). Millions of peoplewere killed or wounded. 0nebattle alone, the British attack onthe Somme in 19,l6, resulted inabout 400,000 British casualtiesand probably the same numberof Germans. The whole of theBritish Empire was involved in thefighting: for example, over1 million Indians fought on behalfofthe UK all over the world,Around 40,000 were killed. Menfrom theWest Indies, Africa,Australia, New lealand andCanada also fought on behalf ofthe British.

lreland had been unified withGreat Britain by the Act of Union in'1B01.The l9th century had been avery difficult period in lrish history.In the middle of the 19th century,the potato aop had failed, andlreland suffered a famine. Thiscaused huge numbers ofdeathsfrom disease and startlation andmany people had to leave ireland.The government in Londonfailed to help the lrish peopleadequately, causing bitterness thatstill continues. The lrish nationalistmot'ement grew stronger duringthis period. Some, such as theFenians, favoured completeindependence. Others, such asIharles Stuart Parnell, advocated'Home Rule'(devolution). In 19'13,the British government finallypromised Home Rule for lrelandand the Home Rule Bill started togo through Padiament, but theProtestants in the North oflreland,who were descendants ofthesettlen introduced in the1 7th-century plantations,threatened to resist Home Ruleby force of arms.

Because ofthe outbreak oftheFintWorld Wal the British

gOvernment p0stp0ned tne

changes it had promtsed to

lreland. ln 1916, however, there

was an uprising (the Easter

Rising) against the British by

lrish nationalists in Dublin. Ihe

leaders ofthe uprising were

executed under military law. This

only strengthened the support

for nationalism in lreland and

led to a guenilla war against the

British army and the police. ln

1 92 1 a peace treaty was signed

and in 1922 lreland was separated

into two parts. The six counties

in the North, which were mainl,

Protestant, remained part ofthe

United Kingdom, while the rest of

lreland became the lrish Free State

and became a republic in 1949.

Some people in both parts of

lreland were opposed to this

compromise and still wished for

independence for the whole of

lreland. This has caused many

years ofconflict in the North This

conflict, between those wishing

for full lrish independence and

those wishing to remain loyal

to the British government, is

sometimes called the'Troublesi

0nly recently has peace returned

to Northern lreland.

In the 1920s there were

improvements in public housing

and a general rise in living

standards but the worldwide'Great Depression' fron 1929

created mass unemployment,

and the 1930s were a time of

economic depression and crisis.

British Prime Ministen in the

1930s failed to undentand the

seriousness ofthe threat ofthe

German dictator and leader of

the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler. The

British tried to make concessions

to Hitler, in a policy known as'appeasementi Many people in the

UK blamed the (onservative Prime

Ministers of the time for being too

complacent towards Hitler and his

expansionist ambitions and racist

ideology. The British government

realised it had to go to war against

Germany when Hitler invaded

Poland in 1 939. In the first year

of war; Hitler's armies succesfully

invaded Belgium, France and the

Netherlands. In this national crisis,

Winston (hurchill became Prime

Minister and Britain's war leader

The Germans prepared to invade

the United Kingdom but before

they could do this they needed

to control the air The Brrtish

resisted the German air force with

their fighter planes, 5pitfires and

Hunicanes, and won the crucial

aerial battle against the Germans

called the'Battle of Britainl Even

so, the German air force was able

to (ontinue night-time bombing

ofLondon and ofother British

cities su(h as Coventry, which was

nearly totally destroyed. (hurchill

encouraged a national spirit of

resistance in the United Kingdom.

ln the Far East, however, the British

were defeated in Singapore by

the Japanese, who were allies

of Germany. Ihe Japanese then

occupied Burma and threaiened

lnd ia.

When the Japanese bombed the

United States naval base at Pearl

Harbor, the USA entered the war.

Ihe allied forces gradually qained

the upper hand, winning victories

in North Africa and ltaly, while the

Germans lost millions of soldiers

as a result of their attack on Russia

in 1942. Finally, the Allies were

strong enough to attack the

6ermans in Western Europe in

the D-Day landings of 1 944. After

bitter fighting on the bearhes

of Normandy, they pressed on

through France and into Germany.

With their Russian allies they

brought about the total defeat of

Germany in the summer of 1945.

The war against Japan was ended

when the United States exploded

its newly developed atom bombs

over the cities of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki a few weeks later.

Although it had played an

important role in winninq the war,

the UK was exhausted

economically. Liberation or self-gOvemmenl movements grew

stronger and more successful in

India and other colonies.

lil 1 945 the British people electeda Labour government, despiteChurchill's success as war leader.The new Prime Minister wasCement Attlee. The governmentestablished a free National HealthService {NHS) which guaranteed aminimum standard of healthcarefor all. Unemployment reducedrapidly. The railways, coal minfs,gas, water and electricity supplieswere put under public ownenhip

{nationalised).

The Labour Party also believedin self-government for theformer colonies and so grantedindependence to India, Pakistan,and (eylon (now Sri Lanka) in1947. 0ther colonies in Africa, theftribbean and the Pacific achievedindependence over {he next20 years.

The Labour government providedfor the UK's defence by developingits own atomic bomb and joining

the new North Atlanti(Treaty0rganisation (NAT0), an allianceof nations set up to resist theperceived threai of invasion by theSoviet Union and its allies.

In 1951 Labour was defeated. Thegovernment had demanded toomuch austerity and restraint as theUK recovered after the war After1 95 1, (onservative governmentsmade few changes to the newnationalised institutions and tothe welfare state which had beenintroduced by Labour. Ihe countrywas run under a'mixed economyia free market within a frameworkof public ownership of key utilities,transport and communications.A failed invasion of Suez in 1 956showed that Britain could nolonger rely on military powerto protect its globaleconomicinterests. Even so, the 1950s werea period of increasing prosperity.Ihe Prime Minister of the daysummed this up in a phrase thatis still quoted:'You've never had ilso goodl

The Labour Party returned topower from 1 964 to 1 970 andthen again from 1974 to 1979, butthe UK now faced many economicproblems surh as inflation,unstable internaiional cunencyexchange rates and the'balanceof payments' (importing more

than it paid for in exports). Iherewas also a shortage of labourand, fiom the 1940s onwards,governments encouraged thearrivalin the UKof immigrantworkers from the former coloniesin the Indian subcontinent and the(aribbean.

This was a time of ronflictbetween the government andthe trade unions. Many believedthat the unions had too muchpower and that they restrainedgovernment and business.Both (onservative and Labourgovernments fared manylarge-scale strikes during the1970s which did much todestroy confidence in the Britisheronomy. lt was at this time,too, that the tensions betweenthe {*mmunities in Northernlreland flared into violen€ewhirh led to the controversialdeployment of the army thereand the suspension, in 1972,ofthe original Northern lrelandParliament. Some 3,000lives ofcivilians and security personnelwere lost in the decades after 1 969.

Meanwhile, West Germany,France, Belgium, ltaly,Luxembourg and the Netherlandshad formed the EuropeanEconomic Community (EE(). TheEEC had the goal ofharmonisingpolitical, economic and traderelations between its membersand crealng a (0mm0n

agricultural policy. lt also planned

to make the borden free betweenits member states. A EuropeanParliament was established inStrasbourg and a civil service,called the Europan [ommission,in Brusels. At frnt the UK did notwish to join the EEC Many Eritishpoliticians believed that the linksbetween the UK and the U5A andthe empire were more importantand that the (ommonwealth

could form an economic blocbased on sterling, but this polirywrongly assumed that thecountries of the [ommonwealthwished to be tied to the UKeconomically. When the Britishgovernmenr did decide that itwanted to join, i6 appli(ationswere vetoed twice first in 1963and again in 1967. The FrenchPresident, (harles de Gaulle, was

not convinced that the UK wascommitted to the aims of the EE(as these had developed withoutBritish involvement De Gaulle ahobelieved that the UKt influencewould be too great, and that itscloseness to the United States,both culturally and economically,would undermine those aims.

In 1972. the Conservative PrimeMinister Edward Heath negotiatedthe UK's entry into the EEC. Thecountry was still divided on theissue ofjoining, and this led thenext Labour government to holda referendum in 1975, in whichthe majority voted to continue itsmembership. Since then, manymore European countries havejoined, including many countriesin Eastern Europe. In 1992, theTreaty of Maastricht renamed theEEC and its relaed institutions, theEuropean Union (EU).(see chapter 4)

The (onservatives won the generalelection in 1979 and remained inoffice until 1997. Under MargaretThatcher, Prime Minister from'1979 until 1990, the governmentreturned to the principles of astrict control ofthe money supplyand a free market economy. TheConservatives privatised the mainnationalised industries and publicservices: electricity, gas, water,telephones and the railways. lhepower ofthe trade unions wasgreatly reducd by new legislationreslricting the right to strike.The Conservatives gave peoplewno lrveo In munKrpal nousrng

{council houses} the right to buytheir homes. This led to a muchlower stock of public housingby the 1990s. Mn Thatcher'seconomic policies controlledinflation but some believed thevalso caused a massive declinein industry. 0thers, howevetsay this was caused by foreigncomOetition. At this time therewas also a great incease inthe role ofthe (ity of Londonas an international centre fortnvestmentt insurance and othelfinancial services.

The invasion by Argentina oftheFalkland lslands in 1982 wasunforeseen, but military action ledto the recovery ofthe islands. Thewar and her way ofdefending hersense ofthe UK's interests in theEurooean Union established MnThatche/s credentials as a nati0nalleader with many voters, althoughfor many others she remained adivisive fiaure.

- ' 19l the (onservatives were:i::?n in the general election by'- i -abour Party, now branded

"i,,, Labour to emphasise the

- : ̂ qes it had undergone since its,.,'s of power in the 1970s. New-,::ur, led byTony Blair, wished'. :'eak from the old Labour:, iies of publicownenhip and- l^ taxation for public services.' ::d not re-nationalise any of": services or industries which-:i been privaised by the- - nservatives. hs goals were to- rke existing public services such:: education and health more.'ficient and more accountable.-aboul like the (onservativet'avoured partnerships between:.e public and private sectors.-he arguments were no longer,vhether public utilities should beprivately or publicly owned, butabout the right mix of public andprivate enterprise.

The Blair government broke with[onservative policy by introducinga Scottish Parliamentand aWelshAssembly {see chapter 4). TheScottish Parliament has substantialpowen to lEislate. The Welsh

Asembly has fewer legislativepowers but considerable controlover public services. In Northernlreland the Blair government wasable to build on the (onservatives'

success in nEotiating an end tothe'Troubles'which had afflictedihe province since 'l%9 and,in co-operation with the lrishgovernment, to seek political,.

agreement am0ng the nationalist,unionist and other parties.

ihit however, has proved moreelusive, and anangements fordevolution, agreed in 1998, havebeen intenupted and are cunentlysusoended.

Todayt governmefit faces severalissues. Some of the problems

are international, such as globalwarming, tenorism, and theviolence in Inq. 0ther debates aredomestic such as disagreementsover taxation, pensions, lawand ordet health, education,immigration and asylum.

The United Kingdom is perhapsmore socially mobile and lessclas conscious than it was in thepast. People have better heahhthan in previous generations andtend to live longer. Although thereis stillgreat inequality betweenthe very rich and poor, people aregenerally wealthier in real terms.The UK is also a more pluralisticsociety than it was 100 years agqboth in ethnic and religious terms.Post-war immigration means thatnearly 10% ofthe populationhas a parent or grandparentborn outside the UK. Racismremains a problem in some areas,although it is actively combatedboth in opinion and in law andmost people believe that it hasdiminished. The UK has been amulti-national and muhi-cuhural

society for a long timg withoutthis being a threatto its Britishidentity, or its English, Scottish,Welsh or lrhh culturaland nationalidentities.

ChAPtCr2: A CHANGING SOCIETY

- :hrs chapter there is information about

Migration to Britain

The long history of immigration

to the United Kingdom

Different reasons why people

migrated to the UK

Basic changes in immigration

patlerns over the last 30 years

Ihe changing role of women

thanges to family structures

and women's rights since the

1 9th century

Women! campaigns for rights,

including the right to vote,

in the late 1 9th and early 20th

centuries

Discrimination against women

in the workplace and in

education

Changing attitudes to women

working, and responsibilities of

men and women in the home

Children, family and young

people

= Ihe identity, interests, tastes

and lifestyle patterns of

children and young people

=t Education and work

.=' Health hazards: cigarettes,

alcohol and illegal drugs

n Young people's political and

socral attitudes

Migration to Britain

Many people living in Britain today have their origins in other countries.

They can trace their roots to regions throughout the world such as Europe,

the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the [aribbean. ln the distant past,

invaders came to Britain, seized land and stayed, (see chapter 1). More

recently, people come to Britain to find safety, jobs and a better life.

Britain is proud of its tradition of offering safety to people who are

escaping perse(ution and hardship. For example, in the 16th and 'lBth

centuries, Huguenots (French Protestants) came to Britarn to escape

religious penecution in France. ln the mid -1840s there was a tenible

famine in lreland and many lrish people migrated t0 Britain. Many lrish

men became labourers and helped to build canals and railways acros

Britain.

From 1880 to 1910, a large number of Jewish people came to Britain

t0 escape racit attacks (called'pogrom() in what was then called the

Rusian Empire and from the countries now called Poland, Ukraine and

Belarus.

Migration since 1945

After the Second World War (1 939-45), there was a huge task of

rebuilding Britain. Ihere were not enough people t0 do the work, so the

British government encouraged worken from lreland and other parts 0f

Europe to come t0 the UK t0 help with the reconstruction. In 1948, people

from the West Indies were also invited to come and work.

During the 1 950s, there was still a shortage of labour in the UK. The UK

encouraged immigration in the 1950s for economic reasons and many

industries advertised for workers from overseas. For example, centres

were set up in the West Indies to recruit people to drive buses. Iextile and

engineering frrms from the north of England and the Midlands sent

aqents t0 India and Pakistan to find workers. For about 25 yean, people

from theWest Indies, India, Pakistan, and later Banqladesh, travelled to

work and settle in Britain.

The number of people migrating from these areas fell in the late 1960s

and early 70s because the Government pased new laws to restrict

immrgration t0 Britain, althouqh immigrants from bld'[ommonwealth(ountries such as Australia, New lealand and [anada did not have to face

such strict controls.

During this time, howevet the UK was able to help a large number of

refugees. In 1 972 the UK aaepted thousands of people of Indian origin

who had been forced to leave Uganda. Another programme to helppeople from Vietnam was introduced in the late

'1970s. Since 19/9, more

than 25,000 refugees from South East Asia have been allowed to settle in

the UK.

In the 1980s the largest immigrant groups were from the United States,

Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. In the early 1 990s, groups ofpeople from the former Soviet Union came to Britain looking for a new

and safer way of life. Since 1994 there has been a global rise in mass

migration for both politicaland economic reasons.

The changing role of women

r lgth-century Britain, families were usually large and in many poorerromes men, women and children all contributed towards the familyrcome. Although they made an important economic contribution,,,,'omen in Britain had fewer rights than men. Until 1857, a manied,voman had no right to divorce her husband. Until 1882, when a womanqot manied, her earnings, property and m0ney automatically belonged toher husband.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an increasing number ofwomencampaigned and demonstrated for greater rights and, in particular,the rig ht t0 vote. Ihey became known as'Suffragettesi lhese protests

decreased during the FirstWorld War because women joined in the wareffort and therefore did a much greater variety of work than they hadbefore. When the First World War ended in 191 8, women over the ageof 30 were finally given the right to vote and to stand for election toParliament. lt was not until 1928 that w0men won the riqht to vote at 21,at trle same age as men.

Despite these improvements, women stillfaced discrimination in theworkplace. For example, it was quite common for employers to askwomen to leave their jobs when they got manied. Many jobs were closedt0 women and it was difficult for women t0 enter univeruities. During the1960s and 1970s there was increasing pressure from women for equalrights. Parliament passed new laws giving women the right to equal payand prohibiting employers from discriminating against women because oftheir sex (see also chapter 6).

Women in Britain today

Women in Britain today make up 5170 of the population and 4570

ofthe workforce. These days girls leave school, on average, with

better qualifications than boys and there are now more women

than men at unive6ity.

Employment opportunities f0r women are n0w much greater than

they were in the past. Although women continue to be employed in

traditional female areas such as healthcare, teaching, secretarial and

retail work, there is strong evidence that attitudes are changing, and

wOmen are now active in a much wider range of work than before.

Research shows that very few people today believe that women in

Britain should stay at home and not g0 out to work. Ioday, almost

three-quarters of women with schoo l-age children are in paid

WOTK.

In most households, women continue to have the main

responsibility for childcare and housework. There is evidence

that there is now greater equality in homes and that more men

are taking some responsibility for raising the family and doing

housework. Despite this pr0gress, many people believe that more

needs to be done to achieve greater equality for women. There are

still examples of discrimination against women, particularly in the

workplace, despite the laws that exist to prevent it. Women still do

not always have the same access t0 promotion and better-paid jobs.

The average hourly pay rate for women is 2070 les than for men,

and after leaving univerity most women still earn less than men.

Children, family and young people

In the UK, there are almost 15 million children and young people up to theage of 1 9. This is almost one-quarter ofthe UK population.

Over the last 20 years, family patterns in Britain have been transformedbecause of changing attitudes towards divorce and separation. Today,65% of children live with both birth parents, almost 25% live in lone-parent families, and 1070 live within a stepfamily. Most children in Britainreceive weekly pocket money from their parents and many get extramoney for doing jobs around the house.

[hildren in the UK do not play outside the home as much as they did inthe past. Part ofthe reason for this is increased home entertainment suchas television, videos and computers. There is also increased concern forchildren s safety and there are many stories in newspapers about childmolestation by strangers, but there is no evidence that this kind ofdangeris increasing.

Young people have different identities, interests and fashions to olderpeople. Many young people move away from their family home whenthey become adults but this varies from one community t0 another.

Education

The law states that children between the ages of 5 and 1 6 must attendschool. The tests that pupils take are very important, and in England andScotland children take national tests in English, mathematics and sciencewhen they are 7 ,11 and 14 yean old. (ln Wales, teachers assess children'sprogress when they are 7 and 1 1 and they take a national test at the ageof 14). The tests give important information about children's progress andachievement, the subjects they are dolng well in and the areas where theyneed extra help.

Most young people take the General Certificate ofSecondary Education(G(5E), or, in 5cotland,Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) StandardGrade examinations when they are 16. At 17 and 18, many takevocational qualifications, General (ertificates of Education at an Advancedlevel (AGGs), A5 level unir or Higher/Advanced Higher Grada inScotland. Schools and colleges will expect good GCSE or SQA StandardGrade resuls before allowing a student to enrol on an AGCE or ScottishHigher/Advanced Higher course.

A5 levels are Advanced Subsidiary qualifications gained by completingthree A5 units.lhree AS units are considered as one-halfofan AGCE.In the second part ofthe course, three more A5 units can be studied tocomplete the AQCE qualification.

Many people referto AGffs bythe old name of A levels. AGCEs are thetraditional route for entry to higher education courses, but many highereducation students enter with different kinds of qualifications.

One in three young people now go on to higher eduotion at collEe oruniverity. 50me young people defer their univenity entrance for a year

and take a'gap yeal lhis year out ofeducation often includes voluntarywork and travel overseas. Some young pmple work to eam and savemoney t0 pay for their university fees and living expenses. '

People over 16 years ofage may also choose to study at Colleges ofFurther Education or Adult Education Centres. lhere is a wide range ofacademic and vocational courses available as well as courss whichdevelop leisure interests and skills. (ontact your local college for details.

Wo*

It is common for young people to have a part-time job while they arestill at school. lt is thought there are 2 million children at work at anyone time.lhe most common jobs are newspaper delivery and work insupermarkets and newsagents. Many parents believe that part+ime workhelps children to become more independent as wdl as providing them(and sometimes theirfamilies) with extra inc0me.

There are laws about the age when children can take up paid work(usually not before 14), the type 0fwork they can do and the number ofhoun they can work (see wwwworksmart.org.uk for more information).

It is very important t0 note that there are concerns for the Hfety ofchildren who work illegally or who are not properly supervised and theemployment of children is strictly controlled by law (see also pages 84and 85).

Health hazards

Many parents wony that their children may misuse drugs and addictivesubstances.

Smoking:

@

Although cigarette smoking is slowly falling in the adult population, moreyoung people are smoking, and more school age girls smoke than boys.From 1 0ctober 2007 it is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under18 years old. Smoking is generally not allowed in public buildings andwork places throughout the UK.

Alcohol:

Younq people under the age of'18 are not allowed to buy alcohol inBritain, but there is concern about the age some young people startdrinking alcohol and the amount ofalcohol they drink at one time, knownas'binge drinkingi lt is illegal to be drunk in public and there are nowmore penalties to help control this problem, including onthe-spot fines.

lllegal drugs:

As in most countries, it is illegal to posess drugs such as heroin, cocaine,ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis. (urrent statistics show that halfofall young adults, and about a third ofthe population as a whole, haveused illegal drugs at one time 0r another.

Ihere is a strong link between the use 0f hard drugs (e.9. crack cocaineand heroin) and crime, and also hard drugs and mental illness.Ihe misuseofdrugs has a huge social and financial cost for the country. This is aserious isue and British society needs to find an effective way ofdealingwith the problem.

Young peopleS political and social aftitudes

Young people in Britain can vote in elections from the age of 1 8. In the2001 general election, however, only 1 in 5 firsttime voters used theirvote. Ihere has been a great debate over the reasons for this. Someresearchers think that one reason is that young people are not interestedin the political proces.

Although most young people show little interest in party politics, there isstrong evidence that many are interested in specific political issues such asthe environment and cruelty to animals.

In 2003 a survey ofyoung people in England and Wales showed that theybelieve the five most important issues in Britain were crime, drugt war/renorism, racism 9nd health. The same survey asked young people aboutrheir participation in political and community events. They found that 86% ofyoung people had taken part in some form ofcommunity event overrhe past year, and 50% had taken part in fund-raising or collecting moneyfor charity. Similar results have been found in surveys in Scotland andf'lorthern lreland. Many children first get involved in these activities whileat school where they study (itizenship as part ofthe National (uniculum.

Ched that pu undershnd the key terms and vocabulary for this chapter

Migration to Britain:

I migrate, immigrate,immigration, immigrant

I persecution, famine, confl icttlabour, labourert recruitI restrictr political asylumI the war effoft

ftanging role of women:

t income, earningsr rights,equal righrI campaign, 4emonstrateI discriminate, discriminationo prohibitt workforce. householda promotion

Children, family and youngpeople:

I eligibleI concerno molestationI anitudesI hazards

a birth parent, stepfamilyi compulsory* informal* methodsofassessmentI defert gapyeart independenta incomeI misuse] addictive substancesi abuseI bingedrinkingf on-the-spotfinesr controlled drugsI criminaloffenceI possessI heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine,

ecstasy, amphetamines,cannabis

r burglary, mugginqr debatet politicians, political process,

paq politics, political isuesI specificI concernt environmentI tenorism, racisma participation| fund-raising

ftAPtCr3: UKTODAY: A PROFILE

In this chapter there is informationADOUT:

= Ihe population ofthe UK

€ lhe census

+ Ethnicdive6ity

€ The regions of Britain

* Religion and religious freedom

€ Customs and traditions

Population

In 2005 the population of the United Kingdom was just under 60 million

oeoole.

UK population 2005

England (8470 ofthe population) 50. l mi l l ion

Scotland (8% ofthe population) 5.1 million

Wales (5%ofthepopulation) 2.9 million

N. lreland (3% ofthe population) 1.7 million

IoUIUK 59.8 million

source: National Statistics

The population has grown by 7./% since 1971, and growth has been

fa$er in more recent years. Although the general population in the UK has

increased in the last 20 years, in some areas such as the North-East and

North-West of England there has been a decline.

Both the birth rate and the death rate are falling and as a result the UK

now has an ageing population. For instance, there are more people over

60 than children under 1 6. There is also a record number of people aged

85 and over.

The census

A census is a count ofthe whole population. lt also collects statistics 0n

topics such as age, place of birth, occupation, ethnicity, housing, health,

and maritalstatus.

UK population 2001

A census has been taken every ten years since 1 801, except during the

second World War The next census will take olace in 20'l 1.

WhiteDuring a census, a form is delivered to every household in the country. (including people of European,This form ask for detailed information about each member of the Australian, American descent)household and must be completed by law.Ihe information remains

confidential and anonymous; it can only be released to the public after Mixed

100 years, when many people researching their family history find it very

useful. General census information is used to identifl population trends Asian or Asian British

and to help planning. More information about the census, the census form

and statistics from previous censuses can be found at

www.statistics.gov. uk/census

Ethnic diversity

The UK population is ethnically diverse and is changing rapidly, especially

Bangladeshi

in large cities such as London, s0 it is not always easy t0 get an exait 0ther Asianpicture ofthe ethnic origin ofall the population from census $atistics.

Each ofthe four countries 0fthe UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Black or Black British

Northern lreland) has different customs, attitudes and histories

Black [aribbean

People of Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Black [aribbean, Black African,

Bangladeshi and mixed ethnic descent make up 8.370 ofthe UK Black Africanpopulation.Today about half the memben of these communities were

born in the United Kingdom.

Million UK population 7o

9254.2

1.20.7

'l.B1.1Ind ia n

1.30.7Pakistani

0.50.3

0.40.2

1.00.6

0.8i'.0.5

Black other 0.20.'l

Ihere are also considerable numbers of oeoole resident in the UK who are Chineseof lrish, lulian, Greek and Turkish Cypriot, Polish, Australian, (anadian,

New Zealand and American descent. Larqe numbers have also arrived 0thersince 2004 from the new East European member states ofthe EuropeanUnion. Ihese groups are not identified separately in the census statistics in Source: Narional srarhtics from rhe 2001 censusthe followinq table.

0.40.2

0.40.2

lVhere do the largest ethnic minodg groups live?

-re figures from the 2001 census show that most members ofthe large

i:tnic minority groups in the U|( live in England, where they make up?r ofthe total population.45% ofall ethnic minofity people live in:'e London area, where they form nearly one-third ofthe population-"1fr). Other areas of England with large ethnic minority populations:'e the West Midlands, the South Ea$ the North West, and Yorkshire and--mberside.

i:portion ofethnic minority groups in the countries ofthe UK

l'oland 9% Wales

i iotland 2oh Northem lreland lesthan 1%

The nations and regions of the UK

The UK is a medium+ized country.The longest distance on the mainland,fiom John 0'Groats on the north coast of5cotland t0 Land's End in thesouth-west corner of England, is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400kilometres). Most of the population live in towns and cities,

There are many variations in culture and language in the different partsof the United Kingdom.This is seen in differences in architecture, in somelocal customt in types offood, and especially in language. The Englishlanguage has many accents and dialects. These are a clear indicationof regional differencs in the UK. Well*nown dialects in England areGeordie (Iyneside),Scouse (Liverpool) and Cockney (London). Manyother languages in addition to English are spoken in the UK, especially inrnuhicuhural cities.

In Wales, Scotland and Northern lreland, people speak different varietiesand dialects of English. In Wales, toq an increasing number of peoplespeakWelsh, which is taught in schools and unirlersities. In ScotlandGaelic is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and lslands and inNorthem lreland a few people speak lrish Gaelic. Some ofthe dialemofEnglish spoken in Scotland show the influence ofthe old Scottishlanguagg Scots.One ofthe dialects spoken in Northern lreland is calledUlster Scots.

Religion

Although the UK is historically a Christian society, everyone has the legalright to practise the religion oftheir choice. In the 2001 census, just over75% said they had a religion: 7 out of 10 ofthese were Christians. Therewere also a considerable number of people who followed other religions.Although many people in the UK said they held religious belieft, cunentlyonly around 10% of the population anend religious services. More peopleattend services in Scotland and Northern lreland than in England andWales. In London the number of people who attend religious services isincreasino.

Religions in the UK

ftristian (10% of whom are Roman Catholic)

Muslim

Jewish

Buddhist

ToulAll

No religion

Not stated

71.6

2.7

1.0

0.6sikh

0.3b

0ther 0.3

t7

15.5

Source: National Statistics ftom the 2001 census

7.3

The (hristian (hurches

ingland there is a (0nstituti0nal link between church and state. The

rcral church ofthe state is the [hurch ofEngland.Ihe thurch ofEngland

.a ed the Anglican [hurch in other countries and the Eprscopal [hurch

-.rotland and in the USA. The [hurch of England is a Protestant church

, : has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s (see chapter 1 for': anatron) The king or queen (the monarch) is the head, or Supreme

, ernoI ofthe [hurch of England. The monarch is not allowed to

''ry anyone who is not Protestant. The spiritual leader of the thurch of

I a nd is the Archbishop of Ca nterbury. The monarch has the right to, i.t the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the

r ce is made by the Prime Minister and a rommittee appornted by the- rrch Several [hurch of England bishops sit in the House of Lords (see

, rter 4). The Ihurch of Scotland is Presbyterian, nati0nal and free from',:t control. lt has no bishops and is governed for spiritual purposes

, : series of courts, s0 its most senior representative is the Moderator' :rrperson) of its annual General Assembly. There is no established

,,rh in Wales or in Northern lreland.

' :r Protestant Chnstian gr0ups in the UK are Baptists, Presbyterians,.:rodists and Quaken. 1070 ofChristians are Roman [atholic

: , ln Northern l reland).

)atron saints

: and, Scotland, Wales and Northern lreland each have a national saint-.1 a patron saint Each saint has a feast day In the pa$ these were

i:rfated as holy days when many people had a day offwork. Today' .:: are not public holidays exceptfor l/ March in Northern lreland.

Patron saints'days

St. David's day, Wales lMarch

5t. Patrick s day, Northern lreland l7 March

5t. Georges day, England 23 April

5t. Andrew's day, Scotland i0 November

There are four'Bank Holidayland four other public holidays a year (most

people cal l al l these hol idays Bank Hol idays).

(ustoms and traditions

Festivals

Throughout the year there are festirlals 0fart, music and culture, suchas the Notting Hill [arnival in west London and the Edinburgh Festival.Customs and traditions from various reliqions, such as Eid ul-Fitr(Muslim), Diwali (Hindu) and Hanukkah (Jewish)are widely recognised inthe UK. thildren learn about these at school. The main Christian festivalsare Ihristmas and Easter.There are also celebrations ofnon-religioustraditions such as NewYear

The main Christian festivals

Ihristmas Day

25 December, celebrates the birth oflesus Christ. Ir ts a public holiday.Many [hristians go to church on Christmas Eve (24 December) or onChristmas Day itself. [hristmas is also usually celebrated by people whoare not Christian. People usually spend the day at home and eat a specialmeal, which often includes turkey. They give each other gifts, send each

other cards and decorate their houses. Many people decorate a tree.[hristmas is a special time for children Very young children believe thatan old man, Father [hristmas (or Santa Caus), brings them presents

during the night. He is always shown in pictures with a long white beard,dressed in red. Boxing Day, 26 December, is the day after Christmas. lt rs apubl ic hol lday

Other festivals and traditions

NewYear

1 lanuary, is a public holiday. People usually celebrate 0n rhe night 0f31 December. In Scotland, 3l December is called Hogmanay and2 January is also a public holiday. In Scotland Hogmanay is a brggerholiday for some people than Christmas.

Valentine's Day

14 February, is when lovers exchange cards and gifts Sometimes people

send anonymous cards to someone they secretly admire.

April Fool's Day

1 April, is a day when people play lokes on each other unril midday. 0ftenTV and newspapen carry stories intended to deceive credulous viewersand readers.

Mother's Day

The Sunday three weeks before Easter is a day when children send cardsor buy gifts for their mothers. Easter is also an important Christran festival.

- , l lowe en

' 0ctober, is a very ancient festival. Younq people will often dress up'frrqhtening costumes to play'trick 0rtreati Giving them sweets 0rrocolates might stop them playing a tri(k 0n you Sometimes people

:rry lanterns made out of pumpkins with a candle inside.

.ry Fawkes Night

'lovember, is an occasion when peopie in Great Britain set offfrreworks

it h0me 0r in special displays The oriqin of this celebration was an event^ 1605, when a group of [atholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan

, ki I the Pr0testant king with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament.

lemembrance Day

I November, r0mmemorates those who died fighting in World War l,

\ror d War 2 and other wan. Many people wear poppies (a red flower) in

nemory of those who died. At l l a m. there is a two-minute si lence.

Sport

5port ofall kinds plays a important part in rnany peoples lives. Football,

tennis, ruqby and cricket are very popular sports in the UK. There are no

United Kingdom teams for football and rugby. England, Scotland, Waies

and Northern lreland have their Own teams lmportant sporting eventsinclude, the Grand National horse race, the Football Association (FA) cupfinal (and equivalents in Northern lreland, Scotland and Wales), the 0pengolf championshrp and the Wimbledon tennis tournament

ChAPICI4: HOW THE UNITED KINGDOM I5 GOVERNED

In this chapter there is rnformation

about:

Government

Ihe system of government

Ihe monarchy

Ihe electoral system

Political parties

Being a citizen

Voting

(ontacting your MP

The UK in Europe and the world

The European Union

The [ommonwealth

The United Nations

The British Constitution

As a constitutional democracy, the United Kingdom rs governed by a

wide range of institutions, many of which provide checks on each other'spowen. Most ofthese institutions are of long standing: they include the

monarchy, Parliament, (c0nsisting of the House of [ommons and the

House of Lords), the off ce of Prime Minister; the Cabinet, the judlciary,

the police, the civrl service, and the institutions of local government.

More recently, devolved administrations have been set up for Scotland,

Wales and Northern lreland. Toqethe; these formal institutions, laws and

conventions form the British [0nstitution. Some people would argue that

the roles ofother less formal institutions, such as the media and pressure

groups, should also be seen as part ofthe (onstitution.

The British [Onstitution is not written down in any single document,

as are the constitutions of many other countries. This is mainly because

the United Kingdom has never had a lasting revolution, like America or

France, so 0ur most important institutions have been rn existence for

hundreds ofyean. Some people believe that there should be a srngle

document, but others believe that an unwritten constitution allows more

scope for institutions to adapt to meet changing circumstances and publrc

expecIaIr0ns.

The monarchy

Queen Elizabeth ll is the Head of State of the United Kingdom. She is also

the monarch or Head of State for many countries in the [ommonwealth.

The UK, like Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden, has a

constitutional monarchy. Ihis means that the king or queen does not rule

the country, but appoints the government which the people have chosen

in democratic elections. Although the queen or king can advise, warn and

enc0urage the Prime MinisteI the decisi0ns 0n gOvernment policies are

made by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

lhe Queen has reigned since her father's deah in 1 952. Prince [harles, the

Prince ofWales, her oldest son, is the heir to the throne.

The Queen has important ceremonial roles such as the opening ofthe

new parliamentary session each year.0n this occasion the Queen makes a

speech that summarises the government's policies for the year ahead.

Government

Ihe system ofgovernment in the United Kingdom is a parliamentary

democracy.Ihe UK is divided into 646 parliamentary constituencies and

at least every five years voters in each constituency elect their Member

of Parliament (MP) in a general election. All of the elected MPs form the

House of [ommons. Most MPs belong to a political party and the party

with the larqest number of MPs forms the government.

Ihe law that requires new elections to Parliament to be held at least every

fve years is so fundamental that no government has sought t0 change it.

A Bill to change it is the only one to which the House of Lords must give

its consent.

Some people argue that the power of Parliament is lessened because of

the obligation 0n the United Kingdom to accept the rules ofthe European

Union and the judgments ofthe European Court, but it was Parliament

itself which created these obligations.

The House ofCommons

The House of [ommons is the more important of the two chambers in

Parliament, and its members are democratically elected. Nowadays the

Prime Minister and almost all the memben of the Gbinet are members

ofthe House of[ommons. Ihe memben ofthe House of(ommons arecalled'Memben of Parliament'or MPs for short. Each MP reDresents aparliamentary constituency, or area ofthe country: there are 646 ofthese.MPs have a number of different responsibilities. They represent everyonein their constituency, they help to create new laws, they scrutinise andc0mment 0n what the q0vernment is doing, and they debate importantnational issues.

Elections

There must be a general election to elect MPs at least every five years,though they may be held sooner if the Prime Minister so decides. lf anMP dies or resigns, there will be another election, called a by-election, inhis or her constituency. MPs are elected through a system called'first pastthe posti In each constituency, the candidate who ger the most votesis elected.Ihe government is then formed by the party which wins themajority of constituencies.

The Whips

The Whips are a small group of MPs appointed by their party leaden. Iheyare responsible for discipline in their party and making sure MPs attendthe House of(ommons t0 vote.The ChlefWhip often attends [abinet or5hadow (abinet meetings and arranges the schedule ofproceedings inthe House of Commons with the Soeaker.

European parliamentary elections

Elections for the European Parliament are also held every five years. Ihereare 78 seats for representatives from the UK in the European Parliamentand elected members are called Members of the Eurooean

:' ament (MEPs). Electionst0the Eur0pean Parliament use a system 0fp0rti0naJ representati0n, whereby seats are ailocated to each party inportion to the total votes it won.

The House of Lords

'rbers ofthe House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected and dorepresent a constituency. The roie and membership ofthe |-|ouse of

rs have recently undergone big chanqes. Until 1958 all peers were' er'hereditaryi meaning that theirtitles were inherited, senior judges,

:r shops of the [hurch of England. Since 1958 the Prime Minister has

, : the power to appoint peen just for their own lifetime. These peers,

,'i n as Life Peen, have usually had a distinguished career in politics,

, ness, law 0r some other profession. Ihrs means that debates i n

- llouse of Lords often draw on more specialist knowledge than is

, ab e to members of the House of [ommons. Lrfe Peers are appointed

, :ne Queen 0n the advice of the Prime Minister; but they include

r e nominated by the leaden of the other main parties and by an

::pendent Appointments [ommission for non-party peers,

-e ast few years the hereditary peers have lostthe automatic right

,.:end the House of Lords, a lthough they are al lowed to elect a few of' rLnDer to represent tnem.

- e the House of Lords is usual lythe less important of thetwo

, ,rbers of Parliament, it is m0re independent of the government. lt can

lJest amendments 0r propose new laws, which are then discussed by

, 'louse of[ommons.The House ofLords can become very important-- e malority of its members will not agree to pass a law for which the

.se of [ommons has voted. The House of [ommons has powers to,'rule the House of Lords, but these are very rarely used.

The Prime Minister

The Prime lt/inister (PM) is the eader of the political party in power. He

or she appoints the members ofthe [abinet and has control over many

important public appointments. The official home of the Prime Minister is

10 Downing Street, in central London, nearthe Houses ofParliament, he

or she also has a country house not far from London cal ed Chequers. The

Prime Minister can be changed if the MPs in the qoverning party decide

to do so, or if he or she wishes to resign. More usually, the Prime Minister

resigns when his or her party is defeated in a general election.

The (abinet

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senror MPs to become ministers

in charge of departments These include the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

responsible for the e(onomy, the Home Secretary, responsible for aw,

order and immrgration, the Foreign 5ecretary, and ministers (called'Secretaries ofState') for education, health and defence. Ihe Lord

Ihancellor; who is the minister responsible for legal affairs, is also a

memberof the Cabinet butsat n the House of Lords ratherthan the

|-|ouse of Commons. Following legislation passed in 2005, it is now

possible for the Lord (hancellor t0 sit in the Commons. Jhese ministers

form the [abinet, a small committee which usually meets weekly and

makes important decisions about government policy which often then

have to be debated or approved by Parliament.

The 0pposition

The second largest party in the House ofCommons is called the

0pposition. The Leader ofthe 0ppositi0n is the person who hopes to

become Prime Minister if his or her party wins the next general election.

The Leader ofthe 0pposition leads his or her party in pointing out the

government's failures and weaknesses; 0ne rmportant 0pp0rtunity to

do this is at Prime Ministers Questions which takes place every week

while Parliament is sitting. The Leader of the 0pposltion also appoints

senior 0pposrtion MPs to lead the criti(ism of government ministers, and

together they form the Shadow [abinet.

The Speaker

Debates in the House of(ommons are chaired by the Speaker, the chief

ofhcer of the House of [ommons. The Speaker is politiclly neutral. He or

she is an MB eleaed by fellow MPs to keep order during politi(al debates

and to make sure the rules are followed.Ihis includes making sure the

0pposition has a guaranteed amount oftime to debate issues it chooses.

The Speaker also represents Parliament at ceremonial occasions.

The party system

Under the British system of parliamentary democracy, anyone can stand

for election as an MP but they are unlikely to win an election unless they

have been nominated t0 represent one ofthe major political parties.

These are the Labour Party, the (onservative Party, the Liberal Democrats,

or one ofthe parties representing Scottish, Welsh, or Northern lrish

interests. There are just a few MPs who do not represent any of the main

political parties and are called'independentslThe main political parties

actively seek members among ordinary voters to join their debates,

contribute t0 their costs, and help at elections for Parliament or for local

gO\/ernment; they have branches in mOst constituencies and they holdpolicy-making conferences every year.

:-rsure and lobby groups

-'. and lobby groups are organisations thattry to influence.'- - ent policy. They play a very important role in politics. There are

: . , l'rssuf€ groups in the UK. Ihey may represent economic interests-,, rhe [onfederation of British Industry, the Consumers'Asociation,

'-. : 'ade unions) or views on particular subjects (e.9. Greenpeace or-", The general public is more likely to support pressure groups than- ' : r l i t ical party.

-'e rivil service

, ,:'vants are managen and administraton who carry out government

. , They have to be politically neutral and professional, regardless of' :- political party is in power. Although civil servants have to follow

- , : -. icies of the elected government, they can warn ministers if they' - -. a policy is impractical 0r not in the public interest. Before a general- :.: 0n takes place, top civil servants study the 0pp0siti0n party's policies

,t,y in case they need to be ready t0 serve a new government with

: -:'ent aims and policies.

Devolved administration

- rrder to give people in Wales and Scotland more control of matters'- :: directly affect them, in 199/ the government began a programme'jevolving powerfrom central government. Since 1999there has

:.en a Welsh Asembly, a Scottish Parliament and, periodically, a',t(hern lreland Asembly. Although policy and laws governing defence,':,r'eign affairs, taxation and social security all remain under central UK

lovernment control, many other public services n0w come under the

-ontrol of the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland.

3oth the Sconish Parliament and Welsh Assembly have been set up using'orms of proportional representation which ensures that each party

gets a number ofseats in proportion t0 the number 0fvotes they re(etve.

Similarly, pr0porti0nal representation is used in Northern lreland ln

order to ensure'power sharing' between the Union ist majority (ma in ly

Protestant) and the substantial (mainly Catholic) minority aligned to lrish

nationalist parties. A different form of proportional representation is used

for elections to the European Parliament.

The Welsh Assembly Government

The National Asembly forWales, orWelsh Assembly Government (WAG),

is situated in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. lt has 60 Assembly Members(AMs) and elections are held every four years. Memben can speak in

eitherWelsh or English and all its publications are in both lanquages.

The Asembly has the power to make decisions on important matters

such as education policy, the environment, health services, transport and

local government, and to pass laws forWales on these matters wrthin a

statutory framework set out by the UK Parliament atWestminster.

The Parliament of Scotland

A long campaign in Scotland for more independence and democratic

control led to the formation in 1999 of the Parliament of Scotland, which

sits in Edinburgh, the capital city ofScotland. r,.

There are 129 Memben of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected by

a form of proportional representation. This has led to the sharing of

power in Scotland between the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties. The

Scottish Parliament can pass legislation for Scotland on all matten that

are not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament. The matters on which

the Scottish Parliament can legislate include civil and criminal law, health,

education, planning and the raising ofadditional uxes.

Ihe Northern lreland Assembly

A Northern lreland Parliament was established in 1922 when lreland wasd ivided, but it was abolished in 1972 shortly after the lroubles broke outin 1 969 6ee chapter 1 ).

Soon after the end of the Troubles, the Northern lreland Asembly wasestablished with a power-sharing agreement which distributes ministerialoffices among the main parties. The Assembly has 108 elected membenknown as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly). Decision-makingpowers devolved t0 Northern lreland include education, agriculture, theenvironment, health and social services in Northern lreland. ,

The UK government kept the power t0 suspend the Northern lrelandAsembly if the political leaders no longer agreed to work together or ifthe Asembly was not working in the interests of the people of Northernlreland. This has happened several times and the Asembly is cunentlysuspended (2006). This means that the elected assembly members do nothave power to pas bills or make decisions.

Local government

Towns, cities and rural areas in the UK are governed by democraticallyelected councils, often called local authorities. Some areas have bothdistrict and county councils which have different functions, although mostlarger towns and cities will have a single local authority. Many councilsrepresenting towns and cities appoint a mayor who is the ceremonialleader ofthe council but in some towns a mayor is appointed to be theeffective leader ofthe administration. London has 33 local authorities,with the 6reater London Authority and the Mayor of Londonco-ordinating policies acros the capital. Local authorities are requiredto provide'mandatory services'in their area. These services includeeducation, housing, social services, passenger transport, the fire service,rubbish collection, planning, environmental health and libraries.

Most of the money for the local authority services comes from thegovernment thr0ugh taxes. 0nly about 2070 is funded locally throughtouncil tax'a local tax set by councils to help pay for local services. ltapplies to all domestic properties, including houses, bungalows, flats,maisonettes, mobile homes or houseboats, whether owned or rented.

Local elections for councillon are held in May every year. Many candidatesstand for council election as members of a political party.

The judiciary

In the UK the laws made by Parliament are the highest authority. Butoften important questions arise about how the laws are to be interpretedin particular cases. lt is the task 0fthe judges (who are together called'thejudiciary') t0 interpretthe law, and the government may not interferewith their role. 0ften the actions of the government are claimed to be '

illegal and, ifthe judges agree, then the government must either changeits policies or ask Parliament to change the law. This has become all themore important in recent years, as the judges now have the task ofapplying the Human Rights Act (see chapter 7). lfthey find that a publicbody is not respecting a person's human rights, they may order that bodyto change its practices and t0 pay compensation, ifappropriate. lfthejudges believe that an Act of Parlianunt is incompatible with the HumanRights Ac1 they cannot change it themselves but they can ask Parliamentto consider doing so.

Judges cannot, however, decide whether people are guilty or innocent ofserious crimes. When someone is accused of a serious crime, a jury willdecide whether he or she is innocent or guilty and, ifguilty, thejudge willdecide on the penalty. For les important crimes, a magistrate will decideon guilt and on any penalty.

-re police

". :olice service is organised locally, with 0ne police service for each

. -:y or group of counties. Ihe largest force is the Metropolitan Police,- -r serves London and is based at New Scotland Yard. Northern lreland

, : ,,;hol€ is served by the Police Service for Northern lreland (PSNI). Ihe

, ,e havebperational independencei which means that the government

, - - ot instruct them on what to do in any particular case. But the powers- --e police are limited by the law and their finances are controlled by

'-. rovernment and by police authorities made up ofcouncillon and

, r strates. The Independent Police Complaints Commision (or, in':rern lreland, the Police 0mbudsman) intlestigates serious complaints

-: rst the police.

\on-departmental public bodies (quangos)

' ^ departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, are

::pendent organisations that cany 0ut functions 0n behalfofthe public- ih it would be inappropriate to place under the political control ofa

r: net minister. Ihere are many hundreds ofthese bodies, carrying out

, .', de variety of public duties. Appointments t0 these bodies are usually

: je by ministers, but they must d0 s0 in an open and fair way.

Ihe role of the media

: ', reedings in Parliament are broadcast 0n diqital television and

: -rlished in official reports such as Hansard, which is available in large

:raries and 0n the internet:www.parliament.uk. Most people, however,

::i information about political issues and events from newspapers (often

, led the pres), television and radio.

-^e UK has a free pres, meaning that what is written in newspapers is

"te from government control. Newspaper owners and editors hold strong

political opinions and run campaigns to try and influence government

policy and public opinion. As a result it is sometimes difficult to

distinguish fact from opinion in newspaper coverage.

By law, radio and television coverage ofthe political parties at electionperiods must be balanced and so equal time has t0 be given to rival

viewpoints. But broadcasters are free to interview politicians in a tough

and lively way.

Who can vote?

The United Kingdom has had a fully democratic system since 1928, when

women were allowed t0 vote at 21, the same age as men.Ihe present

votlnq age of 1B was set in 1969, and (with a few exceptions such as

convicted prisoners) all UK-born and naturalised citizens have full civic

rights, including the right t0 vote and do jury service.

[itizens of the UK, the Commonwealth and the lrish Republic (if resident

in the UK) can vote in all public elections. [itizens of EU states who are

resident in the UK can vote in all elections except national parliamentary(general) elections.

In order to vote in a parliamentary, local or Euopean election, you must

have your name 0n the register ofelectors, known as the electoral register.

lfyou are eligible t0 vote, you can register by contacting your local council

election regi*ration office. lfyou don't know what your local authority is,

you can find out by telephoning the Local Government Association (LGA)

information line on 020 7664 3131 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to

Friday. You will have to tell them your postcode or your full addres and

they will be able to give you the name ofyour local authority. You can also

get voter registration forms in Enqlish, Welsh and some other languages

0n the internet: www.electoralcommision.orq.uk

The electoral register is updated every year in September or 0ctober. Anelectoral registration form is sent to every household and it has to becompleted and returned, with the names of everyone who is resident inthe household and eligible to vote on I 5 0ctober.

In Northern lreland a different system operates. This is called individualregistration and all those entitled t0 vote must complete their ownregistration form.Once registered, you can stay 0n the register providedyour penonal details do not change. For more information telephone theElectoral 0ffice for Northern lreland on 028 9044 6688.

By law each local authority has to make its electoral regi$er available foranyone t0 look at, although this now has to be supervised. Ihe register iskept at each local electoral registration offce (or council office in Englandand Wales). lt is also posible t0 see the register at some public buildingssuch as libraries.

Standing for office

Most citizens of the United Kingdom, the lrish Republic or the(ommonwealth aged 18 or over can stand for public office. Ihere ares0me excepti0ns and these include members of the armed forces, civilservants and people found guilty 0f certain criminal offences. Members ofthe House of Lords may not stand for election to the House of(ommonsbut are eligible for all other public officel

To become a local councillor. a candidate must have a local connectionwith the area through work, being on the electoral register, or throughrenting 0r owning land or property.

Contacting elected members

All elected members have a duty t0 serve and represent their constituents.You can get contact details for all your representatives and their partiesfrom your local library. Asembly members, MSPs, MPs and MEPs arealso listed in the phone book and Yellow Pages. You can contact MPs byletter or phone at their constituency office or their office in the House of(ommons:The House of (ommons, Westminster, London 5W1A 0AA, ortelephone: 0207729 3000. Many Asembly Members, MSPs, MPs andMEPs hold regular local'surgeriesi These are often advertised in the localpaper and constituents can go and talk about issues in person. You canfind out the name of your local MP and get in touch with them by faxthrough the website: www.writetothem.com.Ihis service is fiee.

How to visit Parliament and the Devolved Administrations

* Ihe public can listen to debates in the Palace of Westminster frompublic galleries in both the House ofCommons and the House of Lords.You can either write to your local MP in advance to ask for tickets oryOu can queue on the day at the public entrance. Entrance is free.Sometimes there are long queues for the House of Commons andyou may have to wait for at least one or two hours. lt is usually easiert0 get into the House of Lords. You can find further information on theUK Parliament website: www.oarliament.uk

E

r In Northern lreland, elected members, known as MLAs, meet in theNorthern lreland Asembly at Stormont, in Belfast. The Northernlreland Asembly is presently suspended. There are two ways t0arrange a visit t0 5t0rm0nt. You can either contact the EducationService (details on the Northern lreland Asembly website:www.niassembly.gov.uk) or contact an MLA

. 'rtland, the elected members, cal ed MSPs, meet in the Scottish

:rment at Holyrood in Edinburgh (for more information see

,', srottish parliament uk). You ran get lnf0rmati0n, b00k ti(kets'',in0e I0Llrs rhr0tr0h the visir0r services. Y0u (an write t0 them at

- rcott ish Parl iament, Edinburgh, EH99 1 5? or telephone' 148 5200, or email sp.bookings@siottish.parliament.uk

' : es, the elected members, known as AMs, meet in theWelsh,:mbly in the Senedd in [ardiff Bay (for more information see:

', ,va es gov Lk). You car boo[ guided t0u6 0r sears i1 rl"e

: i ga leries for the We sh Assembly To make a bookrng, telephone' .ssembly bookrng lrne on 029 2089 B4l7 or emai l :

, . rb y bookinq@wales.gsi gov uk

The UK in Europe and the world

The Commonwealth

The (ommonwealth is an asociation of countries, most of which were

once part ofthe British Empire, though a few countries that were not in

the Empire have also joined it.

Commonwealth members

The Queen is the head of the Commonwealth, which cunently has 53

member states. Membership is voluntary and the Commonwealth has

no power over its members although it can suspend membership. The

Commonwealth aims to promote democracy, good government and to

eradicate poverty.

The European Union (EU)

The European Union (EU), originally called the European Economic

Community (EEt), was set up by sixWestern European countries who

signed the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957. One of the main reasons for

doing this was the beliefthat co-operation between states would reduce

the likelihood ofanother war in Europe. 0riginally the UK decided not

t0join this group and only became part ofthe European Union in 1973.

In 2004 ten new member countries joined the EU, with a further two in

2006 making a total of 27 member countries.

One of the main aims of the EU today is for member states to function as

a single market. Most ofthe countries ofthe EU have a shared currency,

the euro, but the UK has decided to retain its own cunency unless the

British people choose t0 accept the euro in a referendum. (itizens ofan

EU member state have the right to travel to and work in any EU country if

they have a valid pasport or iderfty card. This right can be restricted 0n

the grounds of public health, public order and public security. Ihe right to

work is also sometimes restricted f0r citizens 0f c0untries that have joined

the EU recently.

The Council ofthe European Union (usually called the (ouncil of Ministen)

is effectively the governing body ofthe EU. lt is made up ofgovernment

ministers from each country in the EU and, together with the European

Parliament, is the legislative body of the EU. The (ouncil of Ministerspases EU law on the recommendations of the European (ommission and

the European Parliament and takes the most important decisions about

Antigua and BarbudaAustraliaThe BahamasBangladeshBarbadosBelizeBotswanaBrunei Darussalam(ameroon

CanadaCyprusDominicaFiji lslandsIhe GambiaGhanaGrenadaGuyanaIndiaJamaicaKenyaKiribatiLesothoMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaltaMauritius

MozambiqueNamibiaNauru*New ZealandNigeriaPakistanPapua New Guinea5t Kitts and Nevis5t Lucia5tVincent and the GrenadinesSamoa5eychellesSiena Leone5ingapore5olomon lslands5outh AfricaSri Lanka5wazilandTongaTrinidad and lobagoTuvaluUgandaUnited KingdomUnited Republic ofTanzaniaVanuatuZambia*Nauru is a Special Member.

: ) run. The European [ommission is based in Brusels, the' , , ' Belgium. lt is the civil service of the EU and drafts proposals

: . :o icies and laws and administers its funding programmes.

:,:n Parliament meets in Strasbourg, in north-eastern France,

-::els. Each country elects members, called Members of the

, ::rliament (MEPs), everyfive yean.The European Parliament', :ecisions made by the European Council and the European

, r, and rt has the power to refuse agreement to European laws', I t/ the fommission and to check on the spending of EU funds.

. ' , - Jnion law is legal ly binding in the UK and al l the other member

: -'rpean laws, called directives, regulations or framework-, have made a lot of difference to people's rights in the UK,

' :' y at work. For example, there are EU directives about the' - -'es for making workers redundant, and regulations that limit the

:.' of houn oeoole can be made to work.

'e Council of Europe

, .lncrl of Europe was created in 1949 and the UK was one ofthe- ::r members. Most of the countries 0f Eur0pe are members. lt has

- , ,',€r t0 make laws but draws up conventions and charten which

-, ln human rights, democracy, education, the environment, health

: -.llture.The m0$ important0fthese is the European (onvention on-:n Rights; all member states are bound by this (onvention and a

.- rer state which penistently refuses to obey the Convention may be,:: red from the (ouncil ofEurope.

The United Nations (UN)

The UK is a member of the United Nations (UN), an internationalorganisation to which over 190 countries now belong.The UN was setup after the Second World War and aims to prevent war and promoteinternational peace and security.There are 15 memben on the UNSecurity Council, which recommends action by the UN when thereare international crises and threats to oeace. The UK is one ofthe fivepermanent members.

Ihree very important agreements produced by the UN are the UniveralDeclaration of Human Rights, the (onvention 0n the Elimination of AllForms of Discriminati0n againstWomen, and the UN [onvention on theRightsof the(hild. Although noneof these hastheforceof law,theyarewidely used in political debate and legal cases to reinforce the law and toassess the behaviour ofcountries.

(hAPtCr5: EVERYDAYNEEDS

In this chapter there is informationa00ut:

,:. Housing

= Services in and for the home

- Monel and credit

= Health

Pregnancy and care ofyoungchildren

= Education

= Leisure

= Travel and transport

':' ldentity documents

Housing

Buying a home

Two-thirds of people in the UK own their own home. Most other peoplerent houses, flats or rooms.

Mortgages

People who buy their own home usually pay for it with a mortqage,a special loan from a bank or building society. This loan is paid back,with interest, over a long period oftime, usually 25 years. You can getinformation about mortgages from a bank or building society. Somebanks can also give information about lslamic (Sharia) mortgages.

lfyou are having problems paying your mortgage repayments, you canget help and advice (see Help on page 57). lt is important to speak toyour bank or building society as s00n as you ran.

Estate agents

lf you wish to buy a home, usually the first place to start is an estateagent. In Scotland the proces is different and you should go first to asolicitor Estate agents represent the person selling their house or flat.Ihey anange for buye6 t0 visit homes that are for sale. There are estateagents in all towns and cities and they usually have websites where theyadvertise the homes for sale. You can also finddetails about homes forsale on the internet and in national and local newspapen.

Making an offer

In the UK, except in Scotland, when you find a home you wish to buy youhave to make an offerto the seller You usually do this through an estateagent or solicitor Many people offer a lower price than the seller is askingYour fint offer must be subjert t0 contract's0 that you can withdraw if

there are reasons whyyou cannotcompletethe purchase. In Scotlandthe sellersets a price and buyers make offe6 overthat amount.Theagreement becomes legally binding earlier than it does elsewhere inthe UK.

5olicitor and surveyor

It is important that a solrcitor helps you through the process ofbuyinga house or flat. When you make an offer on a property, the solicitor willrarry out a number of legal checks on the property, the seller and the localarea. The solicitor will provide the legal agreements necessary for you tobuy the property. The bank or building society that is providing you withyour mortgage will also cany out checks on the house or flat you wishto buy. These are done by a surveyor. Ihe buyer does not usually see theresult ofthrs survey, s0 the buyer often asks a second surveyor to checkthe house as well. In Scotland the survey is canied out before an offer ismade, to help people decide how much they want to bid for the property.

Rented accommodation

It is possible to rent accommodation from the local authority (the

council), from a housing association orfrom private property 0wne6called landlords.

The local authority

Most local authorities (or councils) provide houslng. This is often called'council housingi In Northern lreland social housing is provided by theNorthern lreland Housing Executive (www.nihe.co.uk). In Scotland youcan find rnformation on social housing at:www.sfha.co.uk. Everyone isentitled t0 apply for council accommodation.Io apply you must put yourname on the council register or list. This is available from the housing

department at the local authority. You are then assessed according to yourneeds. This is done through a system of points. You get more points if youhave priority needs, for example ifyou are homeles and have children orchronic il l health.

It is important t0 note that in many areas of the UK there is a shortage ofcouncil accommodation, and that some people have to wait a very longtime for a house or flat.

Housing associations

Housing associations are independent n0t-f0r-profi t organisationswhich provide housing for rent. In some areas they have taken over theadministration of local authority housing. They also run schemes calledshared ownership, which help people buy part ofa house orfla iftheycannot afford to buy all of it at once. Ihere are usually waiting lists forhomes owned by housing assocrations.

Privately rented accommodation

Many people rent houses or flats privately, from landlords. Informationabout private accommodation can be found in local newspapers, noticeboards, estate agents and letting agen6'

Tenancy agreement

When you rent a house or flat privately you sign a tenancy agreement,or lease.Ihis explains the conditions 0r'rules'you must follow whilerenting the property. This agreement must be checked very carefully toavoid problems later. The agreement a lso conta ins a list of any fu rn itureor fittrngs in the property. Ihis is called an inventory. Before you sign theagreement, check the deuils and keep it safe during your tenancy.

Deposit and rent

You will probably be asked to give the landlord a deposit at the beginningrf your tenancy. This is t0 cover the cost ofany damage. lt is usually equali0 One month's rent. The landlord must return this money to you at the:nd 0f your tenancy, unless you have caused damage t0 the property.

'our rent is fixed with your landlord at the beginning ofthe tenancy. The:ndlord cannot raise the rent without your agreement.

'/ou have a low income or are unemployed you may be able to claim- lusing Benefit (see Help) to help you pay your rent.

Renewing and ending a tenancy

' . Jr renancy agreement will be for a fixed period of time, often six- lnths. After this time the tenancy can be ended or, if both tenant and,"dlord agree, renewed. lfyou end the tenancy before the fixed time, you-,,ally have to pay the rent for the agreed full period ofthe tenancy.

: : nd lord cannot force a tenant to leave. lf a landlord wishes a tenant t0.:,e they must follow the conect procedures. These vary according to the' ,:e of tenancy. h is a criminal offence for a landlord to use threats, ' , olence against a tenant or to force them t0 leave without an order-: - (ourt.

Drrgimination

' , rnlawful for a landlord to discriminate against someone looking for: . . ̂ 't modation because of their sex, race, nationality, or ethnic group,' :ecause they are disabled, unless the landlord or a close relative ofthe:' : lrd is sharino the accommodation.

Homelessness

lfyou are homeless you should go for help to the local authority (0r, inNorthern lreland, the Housing Executive). They have a legal duty t0 offerhelp and advice, but will not offer you a place to live unless you havepriority need (see above) and have a connection with the area, such aswork or family. You must also show that you have not made y0u6elfintentionally homeless.

Help

lf you are homeless or have problems with your landlord, help can befound from the following:

r lhe housing department ofthe local authority will give advice onhomelessness and on Housing Benefit as well as deal with problemsyou may have in council-owned property

o The [itizens Advice Bureau will give advice on all types ofhousing problems. There may also be a housing advice centre in yourneighbourhood

o Shelter is a housing charity which runs a 24-hour helpline on0808 800 4444, or visit www.shelternet.org.uk

!r

I Help with the cost of moving and setting up home may be availablefrom the Social Fund. This is run by the Department forWork andPensions (DWP). lt provides grants and loans such as the Community(are Grant for people setting up home after being homeles or afterthey have been in prison or other institutions. 0ther loans are availablefor people who have had an emergency such as flooding. Informationabout these is available a the Citizens Advice Bureau or Jbbcentre Plus.

Services in and for the home

Water

Water is supplied to all homes in the UK. The charge for this is called thewater rates. when you move in t0 a new home (bought or rented), youshould receive a letter telling you the name 0f the company responsiblefor supplying your water. The water rates may be paid in one payment(a lump sum) or in instalments, usually monthly. lf you receive HousingBenefit, you should check to see ifthis coven the water rates. The cost0fthe water usually depends on the size ofyour property, but somehomes have a water meter which tells you exactly how much water youhave used. In Northern lreland water is cunently (2006) included in thedomestic rates (see (ouncil tax on page 59), although this may changein future.

Electricity and gas

All properties in the UK have electricity supplied at 240 volts. Most homesalso have gas. When you move into a new home or leave an old one, youshould make a note ofthe electricity and gas meter readings. lfyou havean urgent problem with your gas, electricity 0r water supply, you can ringa 24-hour helpline. This can be found on your bill, in the Yellow Pages orin the phone book.

Gas and electricity suppliers

It is posible to choose between different gas and electricity supplien.These have different prices and different terms and conditions. Get advicebefore you sign a contract with a new supplier. To find out which companysupplies your gas, telephoneTransco on 08i0 608 1524

Io find out which company supplies your electricity, telephoneEnergywatch on 0845 906 0708 or visit www.energywatch.org.uk.Energywatch can also give you advice on changing your supplier ofelectricity or gas.

Telephone

Most homes already have a telephone line (called a land line). lf you needa new line, telephone BT on 1 50 442, 0r contact a cable company. Manycompanies offer land line, mobile telephone and broadband internetservices. You can get advice about prices or about changing your companyfrom 0fcom al www.ofcom.org.uk. You can call from public payphonesusing cash, pre-paid phonecards or credit or debit cards. Calls madefrom hotels and hostels are usually more expensive. Dial 999 or 112foremergency calls for police, fire or ambulance service. These calls are free.Do not use these numbers if it is not a real emergency; you can alwaysfind the local numbers for these services in the phone book.

Bills

Information 0n how t0 pay for water, gas, electricity and the telephoneis found on the back ofeach bill. lfyou have a bank account y0u can payyour bills by standing order or direct debit. Most companies operate abudget scheme which allows you to pay a fixed sum every month. lf youdo not pay a bill, the service can be cut off. To get a service reconnected,you have to pay another charge.

Refuse collection

Refuse is also called waste, or rubbish. }le local authority collects thewaste regularly, usually on the same day of each week. Waste must beput outside in a particular place t0 get collected. In some parts ofthecountry the waste is put into plastic bags, in others it is put into binswith wheels. In many places you must recycle your rubbish, separatingpaper, glas, metal or plastic from the other rubbish. Large objects whichyou want t0 thr0w away, such as a bed, a wardrobe or a fridge, needto be collected separately. Contact the local authority to arrange this. lfyou have a business, such as a factory or a shop, you must make specialarrangements with the local authority for your waste t0 be collected. lt isa criminal offence to dump rubbish anywhere.

-:uncil Tax

: t0vpt'fl rr€r]t s€rvices, such as education, police, roads, refuse., : 0n and libraries, are paid for partly by grantsfrom the government: : i,rly by Council Tax (see chapter 4 - Local Government). In'-.'n lreland there is a system ofdomestic rates instead ofthe Council-^e amount ofCouncil Tax you pay depends on the size and value of' ,:se or flat (dwelling). You must register to pay [ouncilTax when, /e into a new property, either as the owner or the tenant. You can

'-: tax in one payment, in two instalments,0r in ten instalments:cri l to January).

, -ine person lives in the fl at or house, you get a 250/o reduction-' [ouncil Tax. (This does not apply in Northern lreland). You may-': a reduction ifsomeone in the property has a disability. People

, ,',' in(ome or who receive benefits such as Income Support or..-'. er s Allowance can get Council Tax Benefit. You can get advice on' r the local authoritv 0rthe Citizens Advice Bureau.

:.- ldings and household insurance

: Ly a home with a mortgage, you must insure the building against'-:'r and accidental damage.The landlord should anange insurance'-:ed buildings. lt is also wise t0 insure your possesions against theft: .. rge. Ihere are many companies that provide insurance.

r*ghbours

, ,'e in rented accommodation, you will have a tenancy agreement..'rlains all the conditions of your tenancy. lt will probably include- arion on what to do if you have problems with your housing., , rally, there may be problems with your neighbours. lf you do have:rs with your neighboun, they can usually be solved by speaking to-'st. lfyou cannot solve the problem, speak to your landlord, local

' ' :y or housing association. Keep a record ofthe problems in case

you have to show exactly what the problems are and when they started.Neighbours who cause a very serious nuisance may be taken to court andcan be evicted from their home

There are several mediation organisations which help neighbours tosolve their disputes without having to g0 t0 court. Mediators talk to bothsides and try to find a solution acceptable to both. You cn get details 0fmediation organisations from the local auth0rity, Citizens Advice, andMediation U K on 0'l 1 7 904 6661 or visit: www.med iationuk.co.uk.

Money and credit

Bank notes in the UK come in denominations (values) off5, f10, f20 andf50. Northern lreland and Scotland have their own bank notes which arevalid everywhere in the UK, though sometimes people may not realisethis and may not wish t0 accept them.

The euro

In January 2002 twelve European Union (EU) states adopted the euro astheir common cunency. Ihe UK government decided not to adopt theeur0 at that time, and has said it will only do so if the British people \/otefor the euro in a referendum. Ihe euro does circulate to some extent inNorthern lreland, particularly in the towns near the border with lreland.

Foreign currency

You can get or change foreign currency at banks, building societies, largepost offrces and exchange shops or bureaux de change. You might have toorder some cunencies in advance. The exchange rates vary and you shouldcheck for the best deal.

Banks and building societies

Most adults in the UK have a bank or building society aaount. Many largenational banks or building societies have branches in towns and citiesthroughout the UK. lt is worth checking the different types ofaccounteach one offers. Many employers pay salaries directly into a bank orbuilding society account. There are many banks and building societiesto choose from. To open an account, you need to show documents t0prove your identity, such as a passport, immigration document or drivinglicence. You also need to show something with your address on it likea tenancy agreement or household bill. h is also posible to open bankaccounts in some suoermarkets or on the internet.

Cash and debit cards

Cash cards allow you to use cash machines to withdraw money from youraccount. For this you need a Personal ldentification Number (PlN) whichyou must keep secret. A debit card allows you to pay for things withoutusing cash. You must have enough money in your account to cover whatyou buy. lfyou lose your cash card or debit card you must inform the bankimmediately.

Credit and store cards

(redit cards can be used to buy things in shops, on the telephone and overthe internet. A store card is like a credit card but used only in a specificshop. [redit and store cards do not draw money from your bank account,but you will be sent a bill every month. lf you do not pay the total amounton the bill, you are charged interest. Although credit and store cards areuseful, the interest is usually very high and many people fall into debt thisway. lf you lose your credit or store cards you must inform the companyimmediately.

-redi t and loans

: e in the UK often bonow money from banks and other organisations:,, for things like household goods, cars and holidays. This is moreron in the UK than in many other rountries. You must be very sure 0f

, ::rms and conditions when you decide to take out a loan. You can qet-e on loans from the fitizens Advice Bureau ifyou are uncertain.

:erng refused credit

.: and other organisations use different information about you to,.: a decision about a loan, such as your occupation, address, salary

:revious credit record. lf you apply for a loan you might be refused. lf^rppens, you have the riqht to ask the reason why.

-':dit unions

: : unions are financial co-operatives owned and controlled by their- rers. The members pool their savings and then make loans from: rol. lnterest rates rn credit unions are usually lower than banks and: rq societies. There are credit unions in many cities and towns. To find-:arest credit union contact the Association of British fredit Unions

- ., L) on: www.abcul.coop.

'tu rance

',: I as insuring their property and posessions (see above), many: : insure their credit cards and mobile phones. They also buy':nce when they travel abroad in rase they lose their lugqaqe or: nedicaltreatment. Insurance is compulsory if you have a car or' 'rycle. You can usually arrange insurance directly with an insurance:any, 0r you (an use a broker who will help you get the ben deal.

Social security

Ihe UK has a system ofsocial security which pays welfare benefits topeople who do not have enough money to live on. Benefits are usuallyavailable for the sick and disabled, older people, the unemployed andthose on low incomes. People who do not have legal rights ofresidence(or'settlement') in the UK cannot usually receive benefits. Arrangementsfor payinq and receiving benefits are complex because they have t0 coverpeople in many different situations. Guides to benefts are available fromJobcentre Plus offices, local libraries, post offices and the Citizens AdviceBu rea u.

lncluding Jobcentres andsocial security offices

Health

Healthcare in the UK is organised under the National Health Service(NH5). The NH5 began ln 1948, and is one ofthe largest orqanisations in

Europe. lt provides all residents with free healthcare and treatment.

Finding a doctor

Family docton are called General Practitioner (GPs) and they work insurgeries. GPs often work toqether ln a group practice.Ihis is sometimescalled a Primary Health [are Centre.

Your GP rs responsible for organising the health treatment you receive.Treatment can be for physical and mental il lneses. lfyou need to see aspecialist, you must g0 t0 your GP fint. Your GP will then refer you to aspecialist in a hospital. Your GP can also refer you for specialist treatment ifyou have special needs.

You can get a Iist of local GPs from libraries, post offices, the touristinformation office, the [itizens Advice Bureau, the local Health Authorityand from the following websites:

www.nhs.uk/ for health practitioners in England;www.wales.nhs.uk/directory.cfm for health practiti0ne6 in Wales;www.n-i.nhs.uk for health practitioners in Northern lreland;www.show.scot.nhs.uk/fi ndnearest/healthservices in Scotland.You can also ask neighbours and friends for the name oftheir local doctor

You can attend a hospital without a GP's letter only in the case ofan

emergency. lfyou have an emergency you should go to the Accldent and

Emerqency (A & E) department ofthe nearest hospital.

Registering with a GP

You should look for a GP as soon as you move t0 a new area. You shouldnot wait until you are ill. The health centre, 0r surgery, will tell you whatyou need to do to register. Usually you must have a medical card. lfyou donot have one, the GP s receptionist should give you a form to send to the

local health authority. Ihey will then send you a medrcal card.

Before you register you should check the surgery can offer what you

need. For example, you might need a woman Gf or materntty services.Sometimes 6Ps have many patients and are unable to accept new ones.

lf you cannot find a GB you can ask your local health authority t0 help you

find one.

Using your doctor

All patients registering with a GP are entitled t0 a free health check.Appointments to see the GP can be made by phone or in person.

Sometimes you might have to wait several days before you can see

a doctor. lf you need immediate medical attention ask for an urgentappointment. You should go to the GP s surgery a few minutes beforethe appointment. lfyou cannot attend or do nOt need the appointmentany more, you must let the surgery know. The GP needs patients to

answer all questions as fully as posible in order to find out what is

wrong. Everything you tellthe GP is completely confidential and cannotbe pased 0n t0 anyone else without your permision. lf you do not

understand s0mething, ask for clarification. lf you have difficulties withEngllsh, bring someone who can help you, or ask the receptionist for

an interpreter. This must be done when you make the appointment.lfyou have asked for an interpreter, it is important that you keep your

appointment because this service is expensive.

. , ' .:ptional circumstances, GPs can visit patients at home but they, ,', ',: give priority t0 people who are unable to travel. lf you call the GP.' :e normal working hours, you will have to answer several questions

,:, -: /0ur situation. Ihis is to assess how serious your case is. You will-,- :e told if a doctor can come t0 your home. You might be advised to. ' : lenearestA&Edepartment.

''arges

':'-?nt from the GP is free but you have to pay a charge for your.. *: . res and for certain services, such as vaccinations for travel abroad.' '-, :r decides you need to take medicine you will be given a: . - :tion. You must take this to a pharmacy khemist).

r::rriptions

'. ' tlions are free for anyone who is

- :er 16 yean ofage (under 25 in Wales)

. - ::r 19 and in full-time education

::al 60 or over

Feeling unwell

lf you or your child feels unwell you have the following options

For information or advice

w ask your local pharmacist khemist). The pharmacy can give advice onmedicines and some illnesses and conditions that are not serious

c speak to a nurse by phoning NHS Direct on 0845 M 47

s use the NHS Direct website, NHS Direct 0nline: wwwnhsdirect.nhs.uk

To see a doctor or nurse

a make an appointment to see your GP or a nurse working in the surgery

o visit an NHS walk-in centre.

For urgent medical treatment

. contact your GP

I g0 t0 your nearest hospital with an A(ident and Emergency0epartment

'::rdnt 0r with a baby under '12 months old

,-:,rng from a specified medicalcondition

, . , ing Income Support, Jobseekers'Allowance, Working Families or.,rilities Tax Credit.

t call 999 for an ambulance. Calls are free. 0NLY use this service for areal emergency.

NHS Direct is a 24-hour telephone service which provides information onparticular health conditions. Telephone: 0845 46 47. You may ask for aninterpreter for advice in your own language. In Smtland, NHS24 at:www.nhs24.com teleohone 08454 24 24 24.

NHS Direct 0nline is a website providing information about health servicesand several medical conditions and treatments: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

NHS walk-in centres provide treatment for minor injuries and illnessesseven days a week. You do not need an appointment. For details of yournearest centre call NH5 Direct or visit the NH5 website at www.nhs.uk(for Northern lreland www.n-i.nhs.uk) and click on'local NH5 servicesl

Going into hospital

lf you need minor tests at a hospital, you will probably attend the0utpatients department. lf your treatment takes severa I hours, you wil Igo into hospital as a day patient. lfyou need to stay overnight, you will gointo hospital as an in-patient.

You should take penonal belongings with you, such as a towel, nightclothes, things for washing, and a dressing gown. You will receive allyour meals while you are an in-patient. lfyou need advice about goinginto hospital, contact (ustomer Services or the Patient Advice and LiaisonService (PALS) at the hospital where you will receive treatment.

Dentists

You can get the name ofa dentist by asking at the local library, at theCitizens Advice Bureau and through NHS Direct. Most people have topay for dental treatment. Some dentists work for the NHS and some areprivate. NHS dentists charge less than private dentists, but some dentistshave two sets ofcharges, both NHS and private. A dentist should explainyour treatment and the charges before the treatment begins.

Free dental treatment is available t0

w people under 18 (inWales people under 25 and over 60)

r pregnant women and women with babies under 12 months old

* people on income support, Jobseekers'Allowance or Pension [reditGuarantee

0pticians

Most people have to pay for sight tests and glases, except children,people over 60, people with certain eye conditions and people receivingcertain benefits. In Scotland, eye tests are free.

Pregnancy and care ofyoung children

lfyou are pregnant you will receive regular ante-natal care. This isavailable from your local hospital, local health centre or from specialantenatal clinics. You will receive support from a GP and from a midwife.Midwives work in hospitals or health centres. Some GPs do not providematernity services so you may wish to look for another GP during yourpregnancy. In the UK women usu@ have their babies in hospital,especially if it is their fint baby. lt is common for the father to attend thebirth, but only if the mother wants him to be there.

A short time after you have your child, you will begin regular contact witha health visitor. She or he is a qualified nune and can advise you aboutcaring for your baby. The first visits will be in your home, but after that

:et the health visitor at a clinic. You can ask advice from yourrntil your child is five yean old. In m0$ towns and cities

:'er and toddler groups or playgroups for small children.jre place at local churches and community centres. You. :o send your child to a nursery school (see 6oing to school

*' '--.:l l0 0n pregnan(y

' ' rmation on maternity and ante-natal services in your area, 'eal th authori ty, a health vis i tororyourGPThe number of.'-ority will be in the phone book.

, - ̂ ng Association (FPA) gives advice 0n contraception and--t FPA's helpline is 0845 310 1334, or:wwwfpa.org.uk

- jbirth Trust gives information and support in pregnancy,.' ' 'y parenthood: www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com

u ' : . ! - : : b i r t h

'-' rour baby with the Registrar of Births, Maniages and. rrfice) within six weeks of the birth.The addres of your*:e is in the phone book. lfthe parents are manied, either

':'-?r (an register the birth. lfthey are not married, only'.:ister the birth. lf the parents are not manied but want--. child's birth certificate, both mother and father must:"ey register their baby.

Education

Going to school

Education in the UK is free and compulsory for all children between theages of5 and 16 (4to'16 in Northern lreland).Ihe education systemvarles in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern lreland.

ihe child's parent 0r guardian is responsible for making sure their (hildgoes to school, anives on time and attends for the whole school year. lfthey do not do this, the parent or guardian may be prosecuted.

Some areas ofthe country offer free nursery education for children overthe aqe of 3. In most parts of the UK, compulsory education is dividedinto two stages, primary and secondary. In some places there is amiddle+chool system. In England and Wales the primary stage lastsfrom 5 to I 1, in Scotland from 5 to 12 and in Northern lreland trom4 to 1 l. The secondary stage lasts until the age of 1 6. At that age youngpeople can choose to leave school 0r t0 iontinue with their educationuntil they are 'l l or 18.

Details of local schools are available from your local education auth0rityoffice or website. The addresses and phone numbers of local educationauthorities are in the phone book.

Primary schools

These are usually schools where both boys and girls learn together and areusually close to a child s home. Children tend to be with the same groupand teacher all day. Schools encourage parents t0 help their children withlearning, particularly with reading and writinq.

Secondary schools

At aqe 1 1 (12 in Scotland) children go to secondary school. This mlghtnormally be the school nearest their home, but parents in England andWales are allowed to express a preference for a different school. In someareas, gettinq a secondary school place in a prefened school can bediffrcult, and parents often apply t0 several schools in order to make sur.their child gets offered a place. In Northern lreland many schools selectchildren through a test taken at the age of 1 1.

lfthe prefened school has enough places, the child will be offered a pla..lfthere are not enough places, children will be offered places according :the schools admission arrangements. Admission anangements vary fro-area to area.

Secondary schools are larger than primary schools. Most are mixed sex,although there are single sex schools in some areas. Your local educatiorauthority will give you information on schools in your area. lt will alsotell you which schools have spaces and give you information about whysome children will be given places when only a few are available and r,l'other children might not. lt will also tell you how to apply for a seconda',school place.

Costs

Education at state schools in the UK i, fr.,,, Uut parents harte t0 pay torschool uniforms and sports wear There are sometimes extra charges formusic lessons and for school outings. Parents on low incomes can gethelp with costs, and with the cost of school meals. You can get advice onthls from the local educatron authority 0r the [itizens Advice Bureau.

.'.rch and other faith schools

, :' mary and secondary schools in the UK are linked to the Church of. :' r 0rthe Roman Catholic fhurch.These are called'faith schoolsi

: areas there are Muslim, Jewish and Sikh schools. In Northern. : r >0rlr€ schools are called Integrated Schools.Theseschoolsaim to

. - dren of different religionstogether. Information on faith schools: ;:'e from your local education authority.

nr*rendent schools

- ,- - :?nt schools are private schools. They are not run or paid for' ',:e. I ndependent secondary schools are also sometimes called

'tols. There are about 2,500 independent schools in the UK.' . : of children got0theseschools. Atindependentschools parents. ,, :re full cost oftheir child's education. Some indeoendent

':r scholarships which pay some or all of the costs of the child's

1r rsssdtol cuniculum

,, :' raryand secondaryschools in England,Walesand Northern- : ' - ,r' the National Cuniculum.Ihis covers English, maths, science,- :' r::chnology, information and communication technology (1(T),

.-- rraphy modern foreign languages, art and design, music,, -r -.ation (PE) and citizenship. In Wales, children learn Welsh.

",' -ary schools inWales, all the lessonsaretaught inWelsh. In, : : -rLls follow a broad cuniculum informed by nationalguidance.

- -,: by law, provide religious education (RE) to all pupils.- : " : owed to withdraw their children from these lesons. RE

- ' : , : ; Ihr is t ianbasisbutch i ldrenalso learnabout theother)

Assessment

In England, the cuniculum is divided into four stages, called Key Stages.After each stage children are tesui98989898989999 ted. They take Key Stage tests (also calledSATs) at ages 7, 1 l and 14. At '16 they usually take the General CertificatesofSecondary Education (GCSEs) in several subjects, although someschools also offer other qualifications. At 1 8, young people who havestayed at school do AGCEs (Advanced G(E levels) often just called A levels.

In Wales, schools follow theWelsh National Curriculum but have abolishednational tests for children at age 7 and 1 l. There are also plans in Wales tostop testing children at 14. Teachen in Wales still have t0 assess and reporton their pupils'progress and achievements at 7 and 1 1.

In Scotland, the cuniculum is divided into two phases. The fint phase isfrom 5 to 14. There are six levels in this phase, levels A to F. Ihere are notests for whole groups during this time. Teachen test individual childrenwhen they are ready. From '14 to 16, young people do Sundard Grade.After 1 6 they can study at Intermediate, Higher 0r Advanced level. InScotland there will soon be a single cuniculum for all pupils from age 3 toage 18.This is called A (uniculum for Excellence. More information can befound at www.acurricul umforexcellencescotland.qov.uk.

Help with English

lf your child's main language is not English, the school may arrangefor extra language support fiom an EAL (English Additional Language)soecialist teacher.

(areers education

All children get careers advice from the age of 14. Advice is also availablefrom Connexions, a national service for young people: telephone

080 800 13219 or: www.connexions-direct.com in England. In Wales,Careen Wales offers advice to children from the age of 'l 1 . For furtherinformation visit: www.careerswales.com ortelephone 0800 100 900.

In Scotland, Careers 5cotland provides information, services and supp0rtto all ages and stages. For further information visit:www.careers-scotland.org.uk or telephone 0845 8 502 502.

Parents and schools

Many parents are involved with their child's school. A number of placeson a school's governing body are reserved for parents. The governing bodydecides how the school is run and administered and produces reports 0nthe progres ofthe school from year t0 year. In Scotland, parents can bemembers of school boards or parent councils.

Schools must be open 190 days a year. ;Term dates are decided by thegoverning body or by the local education authority. Children must attendthe whole school year. Schools expect parents and guardians to informthem iftheir child is going to be absent from school. All schools askparents to sign a home-school agreement. This is a list ofthings thatboth the school and the parent or guardian agree to do to ensure a goodeducation for the child. All parents receive a report every year 0n theirchild's progres. They also have the chance to go to the school to talk totheir child's teachers.

Further education and adult education

At 16, younq people can leave school 0r stay 0n to do A levels (Highergrades in Scotland) in preparation for university. Some young people goto their local further education (FE) college to improve their exam grades0r to get new qualifications for a career. Most courses are free up t0 the

age of 19. Young people from families with low incomes can get financialhelp with their studies when they leave school at 16.This is called theEducation Maintenance Allowance (EMA). Information about this isavailable at your local college or at:www.dfes.gov.uk.

Further education colleges also offer courses to adults over the age of18. These include courses for people wishing to improve their skills inEnglish. These courses are called ES0L (English for Speakers of 0therLanguages). There are also courses for English speakers who need toimprove their literacy and numeracy and for people who need to learnnew skills for employment. E50L courses are also available in communitycentres and training centres. There is sometimes a waiting list for E50Lcourses because demand is high. In England and Wales, ES0L, literacyand numeracy courses are also called Skills for Life courses. You can getinformation at your local college or local library or from learndirect on0800 1 00 900.

Many people join other adult education classes t0 learn a new skill orhobby and to meet new people. Classes are very varied and range fromsports to learning a musical instrument or a new language. Details areusually available from your local library, college or adult education centre.

Universig

More young people go to university now than in the past. Many go afterA levels (or Higher grades in Scotland) at age 18 but it is also posible tog0 t0 university later in life. At present, most students in England, Walesand Northern lreland have to pay towards the cost oftheir tuition feesand to pay for their living expenses. In Scotland there are n0 tuition feesbut after students finish university they pay back some ofthe cost oftheireducation in a payment called an endowment. At present, universitiescan charge up t0 f3,000per year for their tuition fees, but students do not

: ' anything towards their fees before or during their studies.,'^ rent pays their tuition fees and then charges for them when' ):arts working after university. Some families on low incomes

- . r with their children's tuition fees. This is called a grant. Ihe' .' also give help, in the form of bursaries. Most students get'i'est student loan from a bank. Ihis pays for their living costs

'-., ere at university.When a studentfinishes university and starts. -: or she must pay back the loan.

Leisure

Information

Information about theatre, cinema, music and exhibitions is found inlocal newspapers, local libraries and tourist information offices. Manymuseums and art galleries are free.

Film, video and DVD

Films in the UK have a system to show if they are suiftble for children.This is called the classification system. lf a child is below the age of theclassification, they should not watch the film at a cinema or on DVD. Allfilms receive a classification, as follows:

U (Universal): suitable for anyone aged 4 years and over

PG (parental guidance): suitable for everyone but some parts ofthe filmmight be unsuitable for children. Their parents should decide.

12 or 12a: children under 12 are not allowed to see or rent the film un essthey are with an adult.

15: children under 15 are not allowed to see 0r rent the film.

18: no one under'lB is allowed to see 0r rent the film.

Rl8: no one under'18 is allowed t0 see the film, which is only available inspecially licensed cinemas.

Television and radio

Anyone in the UK with a television (TV), DVD or video recorder, computeror any device which is used for watching or recording TV programmesmust be covered by a valid television licence. One licence covers all ofthe equipment at one address, but people who rent different rooms in ashared house must each buy a separate licence.

A colourlV licence cunently costs f131.50 (2006) and lasts for 12months. People aged 75, or over can apply for a free TV licence. Blindpeople can claim a 50% discount on theirlV licence. You risk prosecutionand a fine ifyou watch TV but are not covered by a TV licence. There aremany ways t0 buy a TV licence including from local Pay Point outlets oron-line at: www.tvlicensing.co.uk. lt is also possible to pay for the licencein instalments. For more information teleohone 0870 576 3763 or write toIV Licensing, Bristol 8598 1IL.

Sports, clubs and societies

Information about local clubs and societies can usually be found at locallibraries or through your local authority. For information about sports youshould ask in the local leisure centre. Libraries and leisure centres often0rganise activities for children during the school holidays.

Places of interest

The UK has a large network ofpublic footpaths in the countryside. Manyparts ofthe countryside and places of interest are kept open by theNational Trust. This is a charity that works to preserve important buildingsand countryside in the UK. Information about National Trust buildings andareas 0pen t0 the public is available on: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Pubs and night clubs

Public houses, or pubs, are an important part ofsocial life in the UK. Todrink alcohol in a pub you must be 1 8 0r over. People under 1 8 are notallowed to buy alcohol in a supermarket or in an off-licence either. Thelandlord of the pub may allow people of 14to come into the pub but ti:,are not allowed to drink. At 16, people can drink wine or beer with a m:'in a hotel or restaurant.

Pubs are usually open during the day and until 1 1 pm. lfa pub wants tc$ay open later, it must apply for a special licence. Night clubs open ancclose later than pubs.

Betting and gambling

People under 18 are not allowed into betting shops or gambling clubsThere is a National Lottery for which draws, with large prizes, are madeevery week. You can enter by buying a ticket or a scratch card. Peopleunder '1 6 are not allowed to buy a lottery ticket or scratch card.

Pets

Many people in the UK have pets such as cats and dogs. lt is against thrlaw to treat a pet cruelly or to neglect it. All dogs in public places mustwear a collar showing the name md address of the owner.Ihe owner )responsible for keeping the dog under control and for cleaning up afterthe animal in a oublic olace. Vaccinations and medical treatment foranimals are available from veterinary surgeons (vets). lfyou cannot affc':t0 pay a vet, you can g0 t0 a charity called the PDSA (People's Dispensa',for Sick Animals). To find your nearest branch, visit: www.pdsa.org.uk

a:vel and transport

dr r buses and coaches

-:tion ab0ut trains telephone the National Rail Enquiry Service:- :: -19 50, or visit. www.nationalrail.co.uk For trains in Northern

. -:ne Translink on 02B 90 66 66 30 or visit: www.translink.co.uk-,:lon about local bus times ohone 0870 608 250. For' . on coaches, telephone National Expres on 08705 B0 80 80,, ,', !v nati0nalexpress.com For coaches in Scotland, telephone:, link on 08705 50 50 50 or visit: wwwcitylink.co.uk For': and, visit: www.translink.co.uk

' .ets for trains and underground systems such as the L0nd0n--d must be bought before you get 0n the train. The fare varies. -, rhe day and time you wish to travel. Travelling in the rush

: ', r rs r1r0r€ expensive. Discount tickets are available for families,-.: 60 and over; disabled people, students and people under 26.' ocal train station fordetails. Failureto buy a ticket may result

.qally, all taxis and minicabs must be licensed and display a': Taxis and cabs with no licence are not insured forfare-payinq:rd are notalwavs safe.Women should not use unlicensed

:r ! ' r , :

: : at least 1 7 to drive a car or motorcycle, 18 to drive a medium-, ,rd 21 to drive a large lony or bus.Io drive a lony, minibus or

,'e than eight pasenger seats, you must have a special licence.

The driving licence

You must have a driving licence to drive on public roads. To get a drivinglicence you must pass a test. There are many driving schools where youcan learn with the help ofa qualified instructor.

You get a full driving licence in three stages:

1. Apply for a provisional licence. You need this licence while you arelearning to drive. With this you are allowed to drive a motorcycle up t0125cc or a car. You must put L plates on the vehicle, or D plates in Wales.Learner driven (annot drive 0n a motorway. lf you drive a car, you mustbe with someone who is over 21 and who has had a full licence for overthree years. You can get an application form for a provisional licence froma post office.

2. Pass a written theory test.

3. Pass a pradcaldriving test.

Drivers may use their licence until they are 70. Afterthat the licence svalid for three years at a time.

In Northern lreland, a newly-qualified driver must display an R-Plate (for

regi$ered driver) for one year after pasing the test

Overseas licences

lfyour driving licence is from a country in the European Union (EU),

lceland, Liechtenstein 0r Norway, you can drive in the UK for as long asyour licence is valid.

lfyou have a licence fiom a country outside the EU, you may use it in theUK for up to 12 months. During this time you must get a UK provisionaldriving licence and pas both the UK theory and practical driving tests, oryou will not be able to drive after 12 months.

Insurance

It is a criminal offence to have a car without proper motor insurance.Drivers without insurance can receive very high fines. lt is ako illegaltoallow someone to use your car ifthey are not insured to drive it.

Road tax and MOT

You must also pay a tax t0 drive your car on the roads. This is called roadtax. Your vehicle must have a road tax disc which shows you have paid.You can buy this at the post office. lfyou do not pay the road tax, yourvehicle may be clamped or towed away.

lfyour vehicle is over three years old, you must take it every year for aMinistry ofTransport (M0T) test You can do this at an approved garage.The garage will give you an MOT certificate when your car passes the test.h is an offence not to have an MOT certificate. lfyou do not have an MOTcertificate, your insurance will not be valid.

5afety

Everyone in a vehicle should wear a seat belt. (hildren under 1 2 years ofage may need a special booster seat Motorcyclists and their pasengersmust wear a crash helmet (this law does not apply to Sikh men if they arewearing a turban). lt is illegalto drive while holding a mobile phone.

Speed limits

For cars and motorcycles the speed limits are:

30 miles per hour (mph) in built-up areas, unless a sign shows a different limit60 mph on single caniageways70 mph on motorways and dual caniageways

Speed limits are lower for buses, lonies and can pulling caravans.

h is illegal to drive when you are over the alcohol limit or drunk. The policecan stop you and give you a test to see how much alcohol you have inyour body. This is called a breathalyser test lf a driver has more than thepermitted amount of alcohol (called beingbver the limit') or refuses totake the test, he or she will be anested. People who drink and drive canexpect to be disqualified fiom driving for a long period.

Accidents

lfyou are involved in a road accident:

t dont drive away without stopping-this is a criminal offence

. callthe police and ambulance 0n999 or 112if someone is injured@

o get the names, addresses, vehicle registration numbers and insurancedetails of theother drivers

r give your details to the other drivers or passengers and to the police

I make a note of everything that happened and contact your insurancecompany as soon as posible.

' ' rou admit the accident was your fault, the insurance company' : to pay. lt is bettertowait until the insurancecompanydecides' ^ rse fault the accident was.

ar':, documents

' -K citizens do not haveto cany identity (lD) cards.Ihe'-: s, however, making plans to introducethem in the next

-:!'r,: iour identity

j , ? t0 prove your identity at different times, such as when you. 3r(ount, rentaccommodation, enr0l fora college course, hire, '-, benefits such as housing benefit, or apply for a maniage

ferent organisations may ask for different documents as' ' - : ty These can include:

..lments from the Home Office showing your immigration

,:: of identity

': lr travel dOcument

: rsurance (Nl) number card

-:l or full driving licence

-,,, electricity or phone bill showing your name and addres

:.refits book.

ChAPtCr6: EMPLOYMENT

ln this chapter there is informationADOUT:

* Looking for work and applyingfor jobs

* Training and volunteering

c Equal rights and dixrimination

* Rights and responsibilities atwork

. Working foryourself

* (hildare and thildren at work

Looking for work

lfyou are looking for work, or you are thinking of changing your job,

there are a number ofways you can find out about work opportunities.

The Home Office provides guidance on who is allowed to work in the UK.Not everyone in the UK is allowed to work and some people need workpermits, s0 it is important to check your status before taking up work.

Also, employers have to check that anyone they employ is legally entitled

to work in the UK. For more information and guidance, see the Home

Offi ce website'Working in the UK'-www.workingintheuk.gov.uk

Jobs are usually advertised in local and national newspapen, at the local

Jobcentre and in employment aqencies. You can find the address and

telephone number ofyour local Jobcentre under Jobcentre Plus in the

phone book or see: www jobcentreplus.gov.uk Sone jobs are advertisedon supermarket notice boards and in shop windows. ihese lobs areusually part-ilme and the waqes arc often quite low. lf there are partkularclmpantes ylu wluld like to wlrk flr, ylu an l00k f0( vacanctes on

iletwelrtes

Jobcentre Plus is run by a government departmenr_the Deparfmenr ro,Work and Pensions. Irained staffgive advice and help in finding andapplying forjobs as well daiming benefits. They can also arrange forinterpreters. Their website www.jobcentreprus.gov.uk rists vacancres andtraining opportunities and gives general information on benefits. There isalso a low cost telephone serviceJobseeker Direct, 0g45 60 60 2i4. This isopen 9a.m. to 6.p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Qualifications

Applicants for some jobs need special training 0r qualifications.lfyou have qualifications from another country, you can find out howthey compare with qualifications in the UK at the National AcademicRecogniti0n Information Centre (NARIC), www.naric.or0.uk

For further information contact UK NARlt, ECflIS Ltd, 0riel House,Oriel Road, (heltenham Glos, GL50 1XB telephone:0870 990 4088,email: info@naric.org.uk

Applications

Interviews for lower paid and local jobs can often be ananged bytelephone or in penon. For many jobs you need to fill in an applicationform or send a copy ofyour cuniculum vitae (CV) with a covering letter orletter ofaoolication.

A covering letter is usually a short letter attached to a completedapplication form, while a letter of application gives more detailedinformation on why you are applying for the job and why you thinkyou are suitable. Your (V gives specific details on your education,qualifications, previous employment, skills and interests. lt is importantt0 type any letten and your (V on a computer 0r word processor as thisimproves your chance ofbeing called for an interview

Employers often ask for the names and addresses of one or two referees.These are people such as your current or previous employer or collegetutor. Referees need to know you well and t0 agree t0 write a short reportor reference on your suitability for the job. Personal friends or members ofyour family are not normally acceptable as referees.

lnterviews

In job descriptions and interviews, employers should give full details ofwhat the job involves, including the pay, holidays and working conditions.lfyou need more information about any ofthese, you can ask questions inthe interview. In fact, asking some questions in the interview shows youare interested and can improve your chance of getting the job.

When you are applying for a job and during the intervieq it is importan:to be honest about your qualifications and experience. lfan employer lat.finds out that you gave inconect information, you might lose yourjob.

(riminalrecord

For some jobs, particularly if the work involves working with childrenor vulnerable people, the employer will ask for your permission to doa criminal record check. You can get more information 0n this from theHome 0ffice Criminal Records Bureau (GB) information line,telephone 0870 90 90 81 1. In Scotland, contact Disclosure Scotland:www.disclosurescotland.c0.uk Heloline: 0870 609 6006.

Training

Taking up training helps people improve their qualifications for work.Some training may be offered at work or you can do courses from homeor at your local college. This includes English language training. You canget more information from your local library and college or from websittsuch as www.worktrain.gov.uk and www.learndirect.co.uk. Learndire(loffers a range ofonline training courses at centres across the country.Ihere are charges for courses but you can do free starter or taster sessio'-You can get more information frOh their free information and advice lir.0800 1 00 900.

Volunteering and work experience

Some people do voluntary work and this can be a good way t0 supportyour local community and organisations which depend on volunteers :also provides useful experience that can help with future job applicatio",Your local library will have information about volunteering opportunrtie:

Equal rights and discrimination

You can also get information and advice from websites such as.

www.do-it.org.uk www.volunteering.org.uk and www.justdosomething.net

It is against the law for employers to discriminate against s0me0ne at

work. Ihis means that a person should not be refused work, training orpromotion or treated les favourably because oftheir:

;:. sex

= nationality, race, colour or ethnic group

= disabiliry

= religion

= sexual orientation

€ age.

In Northern lreland, the law also bans discrimination on grounds ot

religious belief or politicl opini0n.

Ihe law also says that men and women who do the same job, or work

ofequal value, should receive equal pay. Almost all the laws protecting

people at work apply equally to people doing part{ime 0r full-time j0bs.

Ihere are, however, a small number of jobs where discrimination laws do

not apply. For example, discrimination is not against the law when the job

involves working for someone in their own home.

You can get more information about the law and racial discrimination

from the (ommission for Racial Equality. The Equal 0pportunities

Commission can help with sex discrimination issues and the Disability

Rights Commission deals with disabiliry isues. Each of theseorganisations offers advice and information and can, in some cases,support individuals. From 0ctober 2007 their functions will be broughttogether in a new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. You canget more information about the laws protecting people at work from theCitizens Advice Bureau website: www.adviceguide.org.uk

In Northern lreland, the Equality (ommission provides information andadvice in respect of allforms of unlawful discrimination.

The Commission for Racial Equality,5t Dunstans House,20 1 -2 1 1 Borough H ig h Street, London, SE 1 1 Gl, telephone:020 7939 000, fax:020 7939 0001, www.cre.gov.uk

Ihe Equal 0pportunities Commision, Arndale House, Arndale (entre,

Manchester M4 3EQ telephone: 0845 601 5901, fax: 0'161 838 831 2,www.eoc.org.uk

The Disability Rights (ommision, DR( Helpline, FREEPOST M1D02164,Stratford upon Avon (V37 9BR, telephone: 0845/ 622 6i3,fax: 08457 77 8 87 8, www.drc.org.uk

The Equality [ommission for Northern lreland, Equality House,/-9 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BI2 7Df telephone:028 90 500600,www.equalityni.org

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment can take different forms. This includes:

indecent remarks

comments about the way you look that make you feel

uncomfortable or humiliated

'-= comments or questions about your sex life

= inappropriate touching or sexual demands

=.= bullying behaviour or being treated in a way that is rude, hostile,degrading or humiliating because ofyour sex

Men and women can be victims of sexual harassment at work. lf thrshappens to you, tell a friend, colleague or trade union representative a' :ask the person harassing you to stop. lt is a good idea to keep a writte.record of what happened, the days and times when it happened and ,,, -

else may have seen or heard the harassment. lfthe problem continuesreport the person t0 your employer or trade union. Employers areresponsible for the behaviour of their employees while they are at wor,They should treat complaints of sexual harasment very seriously andtake effective action to deal with the problem. lf you are not satisfied v, "

your employer's response, you can ask for advice and support from theEqual 0pportunities (ommision, your trade union or the [itizens Advir.Bureau.

.tt work

,rployers and employees have legal responsibilities at work.,:rs have to pay employees for the work that they do, treat them, - J take responsible care for their health and safety. Employeesro their work with reasonable skill and care and follow all': e instructions. They should not damage their employer's

. r-1€fr contract 0r statement

' '. I months ofstarting a new job, your employer should give you' .0ntract 0r statement with all the details and conditions for

. Ihis should includeyour responsibilities, pay, working hours,, :k pay and pension. lt should also include the period of notice

'- , :u and your employer should give for the employment t0 end'.t or written statement is an important document and is very

'-.'e is ever a disagreement about your work, pay or conditions.

: r ',r Jr's and holidays

, rreed between you and your employer There is a minimum. -:K that rs a legal right for every employed person above. ,rhool leaving age. The compulsory school leaving age is 1 6,. r theschool yearwhen 16-year-olds can leaveschool in; ,r,/ales is different from that in Scotland and Northern lreland

-:r'ent minlmum wage rates for different age groups. From: :he rates are as follows:

.'', aged 22 and above - f5.35 an hour

, ,ear olds - f4.45 an hour

- ,ear olds - f3.30 an hour

Employers who pay their worken less than this are breaking the law. Youcan get more information from the Central 0ffice of Information Directgovwebsite, www.direct.gov.uk which has a wide range of public serviceinformation. Alternatively, you can telephone the National MinimumWage Helpline, telephone:0845 600 0678.

Your contract 0r statement will show the number of hours you areexpected to work. Your employer miqht ask you if you can work morehours than this and it rs your decision whether or not you do. Youremployer cannot require you to work more hours than the hours aqreed0n your contract.

lfyou need to be absent from work, for example ifyou are ill or you havea medical appointment, it is important t0 tell your employer as s00n asyou can in advance. Most employees who are 16 0r over are entitled t0 atleast four weeks, paid holiday every year This includes time for nationaholidays (see chapter 3). Your employer must give you a pay slrp, or asimilar written statement, each time you are paid. This must show exacr ,how much money has been taken offfortax and national insurancec0ntributi0ns.

Tax

For most people, tax is automatirally taken from therr earnings by theemployer and paid directly to HM Revenue and [ustoms, the government

department responsible for collectinq taxes. lf you are seltemployed, you

need to pay your own tax (see page 82). Money raised from income taxpays for government services such as roads, educatron, police and thearmed forces. 0aasionally HM Revenue and [ustoms sends out tax returnforms which ask for full financial details. lf you receive one, it is importantto complete it and return the form as s00n as posible. You cn get helpand advice from the HM Revenue and [ustoms self-assessment helpline,on:0845 300 45 55.

National Insurance

Almost everybody in the UK who is in paid work, including self-employedpeople, must pay National Insurance (Nl) contributions. Money raisedfrom Nl contributions is used to pay contributory benefits such as theState Retirement Pension and helps fund the National Health 5ervice.Employees have their Nl contributions deducted from their pay by theiremployer every week or month. People who are self-employed need topay Nl contributions themselves: Class 2 contributions, either by directdebit or every three months and (las 4 contributions on the profitsfrom their trade or business. Clas 4 contributions are paid alongsidetheir income tax. Anyone who does not pay enough Nl contributions willnot be able t0 receive certain benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance orMaternity Pay, and may not receive a full state retirement pension.

Getting a National Insurance number

Just before their 16th birthday, all young people in the UK are sent aNational Insurance number.Ihis is a unique number for each penon and ittracks their National Insurance c0ntributi0ns.

Refugees whose asylum applications have been succesful have the samerights to work as any other UK citizen and to receive a National Insurancenumber. People who have applied for asylum and have not received apositive decision do not usually have permission to work and so do notget a National Insurance number.

You need a National Insurance number when you start work. lfyou donot have a National Insurance number, you can apply for one throughJobcentre Plus or your local Social Security 0ffice. lt is a good idea to makean appointment by telephone and ask which documents you need to takewith you. You usually need to show your birth certificate, pasport andHome 0ffice documents allowing you t0 stay in the country. lfyou need

information about registering for a National Insurance number, you car-telephone the National Insurance Registrations Helpline on0845 91 57006 or 0845 91 55670.

Pensions

Everyone in the UK who has paid enough National Insurance contribur ,-will get a State Pension when they retire. Ihe State Pension age for me'currently 65 yean ofage and for women it is 60, but the State Pension . -'for women will increase to 65 in stages between 20'10 and 2020. You c,-find full details ofthe State Pension scheme on the State Pension webs :.www.thepensionservice.gov.uk or you can phone the Pension ServiceHelpline:0845 60 60 265.

In addition to a State Pension, many people also receive a pension thro- -'their work and some also pay into a personal pension plan too. lt is ver,important to get good advice about pensions. The Pensions AdvisoryService gives free and confidential advice on occupational and personapensions. Their helpline telephone number is 0845 601 2923 and therrwebsite address is www.opas.org.uk. Independent financial advisen ca"also give advice but you usually have to pay a fee for this service. You ca'find local financial advisen in the Yellow Pages and Thomson local guic.0r 0n the internet at www.unbiased.c&uk

Health and safety

Employen have a legal duty to make sure the workplace is safe.Employees also have a legal duty to follow safety regulations and to wo'.safely and responsibly. lfyou are wonied about health and safety at you.workplace, talk to your supervisor, manager or trade union representati\.You need to follow the right procedures and your employer must notdismiss you or treat you unfairly for raising a concern.

'-:de unions

, :. .lnions are organisations that aim t0 improve the pay and working: : ons of their members. They also give their members advice and

i : - 1 0n problems at work. You can choose whether to join a trade- or not and your employer cannot dismiss you or treat you unfairly

:. rq a union member.

,n find details oftrade unions in the UK, the benefits they offer to, - ters and useful information on rights at work on the lrades Union:'ess (TUC) website, www.tuc.org.uk

-':blems at work

' - have problems ofany kind at work, speak to your supervisor,' :-:qer, trade union representative 0r some0ne else with responsibility, , ,1fl ds posible. lf you need to take any action, it is a good idea to get, :, .: first. lf you are a member of a rade union, your representative will'- : /0u can also contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau (GB) or Law

':'e The national Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (A[AS)-: i te, www.acas.org.uk gives information on your rights at work. ACAS

, rffers a national helpline, telephone: 08457 47 47 47.

--'sing your job and unfair dismissal

, ' :.nployee can be dismised immediately for serious misconduct at'1. Anyone who cannot d0 theirjob properly, or is unacceptably late or

:: :nt from work, should be given a warning by their employer, lf their'. '<, punctuality or attendance does not improve, the employer can give'-.-r notice to leave theirjob.

' . aqainst the law for employers to dismiss someone from work unfairly.- '- s happens to you, or life at work is made so difficult that you feel you' , , : to leave, you may be able to get compensation if you take your case

to an Employmentlribunal. This is a court which specialises inemployment matters. You normally only have three months t0 makea complaint.

lf you are dismissed from your job, it is important to get advice onyour case as s00n as posible. You can ask for advice and informationon your legal rights and the best action to take fiom your trade unionrepresentative, a solicitor, a Law Centre or the Citizen3 Advice Bureau.

Redundancy

lfyou lose yourjob because the company you work for no longer needssomeone to do your job, or cannot afford to employ you, you may beentitled t0 redundancy pay. The amount of money you receive depends0n the length oftime you have been employed. Again your trade unionrepresentative, a solicitor, a Law (entre or the (itizens Advice Bureau canadvise you.

Unemployment

Most people who become unemployed can claim Jobseeker's Allowance(JSA).Ihis is cunently available for men aged 18-65 and women aged18-60 who are capable of working, available for work and tryingto find work. Unemployed 16 and l7-year-olds may not be eligible forJobseeker's Allowance but may be able to claim a Young Penon's BridgingAllowance (YPBA) instead. The local Jobcentre Plus can help with claims.You can get further information from the Ctizens Advice Bureau and theJobcentre Plus website: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

)0e

a

New Deal

New Deal is a government programme that aims to give unemployedpeople the help and support they need to get into work. Young peoplewho have been unemployed for 6 months and adults who have beenunemployed for 18 months are usually required to join New Deal if theywish to continue receiving benefit. There are different New Deal schemesfor different age groups. You can find out more about New Deal on0845 606 2626 or: www.newdeal.qov.uk

The government also runs work-based learning programmes which offertraining t0 people while they are at work. People receive a wage 0r anallowance and can attend college for one day a week to get anew qualification.

You can find out more about the different government schemet and theschemes in your area, fiom Jobcentre Plus, www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk, orvour local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Working for yourself

Tax

Self-employed people are responsible for paying their own tax andNational Insurance. They have to keep detailed records ofwhat theyearn and spend on the business and send their business accounts t0HM Revenue and Customs every year. Most self-employed people usean accountant t0 make sure they pay the correct tax and claim all theoossible tax allowances.

As soon as you become self-employed you should register younelf fortax and National Insurance by ringing the HM Revenue and (ustoms

telephone helpline for people who are self-employed, on 0845 915 45':

Help and advice

Banks can give information and advice on setting up your own businessand offer start-up loans, which need to be repaid with interest.Government grants and other financial support may be available. You ca'get details 0f these and advice on becoming self-employed from Busrne ,Link, a government-funded project for people starting 0r running abusiness-www.businesslink.gov.uk telephone: 0845 600 9 006.

Working in Europe

British citizens (an work in any couffiy that is a member of the Europea"Economic Area (EEA). In general, they have the same employment righr:as a citizen ofthat country or state.

Childcare and children at work

New mothen and fathers

Women who are expecting a baby have a legal right to time off workfor antenatal care. They are also entitled t0 at least 26 weekl maternityleave. These rights apply to full-time and part{ime workers and it makesno difference how long the woman has worked for her employer. lt is,however, important to follow the correct procedures and to give theemployer enough notice about taking maternity leave. Some women mayalso be entitled t0 maternity pay but this depends on how long they havebeen working for their employer.

Fathers who have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks areentitled t0 paternity leave, which provides up to two weeks'time offfrom work, with pay, when the child is born. h ls important to tell youremployer well in advance.

You can get advice and more information on maternity and paternitymatten from the personnel officer at work, your trade unionrepresentative, your local (itizens Advice Bureau, the Citizens AdviceBureau website www.adviceguide.org.uk or the government websitewww.direct.gov.uk

Childcare

It is Government policy to help people with childcare responsibilitiesto take up work. Some employen can help with this. The Childcarelinkwebsite www.childcarelink.gov.uk gives information about different typesof childcare a nd registered childminders in your area, or telephone08000 96 02 96.

Hours and time for children at work

In the UK there are strict laws t0 protect children from exploitation andto make sure that work does not get in the way oftheir education. Theearliest legal age for children to do paid work is 1 3, although not all local

authorities allow this. There are exceptions for some types of perfor- ,work (including modelling) when younger children may be allowe: '

work. Anychild underschool leaving age (16) seeking to do paid r,'.must apply for a licence from the local authority. (hildren taking p;"in some kinds of performances may have t0 obtain a medical certif :''-before working.

Bylaw,children under 16can onlydolightwork.Thereareparticu i' :that children are not allowed to do. These include delivering milk, s. . .alcohol, cigarettes or medicines, working in a kitchen or behind thecounter 0f a chip shop, working with dangerous machinery or cherr .,doing any other kind of work that may be harmful to their health 0r €c - :'

The law sets out clear limits for the working houn and times for l3 -: ,- ,old children. Every child must have at least two consecutive weeks . ,- ,during the school holidays when they do not work. Ihey cannot n :'.

* for more than 4 hours without a one hour rest break

e for more than 2 hours on any school day or a Sunday

€ morethan five hours (13-l4yearolds) oreight hours (15-15 ,.'olds) on Saturdays (or weekdays firing school holidays)

€ before 7.00am or after 7.00pm

* before the close ofschool houn (except in areas where local by .,'allow children to work one hour before school).

* for more than 1 2 houn in any school week

€ for morethan 25 hoursa week (13-l4yearolds) or35 hou6 a,',-.(15-16 year olds) during school holidays.

j: 0nal minimum waqe for those under ,l6.

'-0nty may withdraw a childt licence to work, for example: ,vorks longer hou6 than the law allows.Ihe child would: e t0 cOntinue t0 work. An employer may be prosecuted.- ploying a child. A parent 0r carer who makes a false- a child's licence application can also be prosecuted. Ihey.''osecuted ifthey do not ensure their child receives a proper, can find more information on theIUC website,- art.org.uk

(hAPtCrT: KNOWING THE LAW

In this chapter there is informationabout:

* The police

< (rime and the law

* (riminalcourts

= Human rights

* Maniage and divorce

* (hildren and young people

€ (onsumer protection

The rights and duties of a citizen

The law

Every person in the UK has the right to equal treatment under the law.The law applies in the same way t0 everyone-regardless ofwho they areor where they are from.

Ihe law can be divided into criminal and civil law. Criminal law relarest0 crimes, which are usually investigated by the police or some otherauthority and are punished by the courts. tivil law is used ro setrledisputes between individuals 0r groups.

In the UK it is a criminal offence to cany a weapon such as a gun or knife0r anything that is made or adapted to cause rnjury to someone, even if itis for self-defence.

Reporting a crime

In an emergency, or if you are the victim of a crime or you see a crimetaking place, dial 999 or 1 1 2. The operator will ask you which service youneed-police, fire, ambulance or, by the coast, the coastguard. Then youneed to explain why the police are needed and where they need to go.

lf the situation is NOT an emergenry, you ian either go to your local policestation 0r telephone them. You can find the telephone number under'Police'in the phone book. Some'mino/crimes can be reported online5ee www.online.police.uk for details.

Racially and religiously motivated crime

ln the UK it is a criminal offence to use abusive or insulting words rnpublic because of someone's religion or ethnic origin. Anyone who causesharassment, alarm or distress t0 other pe0ple because oftherr religion orethnic origin can be prose(uted and given strong penalties by the courts.lf you are the victim of religious or racially motivated crime, it is important

t0 report this t0 the police and they have a duty to take action. You can askfor an interview at the police station, at your home or somewhere else.

You can get further information and advice fiom the Race Equality Councilor from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Police duties

The rob of the oolice in the UK is to:

protect life and property

.,. prevent disturbances (known as keeping the peace)

* orevent and detect crime

Ihe police force is a public service and should help and protect everyone.You should not be afraid of reporting a crime or asking the police forhelp. Police officers must obey the law and they must not misuse theirauthority, make a false statement, be rude, abusive or commit racialdiscrimination. Ihe very small numbers of police offcers who are conuptor misuse their authority are severely punished.

Complaints

Anyone can make an official complaint against the police. To make acomplaint, you can g0 t0 a police station or write to either the Chief[onstable for that police force or the Independent Police Complaints[ommission (in Northern lreland, the Police 0mbudsman). lf it is a seriousmatter, it is a good idea to speak to a solicitor or to the [itizens AdviceBureau first.

lfthe police ever stop you

All good citizens are expected to help the police prevent and detect i' -.

whenever they can. Ihe police can stop any member ofthe public or ' ':'in connection with a crime that has been committed or is about to ta..place. They can stop people in a vehicle at any time.

lf you are stopped by the police you should give the officer your narr.and address. You d0 not need t0 answer any more questions, althouc'usually people do. You can ask for the name ofthe officer who stopp=:and questioned you, the police station where he or she is based and :"

reason why you have been stopped.

The police can ask you to go to a police station to answer more quest , -

and you can choose whetherto go. lfyou goto a policestation volur:'',you are entitled t0 leave when you want t0. lf you are obsnuctive, ruc:'decide to mislead the police, you risk being anested.

Search

The police can stop and search anyone they think might be involved ' 'crime. This includes offences such as theft, burglary or possession of i' ::,

drugs or things to be used for committing criminal damage. Ihey car ' :

search the vehicle ofthe penon they stop.q:

Police officers do not have the power t0 enter and search any buildinqthey choose, but they can enter a building ifthey have a warrant (tha:

special permision from a magistrate, in Scotland a Sheriff), 0r t0 arrej:someone, t0 save a life or to prevent serious disturbance or damage.You can ask for the name ofthe officer who has stopped you, the pol i.

station where he or she is based and the reason for their search.

Arrest

lfyou are anested and taken to a police station, a pollce officer will tellyou the reason for your arrest.

fyou have difficulty in understanding English, the police should providean interpreter unless they think a delay in finding an interpreter mightresult in serious harm to a person 0r property.

The police should normally only interview a young person under the agerf 1 7 if their parent or an'appropriate adulf is present. Ihis could be a

'ocial worker, an adult friend or a teacher.

Information and advice

'you are anested or deuined at a police station, you are given writtenjetails of three important legal rights:

I the rightto see a solicitor

2 the right to send a message to a friend or a member of your family,telling them where you are

3 the right to look at the codes of practice-guidelines that the police

should follow when searching for and collecting evidence

-ris writen note also includes the official police caution given to all, Jspects:

'tu do not have to say anythinE.: Lt it may harm your defence ifyou do not mention, when questioned,irmething which you later rely on in court.:rything you do say may be given in evidence.

This caution means that the police cannot force a person t0 answerquestions. But if a suspect does not answer questions at the police station,or in court, this can be used as evidence against him or her. The cautionalso states that anything a pe60n does say to a police officer can also beused as evidence in court.

The duty solicitor

Anyone who has been anested or goes to a police station voluntarilyis entitled t0 legal advice in private. This can be with a solicitor oftheirchoice or the duty solicitor. Duty solicitors work for local firms thatspecialise in criminal law and offer a free consultation. Usually the adviceis given in person but sometimes it may be given over the telephone.

lfyou have been anested, or are being questioned about a serious offence,or you feel unsure about your legal position, you have the right not toanswer questiOns (except to give your name and addres) until you havespoken to a solicitor.

There are some differences between the court system in England andWales and the system in Scotland and Northern lreland.

Magistrates'and district courts ar:

In England, Wales and Northern lreland most minor criminal cases aredealt with in a magistrates'court. In Scotland, minor criminal offences goto a district court.

Criminalcourts

Magistrates, also known as Justices ofthe Peace, hear less serious cases inmagistrateland district courts. They are members of the local community.In England and Wales they usually work unpaid and have no legalqualifications, although they do receive training. In Northern lreland, casesare only heard by paid magistrates.

Crown courts and sheriff courts

n England, Wales and Northern lreland, serious offences are tried in frontof a judge and a jury in a frown court. In Scotland, serious cases are heardrn a sheriff court with eithera sheriff ora sheriff with a jury. A jury

is made up of members of the public chosen at random from the localelectoral register (see [hapter 4). In England, Wales and Northern lrelanda jury has l2 members, and in Scotland a jury has 15 members. Everyonewho is summoned to do jury service must do it unles they are noteligible, for example if they work in law enforcement,0rthey providea good reason to be excused, such as ill health. The jury decides on theverdict, that is whether the defendant is innocent 0r guilty, and iftheverdict is guilty the judge decides on the penalty.

Youth court

lf an accused penon is 1 7 years old 0r younger, their case is normallyheard in a youth court in front of up to three specially trained magistrates0r a distrlct judge. The most serious cases will go to a Crown court.The parents ofthe young person are expected to attend the hearing.Memben of the public are not allowed in youth courts and neither thename nor the photograph ofthe young pe60n can be published innewspaper or used by the media. In Scotland there is a unique systemcalled the thildren's Hearings System, and Northern lreland now has asystem based 0n'y0uth conferencingl

Civil courts

County courts

Most towns and cities have a county court t0 deal wlth a wide range i'

civil disputes. These include people trying t0 get back m0ney that is 0,', .

t0 them, cases involving penonal injury, family matten, breaches of

contract and divorce. In Scotland, all ofthese matten are dealt with rr '-

sheriff court.

The small claims procedure

Ihe small claims procedure is an informal way of helping people to

settle minor disputes without spending a lot of time and money usinc

solicitor This procedure is usually used for claims of les than f 5,000 -- .

hearing is held in an ordinary room with a judge and people from bot"

sides ofthe dispute sitting around a uble. You can get details about tl'.

small claims procedure from your local county court (in Scotland loca

sheriffcourt), which is listed under (ourts in the phone book.

Legal advice and aid

Solicitors

jolicit06 are trained lawyers who give advice on legal matten, take action'or their clients and represent their clients in court. Ihere are solicitors'rffices throughout the UK. lt is important t0 find out which aspects of law: solicitor specialises in and to check that they have the right experience:o help you with your case. Many advertise in local papers and the

"ellow Pages, and the fitizens Advice Bureau can give you names of local;olicitors and which areas of law they specialise in. You can also get thisnformation from the Law Society (telephone: 02012421222,,vww.solicitors-online.com) and the Community Legal Serviceteleph0ne: 0845 345 4345, www.clsdirect.orq.uk).

(osts

Soliciton'charges are usually based on how much time they spend on a:ase. It is very important t0 find out at the start h0w much a case is likelyto cost and whether you are eligible for legal aid.

Financial help or legalaid

Anyone who is questioned or charged in connection with a crimers entitled to free advice from a duty solicitor (see above) and freerepresentati0n by a solicitor for their fint appearance in court. lt may alsobe possible to get help with costs for any further appearances in court,although this depends on the type ofcase and the income and savinqs ofthe client. A solicitor can give information and advice on this.

Solicitors can also give information on schemes to cover the cost 0fasolicitor's help, but not all types ofcase are covered by these schemes andthe help available also depends on the income and savings ofthe client.5ometimes the costs are paid by the client on a'no win, no fee'basis. Inno win, no fee cases, the solicitor only charges the client if they win thecase. lt is important to check all the possible costs before agreeing to a

solicitor t0 taking a case as no win, no fee, as there are often hidden costssuch as paying the costs of the other side.

Law Centres

Most large cities have one or more Law Centres staffed by qualifiedlawyers. They can give legal advice and posibly take on a case. To findthe addres ofyour nearest centre, you can telephone the Law CentresFederation on 020 7387 8570 or visit: www.lawcentres.oro.uk

Other advice and information

There is a (itizens Advice Bureau in most towns and cities -ir, I . ;'..,.1

and confidential adviceon manydifferent types of lega prot e-, --:

website also gives a wide range of information in En g lish, !\,e si, r:- :.Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu: www.adviceguide org.uk

Just ask!

www.clsdirect.org.uk is the website of the Community Legal Serviceand it gives information on a wide range of legal questions in sevenlanguages. lt can also give you details of local soliciton and places to gofor advice in your area.

For teenagers

The Young (itizen's Pasport is a practical guide to everyday law writtenespecially for the needs ofyoung people aged '14 to 19. lt is produced bythe (itizenship Foundation and there are three different editions: Englandand Wales, Scotland and Northern lreland. You can order a copy through alocal bookshop or telephone the publishers, Hodder Munay, on0207837 6372.

Victims of crime

Anyone who is the victim of a violent crime can apply to the [riminal

Injuries (ompensation Authority for compensation for their injuries.

The crime has t0 be reported t0 the police as quickly as posible and

the application for compensation must be made within two years

of the crime. You can find more information on the Criminal Injuries

[ompensatron Authority website: www.cica.gov.uk

Victims of crime can also get free help and guidance from Victim Support

You can find their telephone number in the local phone book, ring their

national helpline on 845 30 30 900 or g0 t0 their website:

www.\/ictimsupport.com

Human rights

The Human Rights Act

All UK courts must follow the principles ofthe European [onvention

on Human Riqhts. These rights are set out in British law in the Human

Rights Act 1998 and apply to everyone in the UK. Public bodies such as

the police, schools and hospitals have to work in a way that follows the

Human Rights Acl

There is more general information on the Human Rights Act on the

Department of Constituti0nal Affain website:

www.dca.gov.u k/peoplesrig hts/huma n-rights/index. htm

In Northern lreland there is a Human Rights Commission, which is

considering whether Northern lreland needs its own additional human

rights law. lt also works with its counterpart in the Republic of lreland

with the aim of achieving common standards in both parts of the island

Equal opportunities

For more than 30 years the law in the UK has been developed t0 try and

make sure that people are not treated unfairly in all areas of life and wort

because oftheir sex, race, disability, sexuality or religion. In 2006 unfarr

age discrimination at work also became unlawful.

lf you face problems with discrimimtion, you can get more information

from the (itizens Advice Bureau or from one of the following

organisations:

The (ommission for Racial Equality - www.cre.gov.uk

The Equal 0pp0rtunities Commision - wwweoc.org.uk

The Disability Rights Commision - www.drc.org.uk

(Ihese three organisations will be brought together in the Commission r.

Equality and Human Rights from Oaober 200/).

The Equality (ommission for Northern lreland - www.equalityni.org

For further information on discrimination at work, see chapter 6.

Military service

In the UK there has been no compulsory military service since'1960.

Marriage

ln 0rder t0 marry, each partner must be 16 yean old or older, and

unmarried. Anyone who is 16 or 17 and wants to get married needs

written permission from therr parents. Close blood relatives are not

allowed to many each other although cousins are allowed to many.

No one can be forced to get manied regardless of how strong the wishes

of their family may be. (ouples who have agreed to many usually

announce their engagement. In the past an engaqement was seen as a

legal contract but these days it is not.

A maniaqe ceremony can take place in a registry office, a registered place

ofworship or in premises that have been approved by the local authority.

You can get a list ofthese from your local authority.

In order for a maniage ceremony to take place, couples need to get(ertificates from the registrar of maniages in the district(s) where they

live. In order to get a certificate, the partners need to show their birth

certifcates or, ifthese are not available, their personal identity documents.

lf either of the partners has been manied before, they need to show proof

that this maniage has ended. Certificates can be collected between 21

days and 3 months before the date ofthe wedding.

Ihe procedure for maniages in the Church of England is slightly differen:

The traditional method used by most couples is the publication of ban n '

which takes the same time as the civil method of getting manied by

certificate. Ihe banns are published by being read aloud during the ser'

on each ofthe three 5undays before the ceremony. You do not have to b.

a member of the church to be manied there but it is usual for the couo .

to attend the church on at least one ofthe three occasions when the

banns are read. You can get more details from either a religious ministe'

who is authorised t0 conduct marriages 0r the local registrar of marriac-

see Registration of births, maniages and deaths in the phone book.

In the UK, many women take their husband's surname when they get

manied. But there is no leqal duty to do this and some women prefer '

keeo their own surname.

Living together

Ihese days, many couples in the UK live together without getting ma" .

or live together before they get manied. (ouples who live together

without being manied do not have the same legal rights as couples ',', -

are married and may face some problems if their relationship breaks -:For example, if only one partner's name is on a tenancy aqreement 0' - '

deeds to a property, the other partner may have difficulty staying in a

property or claiming a share in its value.

lf a married penon dies without making a will, their husband or wife

entitled t0 all or most of their possesions. But if a couple are not ma" .

and there is no will, it can be very difficult for the surviving partner t,

claim any oftheir partner's posessions.

lf an unmanied couple have a child, both parents have a duty t0 supr

tha child until he or she is 1 B yean old.

Same-sex partnerships

, -oles ofthe same sex can now legally register their relationship and- ,'k this with a civil ceremony known as a civil partnenhip. When they: , :hrs they have similar legal rights to those of manied couples.

Drvorce

r : /orce cannot take place during the fint year of maniage. In order for a- :r 0r a woman to apply for a divorce they must pr0ve t0 a court that-= ' maniage has'inetrievably broken downi In order to do this, he or she- -jr prove one 0fthe following things has happened:

. :reir partner has committed adultery

' :'reir partner has behaved unreasonably. This can cover many things,.lch as domestic violence, assault, or refusing to have children

1 :hey have lived apart for two years and both want a divorce

E :ney have lived apart for five years and only one partner wants al lv0rce

c tne partner has deserted the other for at least two yean before the:ppl ication for divorce

ttelp and advice

-'. breakdown of a maniage can be a very difficult time for everyone- , rlved. Family doctors can sometimes help by ananging an:::ointment with a family therapist. There is also a voluntary and- ::pendent organisation called Relate, which operates in England and,l: es. You can find their contact details in the phone book under Relate or:',,, ww.relate.0rg.uk

lfyou are facing divorce, or ifyour partner has left you, it is very importantto get advice about your legal position from a solicitor, particularly ifyouhave young children or ifthere is disagreement over m0ney 0r property.

Domestic violence

In the UK, brutality and violence in the home is a serious crime. Anyonewho is violent towards their partner-whether they are a man 0r awoman, manied or living together-can be prosecuted. Any man whoforces a woman to have sex, including a woman's husband, can becharged with rape.

It is important for any woman in this situation to get help as soon asposible. A solicitor or the (itizens Advice Bureau can explain the availableoptions. In some areas there are safe places for women to go and stay incalled refuges or shelten.Ihere are emergency telephone numben in theHelpline section at the fiont 0fthe Yellow Pages including, for women, thenumber of the nearestWomen's (entre. The police can also help womenfind a safe place to stay.

tI

Children

Parent( responsibilities

The law says that parents 0fa child who are manied to one another haveequal responsibility for their child. This continues even ifthe parentsseparate or divorce. But when a child's parents are not manied, only themother has parental responsibility unles:

::= the father jointly registen the child's birth with the mother

the father subsequently marries the m0ther

the father obtains the mother's agreement for equal parentalresponsibility

* the father acquires parental responsibility by applying to court

Parental responsibility continues until a child is 18 years old.

5upport

Both parents, whether they are manied to each other 0r not, have a legalresponsibility to maintain their children financially. A father who doesnot have parental responsibility in law still has a duty t0 support hischildren frnancially.

Control

Parents are responsible for the care and control oftheir children until theyare 18. By law, they can use reasonable force to discipline them, but ifthispunishment is too severe, they can be prosecuted for assault or the childmay be taken into the care ofthe local authority.

Many voluntary organisations and local authorities offer parentingcourses, support and advice on being a parent. Parentline Plus is a natio".charity that works for, and with, parents. They offer a free 24-hour, / da, .a week telephone: helpline service for parentstelephone: 0808 800 20-0r: www.parentlineplus.org.uk You can also get information on parentir :on the BB( website: www.bbc.co.uk/parentinq

Child protection

Every local authority has a legal duty to protect all children in its area fr: -

danger, and must place the safety and interest ofthe child above all els.lf it believes that a child is suffering significant harm at home, it must ta,.action to try and stop this happening. Where posible, local authoritiestry t0 work with parents, but they have the power t0 take a child from :,home and into care. This is only done in an emergency or when all othe'posibilities have failed.

ChildLine is a free and confidential helpline for children and youngpeople in the UK to talk about any problem with a counsellortelephor.0800 1111, or:wwwchildline.org.uk In the UK, there are laws aboutemployment and children (see Chapter 6).

Medical advice and treatment f0r cHdren and young people

From the age of 1 6, young people do not need their parents'permisro"for medical consultation 0r treatment as long as the doctor 0r nursebelieves that the young penon fully understands what is involved.lf a young person under the age of 'l 6 asks for contraceptive advice a nctreatment, the doctor will encourage them to discuss this with a paren: ,'carer. But most doctors will prescribe contraception for a young pe60r '

they believe they are able to understand what is involved.

Leaving a child on their own

:s a general rule, it is against the law for children to be left alone in the'ome unles they are in the care ofa responsible person aged 16 or over.

rrldminders and nurseries must be registered and inspected by thelffice for Standards in Education (0fsted). You can get details 0f registered.rildminders in your area from your local authority, (hildren's Information:ervice (C15). [hildcareLink on 08000 96 02 96 or www.childcarelink.:ov.uk can give you the telephone number ofyour local ClS. You can also. rntact the National Childminding Asociation (NCMA) on 0800 '169 4486' www.ncma.orq.uk

(onsumer protection

By law, when you buy something from a shop, it should do everythingyou can reasonably expect and all that the seller and manufacturer claim.The Sale of Goods Act 1 979 states that the goods you buy from a shop ortrader must:

s be of satisfactory quality, and

m match the description, and

{ft be fit for all their intended purposes.

Satisfactory quality

'Being ofsatisfactory quality'means the g00ds must be free tor '.- :,scratches or damage-unless the sales assi(ant told you abour l. . '. - :oryou had a chancet0 lookcarefullyatthe item before you b0u0fi : :' lhad the opportunity to find the fault.

Ihis rule applies to any goods you buy from a shop or trader-new orsecond-hand. But it does not apply t0 qoods bought privately troman individual, for example through a newspaper 0r shop windowadvertisement. In these cases, the buyer is expected to take responsibilityforthe quality ofthe goods they buy. 'i

Match the description

'Matching the description'means that the g00ds you buy must be thesame as the description on the packaging 0r advertisement at the time ofsale. This rule applies to all goods sold, including second-hand goodssold privately.

Fit for all their intended purposes

'Being fit for all their intended purposes'means that the goods must do

what the seller, packaginq or advertiser claims.

Taking care with your purchases

Sometimes there are problems with goods bought from shops, by mail

order or on the internet and s0 it is a g00d idea to uke the followinq

sreps:

Be cautious ofadvertisements that make exaggerated claims, and ofpeople who try t0 sell you things at your d00r

Keep receipts as proofofpurchase, particularly ifthe g00ds were

expensive

, lf there is a problem with something you bought, stop using it straight

away and tell the shop or trader about the problem

. lf you have to make a complaint to a shop 0r company, keep a record of

telephone calls and make a copy ofany letters or emails that you send.

Prices are usually clearly marked on most new goods and these are theprices that customer expect t0 pay. In general, people in the UK do

not barter 0r negotiate prices for goods. But some bargaining may takeplace when buying houses, second-hand goods such as cars, 0r some

household services such as decorating or gardening.

5ervices

Ihe law covering services-such as hairdressing or shoe repairs+tates that

services must be done:

,, with reasonable care and skill

. within a reasonable time

for a reasonable charge.

Io avoid problems it is a good idea to agree the price before the

work starts.

Mail order and internet shopping

There are special regulations to protect people who buy goods from hom.

by post, phone 0r 0n the internet. As well as the rights listed above, you

are entitled to cancel your order within 7 working days if you decide thai

you do not want to buy the item. But this does not apply to all purchases

For example, you cannot change your mind for tickets or accommodatio'

bookings, audio and video recordings that have been opened, newspap€'

and magazines, and perishable items such as flowers or food. You are a '

entitled to a full refund if you do not r,eceive the goods by the date agree:

or within 30 days, if you did not agree a date.

lf you are buying goods on the internet, it is important to make sure tha'

you have the traders full address. You also need to make sure that the

website offers a secure way of paying-this is shown by a small picture .'

yellow padlock at the bottom ofthe screen.

(omplaints

lf a fault appears soon after you have bought an item and you are notresponsible, you are entitled either t0 your money back or to areplacement. lt is the shop's responsibility to deal with the problem.

f an item worked well at first and then developed a fault, you may still be:ntitled t0 all or some of your money back, to be offered a replacement or:o have the item repaired fiee ofcharge. Ihe action taken will depend onrow long you have had the goods, how serious the fault is and whether its unreasonable for a fault to develoo so soon.

Paying by credit card

' you have used a credit card to buy something which cost between fl 00:nd f10,000 and there is a problem with it, you can claim the moneyrack from the credit card company. This can be useful ifthe trader doesr0t help t0 solve the problem or has gone out ofbusines.

Help and advice

You can get advice locally from the lrading Standards Office, listed in thephone book under the local authority, or from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

You can check the prices and performance of many products in Which?an independent magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine or read it inthe reference department of most public libraries.

Ihere is more information about consumer rights from the BBC websrtewww.bbc.co.ukYou can also qet information from the government'sofficial department which 0rotects c0nsume6-the Ofn(e 0f Fair TraCirr,www.oft.oov.uk

ChAPtErs: SOURCES OF HELP AND INFORMATION

In this chapter there is informationaD0ut:

r Help for refugees and asylumseekers

t Libraries

a The (itizens Advice Bureau

e The police

o Sources of information

o Jhe internet

and general tips on how to get

information and advice

lntroduction

In the UK, there are many different organisations offering all kinds of help

and advice. In other chapters ofthis book there are details of where to go

t0 getfunher information 0n a particular subject. This section tells you

more about the services offered by advice centres, libraries and about

other sources of information.

Be prepared

When you are looking for information or help, consider the followrng

advice:

o Eefore you ask for information think carefully about what you need toknow. Make a few notes about the key things you want to know

o Take a pen and paper to make notes about the information you receive

o lf you do not understand English very well, take someone with you to

help, or ask ifthere is an interpreter available

I Take all the relevant documents with you. Sometimes you will have an

account or reference number for your case

o lry to avoid long explanations

a Make a note ofthe name ofthe person you talk to so you can refer to il

if you need to phone or visit again.

Public libraries

Every town and city in the UK has one 0r more public libraries. You can

find the addres ofyour local library in the phone book. Most ofthe

services offered by public libraries are free. They are paid for by national

and local taxes. Anyone may use a local library, but ifyou want to bonow

books and other items you usually have to become a member. To become

a member you usually have to show proofofyour identity and

y0ur a00ress.

(hildren

-.rre is usually a separate section 0fthe library for children. Libraries

:- : r r raqe chrldren to read books and sometimes there are special reading

i. : , : es for chi ldren.

Books and other items

','enbers can borrow books for a specific period of time. At some libraries

: s possible to bonow CDs, audiotapes and DVDs.Thereare often books

'n anguages other than English. There are also books on audiotape kalled

talking booki) and books with large print for people with sight problems.

f you do not return books and other items on time, you will have to pay a

fine. lfthe library does not have a book you need, they can usually order it

for you from another library.

Reference

In the reference section there are books such as dictionaries,

encyclopaedias, telephone directories, Yellow Pages and Thomson Local

guides. Sometimes there are newspapers. The reference section is helpful

if you need information 0n something in particular.Ihe library is also a

good place to ask about local and community facilitles and events. lf

you do not understand English very well, some libraries might offer a

translation service.

Computers, photocopiers and fax machines

Libraries also have computers which the public can use to do word

processing, send and receive emails and browse the internet. lt is als0

posible in some libraries to photocopy and to send faxes.Ihere might b.

a charge for these services.

.itizens Advice Bureau

, lrzens Advice Bureau (tAB) gives free, confidential and impartial

.: lt is an independent organisation with trained advise6. [4ost-, and (ities have a CAB office. You can find the addres in the ohone. the local library or visit the CAB website at www.nacab.org.uk

' ': you visit a (AB office you should check the opening times of your

rfflce. Help is also available by email. Details about this are available'- : website.

: 'act ical help

r, qrve advice and help across a wide range oftopics.These include-:y, benefits, pensions, employment, the NH5, housing, immigration,':stic violence and consumer oroblems.

, ,AB can also help with completing forms and writing letters. They

, so help if you have to go t0 court 0r a tribunal. lf you have problems

::rstanding English they may be able to provide interpreters

- -AB also runs an information website at www.adviceguide.org.uk- -r gives information on a wide range of topics. lt is available in

- 'sh, Welsh, Bengali, [hinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.

The police service

The main role of the police is to deal with crime, but they also offerprotection and asistance to the public. They are expected to be friendly

and helpful to people seeking their assistance. lfyou are wonied about

your personal safety or have a question about the law or crime, the polrce

will be able to help you. In some parts ofthe country there are special

telephone information lines for this purpose. In many communrtres

there are community support officers (t50s) who work at a local leve toprovide a visible presence on the streets and reassure local people They'

may give talk on safety issues in schools and community centres and

generally help the police with their local duties.

(ontacting the police

lf you need advice or you need to report a crime which is not dangerousor life+hreatening you should phone the local police station. Ihe numberis in the telephone book under'Policei D0 NOT phone 999 or 1 12 unlessthere is an emerqency.

lf there is a danger t0 life or a crime in progres, dial 999 or i 12. Theoperator will ask which service you require: police, fire, ambulance orcoastguard service. You will be asked where you are calling from and thelocation of the accident 0r emergency. Do not call 999 or ll2underanyother (ir(umstances.

The Fire Service

-'e nre service (known in some areas as the fire and rescue service).an often help with fire safety and fire prevention. This includes givingadvice about what to do if there is a fire, how to make a fire escape planfor you and your family and advice on fire hazards in the home. In someareas there are free home fire safety checks and the fire service mightalso be able to fit smoke detectort especially for the elderly. For furtherinformation contact y0ur localfire service (the number is in the telephonebook under'Fire') or g0 t0 wwwfire.gov.uk

Other sources of information

* Yellow Pages: a yellow telephone directory which gives details oforganisations, services and businesses in the local area. Ihere is also ,website at www.yell.com

I Thomson Local: a guide to your local area (available in 6reat Britainsimilar to the Yellow Pages.

o Local authorities: all give information about their services such aseducation and social services. The numbers for each section 0f the ,authority can be found in the phone book. Most local authorities h;,,useful websites. Some have information and advice centres open rcthe oublic.

c Tourist information (entres: give information about local attractionj jwell as on transport, places ofworship, doctor's surgeries and so o"

o Post offices:the main role of the post office is to collect and delive'mail. They also provide information about benefits and state pens . '

You can also open a bank accountatthe post officeand pay bills :'

the post office you get application forms for driving licences, othe'licences and pasports. Ihey can also check passport applicationsbefore you send them to the passport office.

"l

t Helplines: many organisations have specialtelephone lines which : ,-advice on specific isues or problems. You can get these from the ( r :or public library or from the internet (see below).

I Newspapers: these are either national 0r local. Local newspdp€rs ;':good for local information such as the opening times of late night che- '

Television and radio channels: these are either national or local. Localradio stations can be a good source of local information.

Directgov:this is a Government-sponsored website that givesinformation about local and national government issues,ranging fromhow you complete a tax return t0 how you renew a library book,www.direct.gov.uk

Using the internet

-he internet can be accessed through a computer either at home, in thercal library or in an internet cafe. To get information from the internet, lu need to know the addres ofa specific website (this usually begins,', ith'www') or you need to use a search engine. The most popular search.rgine is Google at www.google.co.uklhe search engine uses key words' . find information about a specific thing. lf you enter the key words.lnsumer rights, for example) into the search engine, it will look for: ,th words separately and give you millions ofresults. lfyou put inverted, rmas around the words (tonsumer rights') the search engine will look

" websites only with words in this combination.

Websites

-ere are many addresses ofuseful websites in this guide. A particularly:ful website is the BBC website at www.bbc.co.uk This gives you access

' ocal, national and international information and hasa newsservice- rver 40 languages. lt also has sections on education, history, science,

-;iness and law and orovides links to other valuable sources' rformation.

(hAPtCr9: BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES

Becoming a British [itizen or

becoming senled in the UK

brings opportunities but also

responsibilities. This section looks

at some of the responsibilities

and gives information about

some of the many ways in whichpeople can help to make their(ommunities a better place to live

an0 w0rK.

(ohesive communities

Although Britain is one of the world's most diverse societies, most people

believe that there should be a set of shared values with which everyone

can agree. Many ofthose values are mentioned in other parts ofthis book.

There is a general principle that all people should respect the law and

the rights ofothers. But in addition to obeying the law, people want toget on well with their neighboun and contribute t0 the well-being of all.

The purpose of this book is to help new migrants who want t0 become

settled in the UK or to become British [itizens to become more aware of

the laws, customs and traditions here. Knowing about these things will

make it easier to become a full and active citizen, but reading a book is no

substitute for being part ofsociety. By getting to know and undentandyour community, life will be better for everyone.

5urveys have given us some very interesting information about what

makes people feel good or bad about the area they live in. Everyone

should try to be a good neighbour. You (an start t0 do thrs by introduc r!

yourself to the people who live next t0 you. lt is qood to avoid makinq

too much noise and to respect the privacy of your neig hbours. One of the

most common causes of complaint about neighbours is about leaving

rubbish outside the house. 5o make sure you know what days you canput out your rubbish for it to be collected and that you know what

arrangements there are in your area for recycling.

Good citizens

A special survey{he UK Citizenship Survey in 2005-tells us a great deal

about what people think about the rights and responsibilities of being a

citizen.The things that people strongly felt should be the responsibilities of

all people living in the UK were:

To obey and respect the law

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Io raise children properlyTo treat others with fairness and respectTo behave responsiblyTo help and protect your familyTo respect and preserve the environmenlTo behave morally and ethicallyTo treat all races equallyIo work to provide for yourselfIo help othenIo vote.

Supporting the communig

Ihere are a number of positive ways in which you can be a good citizen.Ihese include:

Jury service

Apart from getting the right to vote, people on the electoral register mightbe asked t0 serve 0n a jury (see page 90). Jurors are chosen at randomfrom the electoral register. Anyone who is on the electoral reqister andis aged 1 B-70 can be asked to serve. The task ofjurors is to decide theoutcome of a criminaltrial in the Crown Court.They will be amongmany people chosen each year for jury service and they will have anopportunity t0 be involved in the legal system. Jurors hear the moreserious criminal cases such as theft, burglary, and drugs offences. Jurorsalso hear cases involving murder and rape, although these types ofcasesare tess common.

Iheir task is to consider the evidence presented throughout the trial andthen reach a verdict of'guilty'0r'not guilty'based on that evidence.

Becausejurors are randomly selected they represent all sections ofsociety.Ihey will be asked to take an unbiased approach to the case t0 ensure thata fair trial takes place. Being a juror is a very important role and is achance to do something positive for the community. Some people are notqualified for jury service and othen might be excused from doing it. Moredetails can be found 0n the Department for Constitutional Affairs website,www.dca.gov.uk

Helping at schools

lf you have children, there are many ways in which you can help at theirschools. 0ften, parents can help in clasrooms or during mealtimes byhelping to supervise activities or helping children with their reading.Oftenyou will fnd out about these opportunities by notices in the school orfrom notes your children bring home.

Many schools organise events to raise money for extra equipment 0rout ofschool activities. Activities might include book sales, toy sales, orbringing food to sell. You might have good ideas of your own for raisingmoney. Sometimes events are organised by parent and staffassociations(PSAs). These are also known as parent teacher associations (PIAs) andvolunteering to help with events orjoining the association is a way ofdoing something good for the school ald also making new friends in yourlocalcommunity.

School governors

School governors are people from the school community who wish tomake a positive contribution t0 children's education. They must be aged1 8 or over at the date 0ftheir election or appointment. There is no upperaoe limit.

Governors are a large volunteer force and have an important part to playin ra ising school sta ndards. They have three key roles of setting strategicdirection, ensuring accountability and monitoring and evaluating schoolperformance.

You can contact your local school to ask ifthey need a new governor. Yourlocal education authority (tEA) will be able to help you find a school oradvise on opportunities t0 become an LEA governor.

Political parties

Political parties always welcome new members, and joining a politicalparty is an important way of demonstrating support for the views youhold and for the democratic proces. Political parties are especially busyat election times, when their memben work hard to persuade people tovote for their candidates, For instance by handing out leaflets in the $reetor by knocking on people! doors and asking for their support. Becominga British (itizen allows you to stand for office as a local [ouncillor or as aMember of Parliament and so provides an opportunity for becoming evenmore involved in the political life of the UK.

Local Services

Many local service providers want to involve local people in decisions aboutthe way in which they work. There are opportunities to serve as a Boardmember in Primary (areTrusts or Regional Development Agencies.Universities, local Learning and Skills Councils, housing associations and artscouncils also advertise for people t0 serve as volunteers in their governingbodies. lt is also posible to become a lay (non-police) representative on apolice authority or even to apply to become a magistrate. You will often findadvertisements for vacancies in your local newspaper or 0n local radio.

Volunteering

Volunteering is working for good causes without payment. There aremany benefits from volunteering. lt gives you a chance to meet newpeople and can help ifyou are bored at home. Some volunteer activitiesmight help you by giving you a chance to practice your English or to giveyou work skills that will help you find a job or improve your [V. But manypeople rlolunteer simply because they want to do something to help otherpe0pre.

Activities you can do as a volunteer include:

. helpinq the eldedyI youth workI helping improve the environmentI working with the homelesI ment0ringI work in health and hospitalsI workinq with animals.

Many charities want volunteen to help with their activities and to helpthem raise money. They often advertise in local newspapers and mostcharities have websites that will give you more inforntation. lf you want tovolunteer you can get more information from www.do-it.org.uk which isa database of thousands of volunteering 0pp0rtunities.

In recognition 0fthe important role volunteers and the not-for-profitsector play in both society and the economy, the 0ffice oftheThird Sector(0TS) was set up in May 2006 to drive forward the Governmentb role insupp0rting a thriving voluntary sector. The third sector includes v0luntaryand community organisations, charities, social enterprises and faith gr0ups.

Ihe 0TS brings together the work of the former Active CommunitiesDirectorate (ACD), originally in the Home Office and the Social EnterpriseUnit (SEnU), formerly in the Department ofTrade and Industry (DTl)

within the [abinet Office. lt will work closely with the Department for[ommunities and LocalGovernment (D(LG) on the role of third sectororganisations in communities and decision-making at a local and regionallevel. For more information, visit the 0ffice of the Third Sector website at:www.ca binetoffi ce.gov.uk/thirdsector

For younger people, Millenium Volunteers (MV) is a national programme

aimed at people aged 16-24. As an MV you get a chance to help othersby doing something you enjoy and develop your skills at the same time.There are schemes in most cities and towns. lf you do 200 hours ofvolunteering, you get an Award of Excellence. For more information go t0www.m il leniumvol unteers.gov.uk

TimeBank is a national charity that seeks t0 inspire and connect people

to share and give their time. TimeBank appeals to people who know thattheir time and skills are in demand-butjust dont know what to do aboutit or where to start. TimeBank has worked in partnership with Governmentdepartments in finding volunteers to help with disadvantaged people. Forexample, TimeBank has worked with the Home 0ffice to find volunteersto work with refugees as their mentors-to help them find jobs and to get

more involved in society. For more information go towww.timebank.org.uk

Community Service V0luntee6 (CSV) is one of the largest organisationsin the UK that promotes volunteering. lt prides itselfon pioneering newsolutions and innovative ways to tackle society's needs and has over 40years'experience in supporting partners and volunteers in activities thatreally make a difference to peoplel lives.

tSV's campaign to promote volunteering, (5V Make a Difference Day, isthe UKI biggest day ofdirect volunteering in the community. CSV hasover 10,000 senior volunteers who run activities and projects for CSV andrecruit other senior volunteers. For more information q0 towww.csv.org.uk

The Prince's lrust was founded in 1 976 by The Prince ofWales. Havingcompleted his duty in the Royal Navy, he became dedicated to improvingthe lives ofdisadvantaged young people in the UK, and began theTrust todeliver on that commitment.

TheTrust has becomethe UKt leading youth chariry offering a range ofopprtunitia including training, personaldevelopment, support in starting upa businesl mentoring and advice for young people aged 14-30.

TheTrust has four key target groups:

r Unemployed young peoplea young people underachievinga Young people leaving careI Young offenders and ex-offenders.

All ofthese activities need volunteers. Manytew or aspiring managersfind that volunteering with a Prince3Trust group helps them withtheir own career as they have to tackle real management issues in achallenging environment. lf you want to volunteer t0 help disadvantagedyoung people you can contact the Trust at wwwprinces-trust.0rg.uk

_'anues

:'-rain has many thousnds of active chadties, working t0 impruve the,es of people-and animals-in a wide variety of wayr Some of the

:rganisations already mentioned in this chapter arc chadties, but you will- ra r about the work of many othen A fnv of the most imprtant chaftia*orkinq in Britain are dEkribed below.

The British Red [ross is amember of the InternationalRed (ross and Red (rescent

movemenl the worldt largesthumanitarian organisation.The movement championsindividual and communityvalues which encouragerespect for other human beingsand a willingnes to worktogether to find solutions tocommunity problems. The Red[ross/Red [rescent movementis committed to, and boundby, its Fundamental Principles.These are:

HumanitylmpartialityNeutralitylndependencevoluntary serviceUnilyUniversality.

It has no religious affiliation andin the UK offers volunteering

opportunities in many fields,including first aid, emergentyrespon5e, a message an0radng service t0 try t0 reunitepeople who have beenseparated by conflict, andhelping refugees.

Friends ofthe Earth is one oftheleading environmental charitiesin the UK and was founded in1971. Further information canbe obtained from its website atwww.foe.org.uk lts interests are:

Getting a grip on climatechangeBringing in laws to bringrecycling to your doontep.Warmer, more energyeffcient homesProtecting our countryside.Keeping geneticallymodified food off the menu.Persuading big companies tobehave befter in respectofthe environment.

Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.

org.uk) is an internationalenvironmental organisatlonfounded in Vancouver, BritishColumbia, (anada in 1971. ltis known for its campaignsto stop atmospheric andunderground nuclear testing aswell as to bring an end to highseas whaling. In later years, thefocus ofthe organisation turnedto other environmental issues,including bottom trawling,global warming, ancient forestde$ruction, nudear power

and genetic engineering.6reenpeace has national andregional offices in 41 countriesworldwide, including the UK.It receives its income throughthe individual contributionsof an estimated 2.8 millionfinancial supportert as wellas from grants from charitablefoundationt but does notacceptfunding fromgovernments or corpof attons.