parliament explained: civil service communicators
TRANSCRIPT
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for Government Communicators
Parliament Explained
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Part 1: What is Parliament?
Part 2: Legislation
Break
Part 3: Scrutiny of Government
Part 4: Public Engagement with Parliament
Programme
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Questions?
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Part 1: What is Parliament?
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What is Parliament?
House of Commons
House of Lords
The Monarch
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What does Parliament do?
Makes and passes laws(Legislation)
Holds Government to account
Enables the Government to set taxes
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The party or parties who can command the confidence of the Houseof Commons forms the Government
The Government: runs Government departments proposes new laws to Parliament is accountable to Parliament
The Government
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• Commons, Lords, Monarch
• Holds Government to account• Passes laws• Enables taxation• Represents public • Raises key issues
Parliament(Westminster)
• Some MPs and some Lords
• Chosen by the Prime Minister
• Runs Government departments and public services
• Accountable to Parliament
Government(Whitehall)
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The House of Commons
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The democratically elected chamber of Parliament
There are currently 650 MPs
The House of Commons
All MPs are elected every 5 years
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The House of Lords
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The second Chamber, also known as the revising House
No party, or combination of parties has an overall majority in the House of Lords
There are also many Cross-Benchers in the Lords, who are independent of party
Around 760 eligible Peers
The House of Lords
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Scrutinise legislation in detail
Hold Ministers to account through questions and debates
Debate key issues at length and in detail
Scrutinise EU legislation
Bring experience to bear on issues of the day
The role of the House of Lords
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The work of Parliament
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Questions?
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Part 2: Legislation
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Government and individual members can propose laws
All legislation proposed by the Government must be scrutinised by both Houses of Parliament
Members can suggest changes (“amendments”) at particular stages
Much of the most careful scrutiny goes on in Committee, particularly in the House of Lords
Legislation
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A bill can start in either the Lords or Commons
Both Houses must agree on a text
Must pass by the end of the Parliamentary Session (but can sometimes “carry-over”)
Procedures balance need for scrutiny and Government right to its programme
Principles
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The Government publishes some Bills in draft form before they are introduced formally in Parliament
These draft Bills will usually be accompanied by a Government consultation
They receive pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament
The draft Bill will be considered either by an existing Select Committee or a Committee put together specially for this purpose
Draft Bills
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Types of Bills
Public Bills◦ either Government or Private Members’ Bills
Private Bills◦ “legislation of a special kind for conferring
particular powers or benefits on any person or body of persons – including individuals, local authorities, companies, or corporations” (Erskine May)
Hybrid Bills◦ affect “a particular private interest in a
manner different from the private interest of other persons or bodies of the same category or class” (Speaker Hylton-Foster) Eg. Crossrail Bill
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Stages of a Bill
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Second Reading
First substantive proceedings on the Bill, usually a whole day
Debate on general principles of Bill Debate will usually be opened or wound up by
Cabinet minister in charge of the Bill Opponents of a Bill can table a “reasoned
amendment” – statement of reasons why Bill should be rejected
Often no vote at Second Reading
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What’s next?
Most Bills committed to a Public Bill Committee
Some Bills considered “in Committee” on the floor of the House: known as Committee of the whole House (CwH)◦ Major constitutional importance (e.g. Fixed-
Term Parliaments Bill)◦ Emergency legislation (e.g. Northern Ireland
(St Andrews Agreement) Bill) Bills can be divided between CwH and PBC –
Finance Bill
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Public Bill Committee
1.Take oral and written evidence◦ Public can submit evidence like a Select
Committee inquiry◦ Written evidence published on website and
circulated to Members
2.Line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill
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Public Bill Committee
Whip
Whip
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Amendments
Can be tabled by any Member of the House Clerks advise backbenchers and Opposition
front bench on amendments as required Amendments grouped together to assist
debate Amendments must be in order: relevant and
within scope Chair has power of selection of amendments Not all amendments formally put to decision
Tip: amendment papers can be found on the Bill pages at www.parliament.uk/business/bills-and-legislation
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Report Stage and Third Reading
New version of Bill “as amended in Committee” printed and debated on the floor of the House
Any Member can table amendments Grouping and selection as at Committee, but more
stringent Different order of consideration
◦ New clauses◦ Amendments to clauses◦ New schedules◦ Amendments to schedules
Third Reading: ◦ one hour, immediately after Report◦ Similar to Second Reading
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What now?
After Third Reading, Bill goes to the House of Lords
Lords undertakes same process with some differences◦ Committee stage in the Lords on the floor of
the House◦ No programming◦ Amendments possible at Third Reading◦ Financial legislation (“Money Bills”) passed
with little scrutiny◦ No Government majority
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Ping-pong (Consideration of Amendments)
Either:◦ No amendments in Lords, straight to Royal Assent
Or:◦ amendments sent back to Commons for
consideration◦ Commons can accept, disagree, amend, offer
amendments in lieu◦ “ping-pong” between Houses can go on for some
time◦ Bill can be lost on “double insistence”◦ Reasons Committees
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Royal Assent
Once both Houses agree the text of a Bill, submitted to the Queen for Royal Assent
Speaker announces Royal Assent in the Commons
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The Parliament Acts The Parliament Act 1911 and the Parliament Act
1949 define the relationship between the Commons and the Lords in terms of the passage of legislation
If Commons passes a Bill in two successive Sessions and the Lords rejects it, it can become law after the second rejection without the consent of the Lords
Used very rarely – last was the passage of the Hunting Act 2004
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MPs and Lords can introduce their own Bills In the Commons, MPs can bring in a Bill through
the 10-minute rule
MPs can also enter the Private Members Bill ballot every session
Members of both Houses can also simply present new Bills, but they are not guaranteed any debating time
Private Members’ Bills
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Questions?
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15 minute Break
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Part 3: Scrutiny of Government
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Questions to Ministers
Urgent questions
Opposition and Back-Bench debates
Adjournment debates/questions for short debate
Questions after statements
In the Chamber
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Select Committees in the Commons and Lords conduct detailed inquiries into direction and impact of Government policy
All-Party Parliamentary Groups allow members of both Houses to find out more about particular issues
Committees and APPGs
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Select Committees
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Select Committees
Temporary
Internal
JOINTOther
scrutiny
Departmental
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Departmental select Committees
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Composition and appointment
Membership reflects balance of parties in the House
Since 2010, Chairs elected by House-wide ballot
Other members elected by their parties
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Vexing civil servants since 1668
“At the office all the morning, where comes a damned summons to attend the Committee of Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that I should by my place become the hackney of this Office, in perpetual trouble and vexation, that need it least.” ~ Sam. Pepys
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Revised core tasks – overall aim
To hold Ministers and Departments to account for their policy and decision-making and to support the House in its control of the supply of public money and scrutiny of legislation
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Committee Inquiries Seek written submissions
Hold public evidence sessions
Visits
Produce reports
Issue can be debated in Chamber following Government Response
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Questions?
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Part 4: Public Engagement with Parliament
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Write to an MP or Peer about an issue
Ask an MP to present a public petition
Submit evidence to a Select Committee Inquiry
Submit evidence to a Public Bill Committee
Visit Parliament – open to everyone!
How can the public get involved?
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Parliament Explained: Delegated Legislation8 May 2014, Thatcher Room
[email protected] 219 1650
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