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How Parliament Works 8 February 2010

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Ciarán Norris. How Parliament Works. 8 February 2010. Order of the day. About Outreach The Election Overview of Parliament Role of an MP Get Involved Parliament and Government. Parliamentary Outreach. A service from the Houses of Parliament Politically neutral - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Ciarán Norris

How Parliament Works

8 February 2010

Page 2: Ciarán Norris

About OutreachThe ElectionOverview of ParliamentRole of an MPGet InvolvedParliament and Government

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A service from the Houses of Parliament

Politically neutral

Aim is to increase knowledge and engagement with work and processes of Parliament

Not an alternative to MPs

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Took place on Thursday May 6 2010

What was decided?

650 seats in House of Commons

UK Government

What about the House of Lords?

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Conservative - 307

Labour - 258

Lib Dem - 57

DUP - 8

SNP - 6

Sinn Fein - 5

Plaid Cymru - 3

SDLP - 3

Green - 1

Alliance - 1

Independent - 1

Speaker - 1

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If a single party had won over 50% of seats: -automatically form Government

However, no party received over 50% of seats:◦ Largest party could have

formed minority Government

◦ Two parties formed a newCoalition Government

◦ There could have been a re-election

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Coalition formed between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats

Cabinet formed

Shadow Cabinet announced

New Parliament convenes / MPs sworn in

Membership of Committees announced

The Opposition sought a new leader

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House of Commons

House of Lords

Monarch

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Makes and passes laws(Legislation)

Holds Government to account

Enables the Government to set taxes

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Parliament debates and discusses a huge range of subjects that affect us all

Health and housing, schools and pensions, jobs and training, the way in which we choose our politicians, the way our streets are policed, laws on immigration, roads and railways, energy sources

Your MP can raise issues that are important to you

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The democratically elected chamber of Parliament

There are currently 650 MPs

All MPs are elected at least every 5 years

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Making and passing laws

Holding the Government to account

Raising key issues

Representing constituents

Approving the Budget and setting taxes

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The House of Lords is the second chamber of Parliament, often known as the revising House

There are currently 824 Members (as of February 2011)

These include:◦706 Life Peers ◦92 Hereditary Peers◦26 Bishops

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Scrutinise and make legislation

They play an important role in the passing of laws

Hold Ministers to account through questions and debates

Debate key issues at length and in detail

Scrutinise EU legislation

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A politically neutral role Signs off laws passed by Parliament (Royal Assent)

Opens Parliament each year

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The Prime Minister The Cabinet

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The party or parties who can command the confidence of the House of Commons forms the Government

The Government: runs public departments i.e. The Home

Office, NHS proposes new laws to Parliament is accountable to Parliament

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• Commons, Lords, Monarch

• Holds Government to account• Passes laws• Enables taxation• Represents public • Raises key issues

• Formed by the party who can command the confidence of the Commons

• Some MPs and Lords• Runs Government

departments and public services

• Accountable to Parliament

Government(Whitehall)

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In Parliament

Represents their constituency

Raises issues on behalf of constituents

Passes new laws Scrutinises the work

of Government

In the Constituency

Helps constituents with problems

Visits groups and individuals to hear issues/ concerns

Represents constituents to various bodies

Campaigns

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Questions to Ministers

Adjournment/ Westminster Hall debates

Early Day Motions

Meetings with Ministers

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As well as questions, debates, early-day motions

Select Committees

All-Party Parliamentary Groups

10-Minute Rule Bill/ Private Members Bills

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• All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal cross party groups

• There are ‘subject’ groups and ‘country’ groups i.e. Housing or Italy

• MPs and Lords form these groups to build their knowledge of a particular area

• There is a register of APPGs on the Parliament website

• APPGs are a useful way to identify MPs/Lords with an interest in a certain cause

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All UK laws decided by Parliament

Government and individual members can propose laws

However, majority of laws passed come from Government

e.g. Welfare Reform Act

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Lords

Bill presented /First Reading

Commons

Second Reading

Public BillCommittee

Committee of the Whole House

Report Third Reading

Bill presented /First Reading

Second ReadingCommittee

(whole House)Report Third Reading

After

Consideration ofLords Amendments Ping Pong Royal Assent Regulations

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You can get involved through lots of different ways including:

Contacting your MP, requesting that they ask a question, present a petition or raise a debate on your behalf

Contacting any Lord, requesting that they ask a question or raise a debate

Working with a Select Committee; submitting evidence, raising issues

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You can contact your local MP about any issue that affects you in your constituency.

You can request that your MP asks a question, presents a petition or raises a debate on your behalf.

You can find out who your MP is on the Parliament website

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You can contact any Lord (Peer) about issues that you would like Parliament to look at.

You can request that a Lord asks a question or raises a debate on your behalf.

It is useful to contact a Lord who has a particular interest in your issue. You can find out what individual Lords are interested in by looking on the Parliament website.

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Local MP in first instance

Identify & contact Parliamentarians with an interest

Be clear on your aims

Remember party & Government positions

Be positive and proactive

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www.parliament.uk

Commons Information Office020 7219 4272

Lords Information Office020 7219 3107

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