Politics UK

Eleventh Edition

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Chapter 15

The House of Commons at work

Chapter Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how the UK House of Commons functions, particularly focusing on its legislative and scrutiny roles. The House of Commons is an institution at the heart of the British political system. It forms a body of elected Members, the number varying over time, through the territorial basis of representation – the constituency – being long established. The principal role of the House of Commons is one of scrutinising government. Various means are available to MPs to undertake this role. They have expanded in recent decades, not least with the intro-duction of departmental select committees, and greater use is made of them than ever be-fore. In combination, they make for an active House, with MPs using both formal and in-formal mechanisms for calling government to account.

Learning Objectives

  • To explain the importance of the House of Commons in terms of its history and its functions.
  • To detail the size and structure of the House.
  • To consider the nature of the membership of the House.
  • To identify and assess the means available to Members of Parliament to fulfil the functions ascribed to the House.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 15 quizzes!

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Discussion Questions

  1. How has the balance of power between the House of Commons and the executive evolved over time? Does the House of Commons still effectively hold the government accountable, or is executive dominance too strong?
  2. To what extent does party discipline affect the ability of MPs to act independently in Parliament? Should there be reforms to strengthen MPs’ independence from party leadership?

UK Parliament – The official site for UK Parliament, providing information on laws, debates, and MPs. (www.parliament.uk)

Bills Before Parliament – A resource tracking the progress of legislation in the UK Parliament. (https://bills.parliament.uk)

Parliamentary Committees – An overview of select and public committees in Parliament. (https://committees.parliament.uk)

Guide to Parliamentary Select Committees – A resource explaining the function and purpose of select committees. (www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/)

Parliamentary Education Service – An educational resource explaining how Parliament works. (https://learning.parliament.uk/en)

Hansard – The official record of debates in the UK Parliament. (https://hansard.parliament.uk/)

Hansard Society – A charity promoting knowledge and engagement with parliamentary democracy. (www.hansardsociety.org.uk)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

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