Guides

Civil servants are required by the Civil Service Code to show 'integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity' in all their work in assisting the Government in making and administering policy. They are required, as servants of the Crown, to owe their loyalty to the Prime Minister, who is invited by the monarch to form a government....Read More

As the name suggests, a Committee of the Whole House is when the Committee Stage of a Bill is taken on the floor of the Commons. Such committees normally only take place for emergency Bills, for certain clauses of the Finance Bill and for the clauses of Bills that have constitutional significance. All MPs may...Read More

This stage normally starts at least two weeks after Second Reading. All Bills in the Lords normally go to a Committee of the Whole House, which, as the name suggests is a committee taken on the floor of the Lords. On occasion, Bills may be sent to a Grand Committee – an increasingly common practice....Read More

This stage is normally at least two weeks after Second Reading. There are two types of committee stage – Standing Committee and a Committee of the Whole House. Either may consider a Bill or the clauses of a Bill may be split between the two.Read More

Scottish parliament committees scrutinise both the work of the executive and all legislation. They are also deliberative, coming up with proposals for new bills, taking evidence on current affairs and reporting on issues affecting Scotland and Scottish people. In this way, Scottish parliament committees resemble those of the European parliament more than those at Westminster....Read More

The Assembly's powers to scrutinise the work of the Executive are similar to those of the UK Parliament. Most such work is carried out in committee. There are three types of committees – standing committees, subject committees and regional committees. The standing committees include the Audit and Legislation Committees, which are required by the Act,...Read More

Common Agricultural Policy Agriculture accounts for only 2.5 per cent of EU GDP and 5.5 per cent of employment, and yet alone it accounts for between 40 and 50 per cent of the EU's annual spending. There are a number of reasons for the enormous attention paid to agriculture by the EU. Historically, protection for...Read More

Members of the House of Lords are called peers. About 687 people have the right to sit in the House of Lords but the they do not all derive their right to sit from the same place. Members of the Lords fall into the following categories – life peers, remaining hereditary peers, law lords (collectively...Read More

The Conservatives have exhibited their most impressive historical quality over the last five years: the capacity for change. But the demands of government mean their weaknesses are also becoming increasingly prominent. By Ian Dunt It's the oldest political party in the world for the simple reason that it adapts. And that particular trait of the...Read More

If a Bill is amended in the Commons, it must return to the Lords for peers to endorse or reject changes made there. The Government tables motions agreeing or disagreeing with Commons Amendments. It may also move amendments in lieu of changes rejected. Given the balance of power in Parliament, the Lords are normally considering...Read More

If a Bill is amended in the Lords, or the Lords reject or change amendments made by MPs, it must return to the Commons for MPs to endorse or reject the opinion of the Lords. Proceedings on the Consideration of Lords Amendments are programmed as with all other stages. The Government tables motions agreeing or...Read More

The council is the EU's principal legislative body, a role it shares with the EP in some cases. It has greater powers to block and to facilitate commission proposals than the EP. Once a proposal from the commission is received by the council's general secretariat, it goes through two stages before reaching the Council of...Read More

Government consultations are sounding exercises on the possibility of a government policy or a change in policy. They can be formal or informal, inviting views from interested groups and individuals, and may take the form of a series of open questions put to the consultee. In some cases, the consultees for changes in the law...Read More

The EP's opinions carry a level of importance that is determined by the procedure under which a proposal is being pursued. The relevant procedure for any particular proposal is set out in the treaties. The four procedures in use are: 1. Consultation 2. Co-decision 3. Co-operation 4. Assent The first two are the most important,...Read More

The Council of Ministers, typically referred to as just 'the Council', is the EU's main decision-making and legislative body. In conjunction with the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers forms the EU's legislature. The Council of Ministers should not be confused either with the European Council or the Council of Europe. The former is a...Read More

The Council of Ministers, typically referred to as just 'the Council', is the EU's main decision-making and legislative body. In conjunction with the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers forms the EU's legislature. The Council of Ministers should not be confused either with the European Council or the Council of Europe. The former is a...Read More

Cross-cutting question sessions take place in Westminster Hall. Such question times are intended to give MPs the opportunity to question Ministers in different Departments on issues that do not fit easily into one Departmental brief (eg Young People). Questions for answer are tabled as with normal oral questions and advance notice is given of which...Read More

Most debates in Government time and on Opposition Days are on a substantive motion, while private members' business tends to be on motions for the adjournment. The Government has been known to use a motion for the adjournment to avoid a vote.Read More

Debates in the House take place on a motion to call attention to an issue. They can also take place on an 'unstarred question', for which the procedure is broadly similar. Unstarred questions are so called because they appear on the order paper without a star, as distinct from the 'starred questions' which receive brief...Read More