Guides

MPs and peers appointed by the Prime Minister to the Government are known as Ministers of the Crown. After the Prime Minister, the next most senior Ministerial rank is that of Secretary of State (this includes the Chancellor and any Deputy Prime Minister). The hierarchy is normally considered to be as follows, although a specific...Read More

Money Bills are Bills that deal solely with expenditure – two or three such Bills are passed each year. The Lords are not permitted to amend such Bills and they are rarely discussed in the Upper House. They normally go through all their stages in one day in the Upper House. The Speaker designates a...Read More

Money Bills are Bills that deal solely with expenditure – two or three such Bills are passed each year. The Lords are not permitted to amend such Bills and they are rarely discussed in the Upper House. They normally go through all their stages in one day in the Upper House. The Speaker designates a...Read More

Members of the House of Commons hold, in effect, a triple mandate. They represent all the people of their constituency, their party and the interests of the country. It is a tenet of representative democracy that MPs are not delegates for their constituents. This means that, while the views of constituents are frequently considered, the...Read More

The National Assembly for Wales (the Welsh assembly) was created under the Government of Wales Act 1998, and formally took over its power from London on July 1st 1999. The 60 assembly members (AMs) have the authority to pass secondary legislation affecting Wales, and the assembly has executive powers over the implementation of UK laws...Read More

Following devolution the Scottish Office became the Office for the Secretary of State for Scotland. This is now part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The secretary of state for Scotland, who is a member of the UK cabinet, exercises the following functions: Representation of Scottish interests in reserved areas Ensuring the smooth-running and success...Read More

Following devolution the Welsh Office became the Office for the Secretary of State for Wales. This is now part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The Secretary of State for Wales, who is a member of the UK Cabinet, exercises the following functions: Ensuring Welsh interests and needs are considered in policy formulation and consulting...Read More

Each Department's Ministers face oral questioning at least once every four weeks. Questions for answer by Ministers are tabled up to three days in advance (not including Fridays and weekends). Questions to the Offices of the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must be tabled five days ahead. Each MP can table...Read More

The work of the House of Commons is overseen by the Speaker, who chairs proceedings and keeps order. Two deputies, also MPs who have renounced their party allegiance, act as substitute speakers. MPs elect a Speaker to chair proceedings from among their ranks at the first meeting following a general election. The Speaker immediately renounces...Read More

Common foreign and security policy and justice and home affairs policy are dealt with in the sections on decision-making under pillars two and three. The EU participates in a range of other policy areas, ostensibly supporting the single market and other economic and social objectives, including environmental protection, health, consumer rights, transport, education, culture and...Read More

The EU includes a number of other bodies that play a role in the legislative process. These are the European Economic and Social Committee (the EESC) and the committee of the regions (the CoR). The EESC has 344 members, allocated to member states by population and appointed by national governments for terms of five years....Read More

Parliament is overseen by a presiding officer who is elected at the first plenary meeting following an election. An official report of plenary meetings is normally published on the morning following the end of proceedings. MSPs almost always deliver their speeches in English, but they are permitted to use Scots Gaelic if they wish. A...Read More

Where a Bill has fallen because it has been endorsed by the Commons but opposed repeatedly by the Lords, the Parliament Acts may be used. The Acts – the first in 1911 and the second in 1949 – allow for a Bill to become law without the agreement of the Lords when certain conditions have...Read More

Where a Bill has fallen because it has been endorsed by the Commons but opposed repeatedly by the Lords, the Parliament Acts may be used. The Acts – the first in 1911 and the second in 1949 – allow for a Bill to become law without the agreement of the Lords when certain conditions have...Read More

Where a Bill has fallen because it has been endorsed by the Commons but opposed repeatedly by the Lords, the Parliament Acts may be used. The Acts – the first in 1911 and the second in 1949 – allow for a Bill to become law without the agreement of the Lords when certain conditions have...Read More

All Whitehall departments have a Parliamentary Branch that is charged with managing the department's relations with the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It is the Parliamentary Branch that drafts answers to Written Questions tabled by MPs and peers before they are sent to Ministers' Private Offices for approval. The Parliamentary Branch also...Read More

The first rung on the ministerial ladder for a government back-bencher comes when an MP is asked by a Secretary of State or Minister of State to become his or her Parliamentary Private Secretary or PPS. Often referred to as a Minister's 'eyes and ears in Parliament' or 'bag carrier', the PPS undertakes to aid...Read More

There are different types of parliamentary questions with various question sessions held in Parliament every week. These include oral questions, written questions, cross-cutting questions, and Prime Minister questions. To find out more on this issue click through our guide to parliamentary questions.Read More

Parliamentary questions take the form of either starred questions or written questions in the House of Lords. Starred questions are oral questions that tended to be based on topical issues. Written questions are tabled and answered usually within 14 days and published in Hansard. To find out more on this issue click through our guide...Read More