There is a wealth of information available to you to keep you informed on parliamentary practices. The easiest way to retrieve such information is via the official parliamentary website. The site offers you everything from an executive summary- to detailed fact sheets on individual procedures.
If you are interested in a short and friendly introduction to parliamentary life. Please follow this link to the ‘explore parliament' website.
http://www.explore.parliament.uk/
For a more comprehensive dose, direct yourself to this list of official published fact sheets on parliamentary practice:
WHAT DO MPS DO?
Select Committees
Select Committees used to be created on an ad-hoc basis to scruitinise government departments when it was thought necessary. This soon changed, and now 18 permanent select committees exist that constantly scrutinise their associated government departments. Select committees are composed of a number of MPs – their party composition reflecting that of the House of Commons. Each Committee will meet regularly to take evidence and question relevant experts, civil servants and government officials. Reports released by Select Committees are an important and influential area of Parliamentary Scrutiny.
Government
With the current ruling majority by the Labour party in the House of Commons, a number of MPs will form what is known as the Government's Cabinet. Each MP that forms part of the Cabinet becomes head of a particular government department and therefore our secretary of state in this area. For example, at the time of writing, Charles Clarke is currently a member of the cabinet as head of the Home Office and as such is the UK's current Home Secretary.
Further to those MPs who form the immediate cabinet, there are a number of Junior Minister posts as well as many Parliamentary Private Secretaries. Together, these posts form the United Kingdom's government.
Standing Committees
Standing committees are formed to scruitinise each bill, clause by clause, which attempts to pass through Parliament. The standing committee stage is known as the Bill's ‘Committee stage'. Whereas the composition of the committee is formed in the same way as that of a select committee, they remain for only the duration of the bill and then disband.
Debates
Debates are an important aspect of a parliamentary scrutiny. Often documented to be the most important form of debate is that of the second reading of a bill – this being considered its biggest hurdle. In addition to this, bank benchers can request specific debates known as adjournment debates that can consider more constituency specific issues. Further to this, it is not solely the government that decides the debating agenda – a specific number of parliamentary days are offered to the opposition so that they too may influence the agenda.
Questions
Prime Minister's Questions is known throughout the world as the most anticipated Question Time of the week. Scheduled every Wednesday, this session is attended by almost all MPs in Parliament. However, at only 30 minutes, it is by no means the only time offered for Questions in the House. Every single government department will be questioned via the associated Secretary of State.
Private Members' Bills
It is not solely the government that can introduce Bills to Parliament. Using a Random Ballot procedure, requests by individual MPs to introduce a Bill to Parliament are granted. Many Acts of Parliament have occurred in this manner, most famously the Abortion Act 1976 that legalised abortion in the United Kingdom.
Early Day Motions
Early Day Motions or EDMs serve to petition the government on issues they may not otherwise consider legislating or acting upon. Previous EDMs have ranged from condemnation of the rise in Sky subscription for Public Houses to calls for Dormant Account reform. Very much like a normal petition, MPs attach their names to the document to offer their support.
Educational Home | Inside Parliament | Political Science | A Day in Parliament | Bow Tie
Home | News | Educational | Biography | Issues | Links | Press | Surgeries | FAQ | Contact
Website designed by Ice Age Media
www.theiceage.co.uk