The House of Commons

The Commons Chamber is 21 m long, 14 m wide and 14 m high (68 ft x 46 ft x 46 ft). The Speaker's Chair stands on steps at the north end. In front of this is the Table of the House at which the Clerk of the House and his assistants sit. At the head of the Table, whenever the House is sitting, rests the Mace. This symbolises the royal authority by which the House meets. It dates from the reign of Charles II.

The benches for MPs, upholstered in green leather, run the length of the Chamber on both sides, facing each other across a broad gangway known as the 'floor of the House'. To the Speaker's right are the benches used by the Government and its supporters, and to the left are those occupied by the Opposition and members of other parties.

The Division lobbies into which MPs pass to record their votes are on the eastern and western side of the Chamber. MPs voting for a motion (the "Ayes") pass into the lobby on the right of the Speaker, and those voting against (the "Noes") enter the lobby to the left.

The floor of the House is overlooked by a series of galleries running round all four sides. The gallery above and behind the Speaker's Chair is known as the Press Gallery and is reserved for the official reporters who record for Hansard the official record of parliamentary proceedings, and representatives of the media. Opposite the Speaker's Chair is the Strangers' Gallery. This is open to the public and seats about 200.

The House of Commons is the centre of parliamentary power. It is directly responsible to the electorate, and from the 20th century the House of Lords has recognised the supremacy of the elected chamber. The House of Commons is traditionally regarded as the lower house, but it is the main parliamentary arena for the political battle. As with the House of Lords, the House of Commons debates new legislation as part of the process of making an Act of Parliament. The House also scrutinises the work of the Government - it does that by various means, including questioning ministers in the Chamber during Question time.

The party that wins the majority of Commons seats in a general election is called on to form the next government. General elections are held at least every five years. Not all Parliaments run for the whole five years, and a general election may be held before this period is up. In the event of a small majority the election may well take place much earlier. In between general elections, by-elections are held as necessary to elect a new Member of Parliament to an individual constituency. An Electoral Commission was established in November 2000 as an independent body to oversee new controls on donations to and campaign spending by political parties and others. It also has a permit to keep under review electoral law and practice and to promote public awareness of the electoral process. The House of Commons currently has 659 Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing an individual constituency. Of the 659 seats, 529 are for England, 40 for Wales, 72 for Scotland and 18 for Northern Ireland.

General elections are elections of the whole House of Commons at one time: one Member of Parliament for each constituency in the United Kingdom. Each MP is elected from the various candidates through secret ballot by a simple majority system in which each elector can cast one vote. The candidates may be from one of the three major political parties, from a minor party or from any other organisation that has paid the deposit to stand. A candidate need not represent a party or group and may stand as an independent candidate. The 2001 Parliament has one independent MP - Mr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest). Most voting takes place in polling stations, but any citizen eligible to vote in Great Britain can apply on demand to vote by post. At present, British citizens living abroad can vote by post, as long as they have been living abroad for less than 20 years; from 1st April 2002 the limit will be 15 years.

MPs' salaries and allowances

MPs are paid a basic annual salary of £51,822 (from 20 June 2001). This is intended, according to the 1964 Report of the Committee on the Remuneration of Ministers and MPs, to enable them 'efficiently to discharge the duties of the service, without undue financial worry and to live and maintain themselves and their families at a modest but honourable level'. Like everyone else, MPs' income is subject to income tax.

MPs are also eligible for pensions - there is a compulsory contributory scheme. Pensions are normally payable at age 65, for both men and women, or later for those retiring from the Commons after their 65th birthday. They may be paid earlier, if, for example, an MP has retired early because of ill health.

Since 1969, MPs have been entitled to an allowance for secretarial and general office expenses. The allowance was later increased to enable members to employ a research assistant (up to £52,760 per year in April 2001).

MPs are also entitled to free stationery, postage and inland telephone calls from within the House of Commons, and to travel or car mileage allowances. The Speaker of the Commons

The House of Commons elects its own Speaker. There is no requirement for the Speaker when elected to be a member of the governing party.

Traditionally, the practice has been for the Government, after consultation with the Opposition, to put forward the name of an MP acceptable to all sections of the House. He or she was then proposed and seconded by members of the backbenches.

'Order! Order!' is one of the terms most associated with Parliament, conjuring up an image of the Speaker laying down the law when dealing with a host of unruly MPs. This image has become more widely known with the televising of Parliament.

The Speaker is in fact the chief officer of the House of Commons. He has two main functions:

• representing the House in its relations with the Crown, the House of Lords and other authorities

• presiding over the House and enforcing the observance of all rules which govern its conduct.

The Speaker is also chairman of the House of Commons Commission. He has a number of duties concerning the functions of the House and is in control of the Commons part of the Palace of Westminster and its precincts. Control of Westminster Hall and the Crypt Chapel is vested jointly in the Lord Great Chamberlain (representing the Sovereign), the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker. The Speaker has full authority to enforce the rules of the House of Commons. He or she has discretion on whether to allow a motion to end discussion so that a matter can be put to the vote and has powers to put a stop to repetition in debate, and to save time in other ways. In cases of grave and continuous disorder, the Speaker can adjourn or suspend the sitting, but this is rarely necessary.

The Speaker may order an MP who has broken the rules of the House to leave the Chamber or can initiate their suspension for a period of days. This process is normally known as 'naming' an MP. The first naming of a particular MP results in a brief suspension; subsequent offences within the same session result in longer periods.