Text b The British Parliament

The British Constitution provides for three branches of power: Parliament, which makes laws, the government, which 'executes' laws, i.e. puts them into effect, and the law courts, which interpret laws. Although the Queen is officially head of all three branches, she has little direct power.

Parliament has three elements: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen as its Head. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 659 constituencies. They are known as MPs, or Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister, or leader of the Government, is also an MP, usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons.

The House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, consists of 650 elected MPs.

The main purpose of the House of Commons is to make laws of the land by passing various Acts of Parliament, as well as to discuss current political issues.

All speeches in the House of Commons are addressed to the Speaker who is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament to preside over the House and enforce the rules of order.

The debates take place in accordance with a programme previously arranged. It often concerns a broad issue of foreign or home policy, or it may be the examination of the contents of a bill.

So, the House of Commons is the main place where legislation and other decisions of government are criticized. Its work includes the following:

1. legislation: the House spends nearly half its time making laws;

2. controlling finance: before the Government can raise or spend money, it must have permission from the House of Commons;

3. scrutinizing the Government by asking questions, by holding debates and by committee work.

The Prime Minister is advised by the Cabinet of about twenty other ministers. The Cabinet includes the ministers in charge of major government departments or ministries. Departments and ministries are run by civil servants, who are permanent officials. Even if the Government changes after an election, the same civil servants are employed.

There are over 1,000 members of the House of Lords. They are an unelected group of people who have either inherited their seats or have been given them by the Government.

The House of Lords takes part in the making of laws, the examination of the Government's work and in debating important matters of the day. This second chamber is not as powerful as the House of Commons. It can suggest changes in laws, but is restricted to laws that have nothing to do with the finances of the country (for example, it cannot suggest any changes to the Budget). The House of Lords cannot reject laws that the House of Commons wants to pass, though it can amend them. Even then, the Commons can reject these amendments. The work of the House of Lords includes:

1. legislation: reviewing and giving further consideration to Bills;

2. examining the work of the Government by debate;

3. examining European proposals;

4. hearing legal appeals.

The House of Lords consists of the Lords Temporal and the Lords Spiritual. The Lords Spiritual are the Archbishops of York and Canterbury, together with twenty-four senior bishops of the Church of England. The Lords Temporal used to consist of hereditary peers who inherited their titles (their rights have been severely curtailed recently); life peers who are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government for various services to the nation; and the Lords of Appeal (Law Lords) who become life peers on their judicial appointments.