People Power and Parliament an introduction to your

People, Power and Parliament an introduction to your Parliament UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Service @Your. UKParl

UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Service • Free service • Impartial • Helping you get involved and play your part in the UK Parliament

Session outcomes By the end of this session, you will know: • What the UK Parliament is • What the UK Parliament does • The difference between the UK Parliament and the UK Government • What MPs and Members of the House of Lords do • A bit more about the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme.

House of Commons House of Lords The Sovereign

The House of Commons • Democratically elected chamber of the UK Parliament • 650 MPs • Elected every 5 years • 70, 000 eligible voters per constituency (approx)

The House of Lords • Independent from the House of Commons • Shares the task of making and shaping laws, and checking and challenging the work of the government.

The House of Lords Number of Peers: around 800 300 254 250 176 200 150 101 100 50 0 31 25 Bishops Conservative Crossbench Labour Liberal Democrat Non-affiliated 15 Other • Average daily attendance: 476 (15 -16 session) • Peers officially appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister or recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission • 92 hereditary Peers • 26 England Archbishops and Bishops • Excluding Crossbenchers, Archbishops/Bishops and Non-affiliated, there are 11 parties represented in the House of Lords

The Sovereign • Head of State The Queen • Politically neutral • Signs off laws passed by Parliament giving ‘Royal Assent’ • Attends the annual State Opening of Parliament • Reads the Queen’s/King’s Speech outlining the aims of their Government

• Checks and challenges the work of the Government (scrutiny) • Makes and changes laws (legislation) • Debates the important issues of the day (debating) • Checks and approves Government spending (budget/taxes) What does the UK Parliament do?

• The party with (usually) the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms the Government • Runs departments (e. g. Home Office, Transport, Health) • Proposes new laws to Parliament • Accountable to Parliament What is the UK Government?

Parliament (Westminster) Government (Whitehall) • Commons, Lords and Sovereign • Some MPs and some Lords, chosen by the Prime Minister • Checks and challenges the • Runs Government departments • Makes and changes laws

General Election 2017 – results

Most diverse House of Commons ever! • Women MPs - 208 • BAME MPs - 52 • LGBTQ MPs – 45 • MPs with disabilities – 5

Post-election: keep engaged • Campaign for change in law or policy • Contact your MP • Contact a member of the House of Lords • Contribute to select committee inquiries • Take an interest: read, talks, debates • Vote in future elections

The new Parliament • New Parliament called • Re-election/election of Commons Speaker • Swearing in and oaths • State Opening of Parliament: list of Government’s proposed legislation • Commons and Lords debate the Queen’s Speech • Maiden speeches

How does Parliament check and challenge the Government?

Parliamentary Questions (PQs) • Asked to Government Ministers • Allow MPs and Lords to hold Government to account • Oral questions • Written questions • Different ministerial question times each day in the Commons

Parliamentary Debates • Westminster Hall debates • House of Commons Chamber debates • Backbench Business Committee debates • Opposition Day debates • Government debates • House of Lords debates

How does Parliament make and change laws?

The stages of a Bill

What do Select Committees do? • Check policy and the work of Government • Use evidence submitted by the public, groups and individuals • Government responds to select committee reports

What do Select Committees do? • Usually 11 members (Commons) • Committee Chairs elected by MPs • Committees start again in July 2017, after the general election and the State Opening of Parliament

Where to get more information Houses of Commons Enquiry Service 0800 112 4272 (Freephone) or 020 7219 4272 hcenquiries@parliament. uk House of Lords Enquiry Service 0800 223 0855 (Freephone) or 020 7219 3107 hlinfo@parliament. uk