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Legislation testTopic 1

Legislation test

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Legislation test

Question 1

Name the three institutions of Parliament

involved in the legislation process.

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Legislation test

Answer 1

• the House of Commons

• the House of Lords

• the monarch

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Question 2

Which type of bills are the most successful and

why?

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Answer 2

Government bills are most successful, as the

government controls the legislative agenda and it

has a majority.

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Legislation test

Question 3

Why are private members’ bills not very

successful?

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Answer 3

• Private members’ bills do not have the backing

of their party.

• The MPs must have their names picked from a

ballot, with only 20 selected each year.

• MPs must adhere to the Ten-Minute Rule, and

other MPs may filibuster.

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Question 4

Name a successful private members’ bill.

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Answer 4

Sydney Silverman (a Labour MP) introduced a

private members’ bill that brought about the

Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act 1965.

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Question 5

When is free vote called?

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Answer 5

If the House is considering a controversial bill, it

may hold a free vote (without using the whips) in

order to gauge the opinions of Parliament.

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Question 6

What is the difference between a Green Paper

and a White Paper?

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Answer 6

A Green Paper is a discussion document and a

White Paper is a statement of intent.

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Question 7

At what stage are the Green Paper and the White

Paper introduced?

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Answer 7

They are introduced at the consultation stage.

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Question 8

Who writes the bill into legal terminology?

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Answer 8

The Parliamentary Counsel, also known as

parliamentary draftsmen.

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Question 9

Which type of bill must start in the House of

Commons?

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Answer 9

Finance bill.

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Question 10

How did Professor Michael Zander describe the

first reading?

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Answer 10

‘A pure moment of nothing’.

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Question 11

What two things happen at the second reading?

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Answer 11

There is a debate and a vote.

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Question 12

How will the political parties try to ensure support

from their MPs?

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Answer 12

Whips.

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Question 13

Name the two stages after the second reading

(in the correct order).

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Answer 13

Committee stage and report stage.

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Question 14

Who sits in the House of Lords?

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Answer 14

The House of Lords consists of Lords Spiritual

(bishops) and Lords Temporal (life peers and Law

Lords).

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Question 15

What powers does the House of Lords possess?

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Answer 15

The House of Lords can delay a bill for 1 year (1

month for a finance bill).

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Question 16

What is the main advantage of the House of

Lords’ involvement in the legislation process?

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Answer 16

The House of Lords can scrutinise the legislation.

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Question 17

What does the Parliament Act allow the House of

Commons to do?

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Answer 17

It allows it to bypass the House of Lords. It allows

the House of Commons to pass a bill for royal

assent without the consent of the House of Lords.

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Question 18

What is the next stage of reforms of the House of

Lords proposed by the current Labour

government?

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Answer 18

It proposes to remove the remaining hereditary

peers and to move the Law Lords to a separate

supreme court.

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Question 19

How is the royal assent stage described by

critics?

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Answer 19

They have referred to it as ‘a rubber-stamping’

exercise.

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Question 20

Name an Act of Parliament that was rushed

through the legislation process.

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Answer 20

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.