Chapter 19

Instructions

Choose your answers from a-d by clicking the radio button next to each choice and then press 'Submit' to get your score.

Question 1

Detailed clause by clause scrutiny of legislative proposals is undertaken at which stage of the legislative process in Parliament?

a) First reading

b) Second reading

c) Committee stage

d) Report stage

Question 2

Which one of the following statements about House of Commons Select Committees is true?

a) Party managers have no influence in the process of appointing members of Select Committees

b) Membership of Select Committees is reconstituted annually

c) The overall number of MPs from each party on a Select Committee broadly reflects party strength in the House of Commons

d) Select Committees consider non-controversial bills in detail as part of the legislative process

Question 3

Which of the following provides the most accurate definition of 'delegated legislation'?

a) Laws made by ministers acting under powers granted by Acts of Parliament

b) Laws made by institutions established by Acts of Parliament, for example the Scottish Assembly

c) Laws which do not wholly come into effect immediately after Royal Assent but which are delayed before their implementation

d) Laws which are initiated in the House of Lords

Question 4

Which of the following accurately describes the purposes of the '1922 Committee'?

a) A joint committee of the House of Commons and House of Lords which considers the constitutional relationship between the two chambers

b) A committee of senior figures from the Conservative, Labour and minor parties which arranges the business of the House of Commons

c) An institution of the Conservative Parliamentary Party which keeps the leadership informed of backbench opinion

d) A committee of the House of Commons, chaired by the Speaker which has the responsibility of disciplining MPs who break the House's rules

Question 5

Which of the following describes the Salisbury Convention?

a) At second and third reading the House of Lords should not vote against proposals included in the government's manifesto

b) Government defeats on major measures in the House of Lords do not automatically lead to the dissolution of Parliament

c) In the event of a tied vote in the House of Commons, the Speaker of the House of Commons casts the deciding vote

d) Prime Ministers must hold a seat in the House of Commons

Question 6

Who chaired the Royal Commission on Reform of the House of Lords which reported in January 2000 and what were the major recommendations?

a) Lord Butler chaired the Royal Commisison which recommended a part elected, part appointed House of Lords

b) Lord Hutton chaired the Royal Commission which recommended a wholly elected House of Lords

c) Lord Wakeham chaired the Royal Commission which recommended a part elected, part appointed House of Lords

d) Lord Weatherill chaired the Royal Commission which recommended a wholly appointed House of Lords

Question 7

Which of the following reforms of the House of Lords have been introduced since 1997

a) A reduction in the Lord's power to delay legislation from one year to six months

b) Removal of the formal veto of the House of Lords over any bill prolonging the life of a Parliament beyond five years

c) The creation of a Statutory Appointments Commission

d) Hereditary peers voting rights are now dependent on attending 30% of House of Lords sittings

Question 8

Which of the following factors best accounts for the failure of most private members bills to become law?

a) Most are too politically controversial, often involving issues of morality

b) Most are rejected by the relevant Select Committee

c) Because most are rejected by the Parliamentary Counsel

d) Most run out of time in the parliamentary schedule

Question 9

In the last century, on how many occasions has Parliament dismissed a government?

a) Never

b) Once

c) Twice

d) Three times

Question 10

Which of the following statements characterises developments in Parliament since 1997?

a) Backbench dissent has been at significant levels in each Parliament, MPs have become subject to increased self-regulation and the most obvious pre-modern and pre-democratic aspects of Parliament have been reformed, if not completely

b) Controversial legislation, such as the ban on hunting with dogs has forced Labour to dramatically reform the relationship between Commons and Lords. Meanwhile, the Opposition has also been significantly empowered

c) The House of Commons has become less adversarial in character and the devolution of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly have allowed the 'decline of Parliament' to be reversed

d) The reforms introduced by the Labour government have equalised the relationship between the two Houses of Parliament and have significantly increased the ability of the Commons to influence the content of legislation

Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Chapter 19.

Chapter 19

Instructions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10