How effective is parliament?

How effective is parliament?

1Wednesday 14th September 2011Miss Christian 12E F9 Lesson #1

Learning ObjectivesTo identify how effectively parliament fulfils each of its 7 key functionsTo give contemporary examples to support judgements on how effectively parliament fulfils its functionsTo evaluate and come to an overall judgement on how effectively Parliament fulfils its functions

Dictionary Corner

Find the definitionsLobby fodderBackbench RevoltMinority governmentHung parliament

Lobby fodderMPs who speak and vote (in the lobbies) as their parties dictate without thinking for themselves.Backbench revoltDisunity by backbench MPs, who vote against their party on a whipped vote.Minority governmentA government that does not have overall majority support in parliament, usually formed by parties unwilling or unable to form coalitions.

Pause for thoughtHung Parliament

A parliament in which no single party has majority control in the House of Commons.

How effective is parliament in practice?There is no fixed relationship between Parliament and government.The principles of parliamentary government establish a framework within which both Parliament and government work, but this does not determine the distribution of power between them.Parliament has huge potential power, but its actual ability to influence policy and constrain government may be very limited.

How effective is parliament in practice?Four main factors affect Parliaments relationship to government:Extent of party unitySize of majorityAdvent of coalition governmentImpact of the LordsDraw 4 mini-mind maps on an A4 page (one for each factor).

Extent of party unitySize of majorityAdvent of Coalition govtImpact of the LordsYour group will be assigned a factor.Use your textbook to complete your mind map. You will be expected to feedback information to the rest of the class.p207-211

How do these factors affect Parliaments relationship to government?Extent of party unity

How do these factors affect Parliaments relationship to government?Size of majority

How do these factors affect Parliaments relationship to government?Advent of Coalition govt

How do these factors affect Parliaments relationship to government?Impact of the Lords

Pause for thought

Which factor is the most important in determining Parliaments relationship to government? Why?

EXAM FOCUSExplain the factors that affect Parliaments relationship to government.

10 marks = 10 minutes

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10 MinutesStart Timer

For parliament to be considered effective it would need to demonstrate;effective performance of legislative functionseffective performance of scrutiny functionsact as a national forum for issues of common concern

How would we measure this effectiveness?How effective is parliament in practice?

Debating major issuesMaking law (Legislation)Scrutinising the executiveSustaining governmentRepresentationFinancial scrutinyRedress of grievancesHow effective is parliament in practice?

The Effectiveness ScaleNot effectiveRarely effectiveSomewhat effectiveOften effectiveMostly effective12345For each function of parliament we are going to rank how effectively parliament fulfils it using the effectiveness scale.

How effectively does Parliament fulfil its functions?FunctionsEffectiveness Scale (1-5)Debating major issuesMaking law (Legislation)Scrutinising the executiveSustaining governmentRepresentationFinancial scrutinyRedress of grievances

Draw the table below:FunctionEffectiveness ScaleJustificationExampleDebating major issuesMaking law (Legislation)Scrutinising the executiveSustaining governmentRepresentationFinancial scrutinyRedress of grievances

Task:We are going to use this table to help us construct a model answer to the exam question, How effectively does parliament fulfil its functions?.In pairs, you will be assigned a part of the model answer; you will complete the table for your part and feedback to the rest of the class.When other pairs are giving feedback make sure you complete your table you will need it to write your exam answer!

Task;IntroductionDebating major issuesMaking law (Legislation)Scrutinising the executiveSustaining governmentRepresentationFinancial scrutinyRedress of grievancesConclusion

Introduction

Debating major issuesEffectiveness ScaleJustification4Wide range of examples of significant and controversial debates although outcomes are varied

Example: HS2 debates parliament considering effect on rural areas but going aheadForeign aid for Syria Cameron announced aid, parliament discussed/debated and decided against

Making law (Legislation)Effectiveness ScaleJustification5Lots of legislation passed parliament can also be successful in passing radical/controversial legislation

Example: Controversial legislation gay marriageQuantity of legislation passed annually

Scrutinising the executiveEffectiveness ScaleJustification3Some methods of scrutiny are more effective than others e.g. PMQT, MQT not effective as used to political point scoring, trying to embarrass the government although some points are useful, limited by time and method (ministers see questions before, only 1 follow up Q etc)

Example: + Theresa May border control- June PMQT Cameron low interest rate

Sustaining governmentEffectiveness ScaleJustification5Confidence in government maintained despite disputes coalition makes this especially successful

Example: agreement on Fixed Term Parliament Act broad cross party approach to spending cuts (broad agreement responding to national interest)

RepresentationEffectiveness ScaleJustification2Limited range of political parties/candidates at electionsMPs mostly male middle class white limited rep of society BUT MPs are elected and therefore do represent will of electorate

Example: statistics for MPs (ethnicity/class etc)Number of parties represented in parliamentModels of representation

Financial scrutinyEffectiveness ScaleJustification4Consistent use of committees, examination and debate of annual budget QT to chancellor annual spending reviewH of L have limited influence on finance bills

Example: Osbournes latest budget discussions

Redress of grievancesEffectiveness ScaleJustification

Example:

Conclusion

HomeworkYou now have the content for your exam answer, however some marks are awarded for communication and coherence.Write a model exam answer using the table we have completed this lesson, but focusing on the following;Political vocabularySpellingPunctuationGrammarLinking argumentsReferring back to the questionLook at the example!!!

EXAMPLE ESSAY STRUCTUREHow effectively do Select Committees hold the government to account?IntroductionEffective becauseNot effective becauseAny other issues?Conclusion

IntroductionDefinition of Select CommitteesRolesPowersLink back to questionDirection of argument

IntroductionSelect Committees scrutinise government departments; including their polices, activities and spending. They conduct enquires and publish reports, to which the government must respond. They can call for any witnesses and any documents. This, in theory, makes them a very powerful body with some arguing that Select Committees are the single most effective way in which parliament holds the government to account.

Effective becauseMinisters arguably become more accountable.Regularly embarrass the government over things theyd rather were not brought up. They have produced a no of scathing reports includingThe Westland Affair and Arms to IraqThey generate more information for MPs and Parliament as ministers and civil servants can be forced to attend.MPs often work across party lines so there is more cooperation here.

Westland Affair

Spotlight onThe Westland affair Thatcher (C)British helicopter manufacturer Westland faced with economic difficulties, Westland was forced to contemplate accepting a buyout from another company one from US firm Sikorsky and one from a European defence consortium.PM & Westland favoured US but cabinet, including Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine, were concerned about increasing Britain's military dependence on US

These divisions within the government led to the resignation of Michael Heseltine as well as fellow cabinet member Leon Brittan. The dispute foreshadowed later more substantial divisions within the Conservative party over European integration and the party's traditional Atlanticist outlook

Arms To Iraq

Spotlight onUncovering of the government-endorsed sale of arms by British companies to Iraq (Saddam Hussein) John Major (C)May have contributed to the electoral landslide for Blair (L) 1997Following the first Gulf War of 1991 there was interest in the extent to which British companies had been supplying Saddam Hussein's regime with the materials to prosecute the war. Four directors of the British machine tools manufacturer Matrix Churchill were put on trial for supplying equipment and knowledge to Iraq, but in 1992 the trial collapsed, as it was revealed that the company had been advised by the government on how to sell arms to Iraq. Several of the directors were eventually paid compensation.

Not effective becauseDiverted attention away from the Commons, the Chamber has become lacking in numbers.Select Committees often lack the time, resources, staff, expertise, and perhaps above all, the will to be more than a mild irritant to the government.Often the government just ignores the criticisms and recommendations of the committees2000 a joint committee report criticising arms sales to ZimbabweThey cannot force people to speak

Arms sales to Zimbabwe

Spotlight onThe government broke its own and the European Union's arms sales rules by granting seven licences for the sale of Hawk aircraft spares to Zimbabwe in February 2000. The breach is regarded as so serious that the committee report recommended that future arms sales licence applications should be subject to prior scrutiny by four committees. The proposal, rejected by the Foreign Office, embarrassed the foreign secretary, Robin Cook.The granting of the licences undermined an EU resolution on arms sales to Zimbabwe - of which Britain was a co-sponsor - instituted because of the country's instability and its intervention in the Congo civil war. The committee's report said that the Hawks were used in Congo and that "there remains a clear risk that they might be so again".

Any other issues?The balance of party power on the committees reflects that of the Commons as a whole and so backbenchers of the governing party are usually the majority. They generally want to become front-benchers and so may be unwilling to fully criticise and make accountable the executive.Reformers say they need bigger budgets, stronger powers, and more capacity to conduct research.

ConclusionHow effectively do Select Committees hold the government to account?Not effectiveRarely effectiveOften effectiveMostly EffectiveSomewhat effective

EXAM FOCUSWhat are Departmental Select Committees?How effectively do they preform their role of scrutinising the Executive? (10 marks)

This is a 10 mark question: You will be awarded up to 7 marks for Knowledge and Understanding (discussion of a range of issues and quality of explanation) - You will be awarded up to 3 marks for your intellectual skills eg: ability to explain the nature of the arguments and ability to link them to the question asked