1. People, Power and Parliament an introduction to your Parliament UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Service
@YourUKParl

2. UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Service
Free service
Impartial
Helping you get involved and play your part in the UK Parliament
Important points to stress:
You don’t work for an MP or for a political party.
The service is free of charge.
You will be giving facts about Parliament and expressing no opinions.
Why bother? Because better engagement from you helps Parliament do its job. It needs to know about the effects of legislation and policy, and unless you tell them, it’s really hard for them to know.

3. 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.
Stop at Your Voice

4. House of Commons House of Lords The Sovereign
Parliament comprises of three things. Two institutions and one person – the Queen
The House of Commons
The democratically elected house of Parliament. This is the one that is voted in every five years when there is an election.
The House of Lords
The second chamber of Parliament.
The Queen
The Queen is the Head of State. She opens Parliament every year and asks the party that wins a general election to become the government. The queen also has to agree all the laws that the rest of parliament votes for, but she always does.
Can anyone guess the last time a monarch disagreed with parliament? It was more than 300 years ago in Queen Anne.
Parliament spends about half its time deciding on the rules of the country by making and passing laws to deal with our constantly changing society.
It takes money from taxpayers, which the government uses to carry out its work. All government money comes from the people when they pay taxes like income tax, which is paid out of people’s wages and VAT, which is an extra cost added to things you buy, which the government takes in tax. It uses that money to run services like hospitals and schools, to pay soldiers, build roads.
It checks that government is doing a good job – which we call scrutiny - through MPs and Members of the House of Lords asking questions, which the government have to answer.
It also debates issues that are important and that the people care about.

5. Democratically elected chamber of the UK Parliament
650 MPs
Elected every 5 years
70,000 eligible voters per constituency (approx)
The House of Commons
The House of Commons is perhaps the part of Parliament we are all most familiar with as we are used to seeing the green benches on the news.
It is the democratically elected chamber of Parliament which means that we, the British public, are responsible for the political composition of the House, so you only have yourselves to blame.
Each MP represents an average of approximately 70,000 potential voters, in the 650 parliamentary constituencies. plus everyone else who is in their area who cannot vote (under 18s etc). There are 650 MPs
MPs represent everyone in their constituency – regardless of their political affiliations and whether they voted for them or not: it doesn’t matter whether you support them, like them voted for them or voted at all, they are your representative in Parliament.
The number of seats is decided by the Boundary Commission – an independent body which recommends the boundaries regarding Parliamentary constituencies.
At the 2010 general election the number of seats increased from 646 to 650 to reflect the growing population.
The party, or parties, with the largest number of seats in the House of Commons forms the Government (which remember is different from Parliament).

6. 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
Members of the House of Lords bring experience and knowledge from a wide range of occupations. Many members continue to be active in their fields and have successful careers in business, culture, science, sports, academia, law, education, health and public service. They bring this knowledge to their role of examining matters of public interest that affect all UK citizens.
Members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister. Some non-party-political members are recommended by an independent body, the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Others are members by virtue of being hereditary peers (92) or a bishop.
It is independent from, and complements the work of, the elected House of Commons. The Lords shares the task of making and shaping laws and checking and challenging the work of the government
The House of Lords is a key contributor to process of initiating, revising and amending legislation. All laws must be agreed by both Houses before receiving Royal Assent.
The House of Lords can delay legislation and asks the Government and the House of Commons to think again. The Lords cannot hold up government legislation that comes from a manifesto commitment indefinitely. The Lords cannot change “money bills”, meaning the budget, so that phrase no taxation without representation applies here.
It also checks and challenges the activities of government (scrutinises their work). It does this through several mechanisms including questioning the government, debates on topical issues and select committee inquiries.

7. The House of Lords Number of Peers: around 800
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

8. The Sovereign The Queen Head of State 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
The Sovereign
The Queen
The Monarch
Her Majesty the Queen as Head of State
A politically neutral role
Signs off laws passed by Government – Royal Assent
Opens Parliament each year – a ceremonial role when she also reads the Queens Speech which outline the aims of ‘her’ Government
She has weekly meetings with the Prime Minster
The Queen, upon request of the Prime Minister, can also dissolve Parliament.

9. What does the UK Parliament do?
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?

10. What is the UK Government?
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?
The political party with (usually) the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms the Government. The Government proposes new laws to Parliament. The Government consists of approximately 100 members, all of whom are chosen by the Prime Minister.
After the last election the Conservatives were the largest party but didn’t have enough seats for a majority. As the largest party they had the first opportunity to form a government. The Democratic Unionist Party were the only party willing to make an agreement. This is a confidence and supply arrangement, with the DUP agreeing to support the Government on all motions of confidence, the Queen’s speech, the Budget, finance bills and select other items, everything else to be agreed on a case by case basis. In exchange the DUP gets to influence legislation and policy, as they are needed for the Government to pass legislation.
The Prime Minister can choose whoever they want to be a member of their Government, with the only convention being that they are accountable to Parliament, and must therefore be a member of the House of Lords or the House of Commons.
The Government runs public departments, such as Health, Transport, Schools.
It is through the creation of legislation that the departments and local authorities are required to follow Government policy. If Government policy is not reflected in legislation then there is no obligation to follow it.
Ministers are MPs or Members of the Lords who are given extra responsibilities for leading or assisting the leader of one of the Government departments.
The Cabinet consists of senior Ministers chosen by the Prime Minister – the executive committee who head Government departments and decide Government policy.
Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government departments and are generally called ‘Secretary of State’, although some have special titles, such as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Ministers of State, Junior Ministers and Parliamentary Under–Secretaries of State assist the ministers in charge of the department.
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is selected from backbench MPs as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the minister in the House of Commons.
Whips are MPs or Members of the Lords who are appointed to maintain party discipline. They make sure people vote the right way and show up.

11. Parliament (Westminster)
Government (Whitehall)
Commons, Lords and Sovereign
Checks and challenges the Government
Makes and changes laws
Some MPs and some Lords, chosen by the Prime Minister
Runs Government departments
This is another way to think about the distinction between Parliament and Government: they are in different places (Westminster / Whitehall).
Parliament is all MPs, all Members of the House of Lords and the Monarchy
Government is just some MPs and some Peers who have been chosen by the Prime Minister to be Ministers.
If you can command the confidence of the House, you can form a Government.

12. General Election 2017 – results
There was a UK general election on Thursday 8 June 2017
A general election is when the voters of the country cast their votes to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons.  
Wherever you live in the UK, you are represented in the House of Commons by your MP 
The House of Commons is made up of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), representing 650 areas of the UK (constituencies)  
There is normally a choice of several candidates in each constituency. People can only vote for one of the candidates and the candidate that receives most votes becomes their MP 
The party that gains the most MPs usually forms the Government
The leader of the party with the most MPs becomes Prime Minster 
Your engagement in general elections is essential to democracy
A general election is a key opportunity for people in every part of the UK to choose their MP - the person who will represent their local area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years 
Your MP can speak out about issues that are important to you and your community 
MPs represent all the people in their local area, whether they voted for them or not 
Even if your MP isn’t a member of the party that forms Government, they still play a vital role in holding the Government to account

13. Most diverse House of Commons ever!
Women MPs - 208
BAME MPs - 52
LGBTQ MPs – 45
MPs with disabilities – 5
The UK general election took place on Thursday 8 June 2017
Highlights:
First woman Sikh MP Preet Gill MP for Birmingham Edgbaston a seat that has had a woman MP since 1953.
Layla Moran MP for Oxford West and Abingdon first MP of Palestinian descent and the first woman Lib Dem from a minority background.
Marsha De Cordova MP for Battersea she is registered blind MP and a disability rights campaigner.
Eleanor Smith MP Wolverhampton South West she is the West Midlands first African Caribbean MP.
LGBTQ MPs:
45 out LGBTQ MPs were elected on June 8, a net gain of six.
The 45 represent 7% of the new House of Commons and is the highest level of representation ever in Britain and the world, representing a rise from 2015.
19 CONSERVATIVE (6%) 19 LABOUR (7%) 7 SNP (20%)
Source:

14. 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
Your role in democracy doesn’t end when you vote at an election
Each local area (constituency) elects Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons.
MPs consider and can propose new laws as well as raising issues that matter to you in the House.
This includes asking government ministers questions about current issues including those which affect local constituents.

15. 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
PLEASE NOTE: Info below for your background only – not to relay word for word at sessions! Dates from Source:
After a general election a new Parliament meets and a new session begins. The following is an outline of the Parliamentary proceedings that take place at the start of new session following a general election.
Calling of a new Parliament
Sitting of the Houses
Role of the Father of the House
Re-election/election of the Commons Speaker
Swearing in and the Parliamentary oath
State Opening and the Queen's Speech
Maiden speeches
Select Committees in a new Parliament
The date for the first meeting of a new Parliament is given in a royal proclamation when the previous Parliament is dissolved. The royal proclamation is published in both the London and Edinburgh Gazettes.
The Prime Minister asked Her Majesty to summon the new Parliament to meet on Monday 18 May 2015, following the General Election on Thursday 7 May 2015 and ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 27 May 2015.
Read the London Gazette 31 March 2015: Proclamations: By the Queen a Proclamation for Declaring the Calling of a New Parliament Elizabeth R (external site) 
GOV.UK: State Opening of Parliament to take place on 27 May 2015 (external site)
At the time of the 2010 general election the royal proclamation also dissolved Parliament.
Read the London Gazette: Dissolution Proclamation Monday 12 April 2010 (external site)
Following the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, the Monarch now issues the proclamation summoning the new Parliament, once the previous Parliament is dissolved.
Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords sit for a few days ahead of the official State Opening of Parliament, the formal start of a parliamentary session. During this time the re-election or election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons takes place, and MPs and Lords take the oath or affirmation.
Following the 2015 general election, the House of Commons sat from 18 to 21 and on 26 May 2015, and the House of Lords sat on 18 and 19 May 2015, before the State Opening on 27 May 2015.
The Father of the House of Commons - the MP with the longest continuous service - acts as the Chair before the Speaker is elected and presides over the election of the Speaker.
Father of the House: Commons Library briefing
Glossary: Father of the House
Once assembled, the House, led by the Father of the House, goes to the House of Lords where they receive a message from the Queen asking them to elect a Speaker.
If the incumbent Speaker is returned at the election and wishes to stand for re-election, that decision is made immediately.
If there is no returning Speaker wishing to stand again, or the House votes against the incumbent Speaker, a contested election by exhaustive ballot must take place to choose a new Speaker.
On the day following the Speaker’s election, the House goes to the Lords once again, led by the Speaker-Elect, and hears another message from the Queen confirming the Speaker’s appointment.
Following the 2015 general election John Bercow was re-elected Speaker on 18 May Royal Approbation for the choice of Commons Speaker was given via the Lords Commissioners on 19 May 2015.
Find out more about the procedure for electing the Speaker of the House of Commons:
The election of a Speaker: Commons Library briefing
Parliamentary business: Office and role of Speaker
Election of Commons Deputy Speakers
Following the 2015 general election the House of Commons Deputy Speakers were elected on 3 June 2015.
Find out more about the election of Deputy Speakers:
The election of Deputy Speakers: Commons Library briefing
About Parliament: House of Commons Deputy Speakers
Commons News: MPs elect Deputy Speakers 3 June 2015
After the Speaker’s appointment has been confirmed, the House then returns to the Commons Chamber, where first the Speaker takes the oath of allegiance, followed by the Father of the House, the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet.
Any MP or Member of the House of Lords who objects to swearing an oath can make a solemn affirmation instead. This process is known as swearing in.
Swearing in continues for two or three further days before the House adjourns to the date set for the Queen’s Speech and State Opening.
Find out more about Parliament: Swearing in and the Parliamentary oath
Commons News: MPs swear in for the start of the new Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament took place on Wednesday 27 May 2015 following the general election on 7 May 2015.
The State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the parliamentary year and the Queen's Speech sets out the government’s agenda for the coming session, outlining proposed policies and legislation.
State Opening takes place after a general election following the election of the Speaker of the Commons and the swearing-in of Members of both Houses, or on the first day of a new Parliamentary session which is not after an election.
About Parliament: State Opening of Parliament
Debating the Queen’s Speech
After the State Opening members of both Houses debate the content of the Queen’s Speech and agree an 'Address in Reply to Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech'. Each House continues the debate on the planned legislative programme for several days, looking at different subject areas.
The Queen's Speech is voted on by the Commons, but no vote is taken in the Lords.
About Parliament: What happens after State Opening
Commons News: MPs debate the 2015 Queen’s Speech
Lords News: Lords concludes Queen’s Speech debates 2015
It was the custom of the House, but not an absolute rule, that a new MP should not participate in proceedings in the Chamber before making his or her maiden speech. This practice was relaxed at the beginning of the 2010 Parliament due to the large number of new MPs elected for the first time. New MPs were advised that whether to observe the custom was a matter of choice for them.
Read Commons Briefing Note 2: Maiden speeches
Select Committee Chairs and members are chosen for the new Parliament. The party composition of the committees will reflect that of the new House of Commons.
Election of Chairs of Commons Select Committees
On the day after his election, under Standing Order 122B(2), the Speaker communicates the proportion of committee Chairs for each political party which triggers the process for their election.
The House has to approve the allocation of Chairs between the parties on the basis of a motion which should be tabled by the leaders of all the parties entitled to seats on committees (under Standing Order No. 122B(3)) within a week of the Queen’s Speech. Chairs should then be elected two weeks after this.
The majority of Select Committee Chairs are now elected by their fellow MPs. This applies to departmental committees and the Environmental Audit, Procedure, Public Administration and Public Accounts committees as well as the new Petitions Committee.
The ballot for the election of select committee Chairs is to take place on Wednesday 17 June 2015.
Committee News: Nominations open for select committee Chairs: 4 June 2015
About Parliament: Election of House of Commons Select Committee Chairs
House of Commons standing orders: standing order 122B: election of select committee chairs
Commons Select Committee Chairs: Commons Library Parliamentary Information List
Commons Select Committee membership
The members of a select committee, other than a Chair elected by the House, are nominated by a motion before the House. The names are put forward by each political party. This will be the next step following the election of the select committee Chairs.
Following the 2010 general election, members of Commons select committees were appointed on 12 July 2010.
Read: House of Commons Votes and Proceedings Monday 12 July 2010
Nominations to select committees: Commons Library briefing
House of Lords select committees
Find out more about House of Lords Select Committees

16. How does Parliament check and challenge the Government?

17. 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 Questions (PQs)

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

19. How does Parliament make and change laws?

20. The stages of a Bill
No new law can be made by Parliament unless it has completed a number of stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
While it is still journeying through Parliament, it is called a Bill.
So a Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to change an existing law, that is presented for debate before Parliament. Bills can begin in the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
A Bill only becomes an Act if it is approved by a majority in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and formally agreed to by the reigning monarch (known as Royal Assent).
An Act of Parliament is a law, enforced in all areas of the UK where it is applicable. (This picture depicts the Act which abolished the Slave Trade in 1807)
BALLOT for private members bills will be after the Queens speech.
The queen’s speech will list the bills the government want to introduce over the next year. Listen to it. Is there anything that you would like to get involved in? Anything of concern or interest? Get involved.
(If you have internet access go to website below to show flash version of passage of a bill.)
All Government departments can be questioned on their work
In writing and orally
In Commons and Lords
Must relate to running of Government department
Cannot be on party or private issues, sub-judice, or on the monarchy
Must be used to request information or press for action

21. 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
Select Committees
An inquiry will begin with the committee in question announcing the subject of an inquiry, and making a call to any groups or organisations with an interest in the inquiry subject to submit written evidence. In making the call for evidence, the committee will ask a number of questions that it wants groups to answer in their evidence. The call for evidence will also come with a deadline.
After the deadline for written evidence, the committee will then call a selected number of people to give oral evidence in Parliament. We should emphasise the majority of people that submit written evidence do not get called to an oral evidence session due to the sheer number of people submitting evidence.
The written and oral evidence will then be collated, which summarises the evidence received, and makes a number of recommendations. The report is then sent to the relevant Government department who will make a formal response.
They are a great way for groups and organisations to give their views and experiences directly to Parliament.
You may occasionally hear news reports refer to ‘an influential group of MPs’. These are usually Select Committees. They can often have a direct influence on Government policies.
House of Lords Select Committees draw on the experience of their members to conduct internationally respected investigations into specialist public and policy issues.
Unlike House of Commons committees, House of Lords committees take a broader, issues-focused perspective (eg communications, economic affairs, science and technology), not limited to the work of particular Government departments.
Membership
The majority of Commons Select Committee Chairs are now elected by their fellow MPs.
This applies to departmental committees and the Environmental Audit, Political and Constitutional Reform, Procedure, Public Administration and Public Accounts committees.
The other Committee members are nominated by their party after internal party elections.

22. 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
What do Select Committees do?
Select Committees
An inquiry will begin with the committee in question announcing the subject of an inquiry, and making a call to any groups or organisations with an interest in the inquiry subject to submit written evidence. In making the call for evidence, the committee will ask a number of questions that it wants groups to answer in their evidence. The call for evidence will also come with a deadline.
After the deadline for written evidence, the committee will then call a selected number of people to give oral evidence in Parliament. We should emphasise the majority of people that submit written evidence do not get called to an oral evidence session due to the sheer number of people submitting evidence.
The written and oral evidence will then be collated, which summarises the evidence received, and makes a number of recommendations. The report is then sent to the relevant Government department who will make a formal response.
They are a great way for groups and organisations to give their views and experiences directly to Parliament.
You may occasionally hear news reports refer to ‘an influential group of MPs’. These are usually Select Committees. They can often have a direct influence on Government policies.
House of Lords Select Committees draw on the experience of their members to conduct internationally respected investigations into specialist public and policy issues.
Unlike House of Commons committees, House of Lords committees take a broader, issues-focused perspective (eg communications, economic affairs, science and technology), not limited to the work of particular Government departments.
Membership
The majority of Commons Select Committee Chairs are now elected by their fellow MPs.
This applies to departmental committees and the Environmental Audit, Political and Constitutional Reform, Procedure, Public Administration and Public Accounts committees.
The other Committee members are nominated by their party after internal party elections.

23. Where to get more information
Houses of Commons Enquiry Service
(Freephone) or
House of Lords Enquiry Service
(Freephone) or
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