Parliament

We live in a democratic country, which means we all have a say in how the country is run. Parliament represents the people. It is where we send our chosen representatives to represent our views in the House of Commons (see below for more information about House of Commons)

What is Parliament?

Parliament is where politicians (MP's) meet to decide laws and make decisions for United Kingdom. It is not the same as the Government (which runs the country). One of the jobs Parliament does is to check that the Government is running the country properly.

What is the job of Parliament?

The main functions of Parliament are:

.to pass laws

.to provide, by voting for taxation, the

means of carrying on the work of Government

.to scrutinize government policy administration, parliament

including proposals for expenditure

.to debate the major issues of the day

Parliament is made up of three parts:

1.The Queen

2.The House of Lords

3.The House of Common

The Queen

The Queen is the official Head of State. Britain has a constitutional where the Queen only rules symbolically;in reality, power belongs to parliament.the Queen herself plays no part in determining decisions made in Parliament. The Queen has the final say on whether a bill becomes a law. The last Monarch to reject a law that was wanted by both Houses of Parliament was Queen Anne. She died in 1785.

Parliament

The House of lords Queen Anne

The House of Lords is made up of people who have inherited family titles and those who have been given titles because of their outstanding work in one field or another. There are 675 members of lords. The main job of the House of Lords is to double check new laws to make sure they are fair and will work.

The House of Commons

The House of Commons has 659 members who have been elected by local residents to represent an area of the country in Parliament. The members are called MPs (Members of Parliament). Each MP represents one of 659 constituencies (areas) in the UK and is a member of a political party. The Commons is the most important place for discussing polices and making laws. By: Helly