1. LEGISLATION

2. • ACT OF PARLIAMENT= A STATUTE
• “SOVEREIGNTY OF PARLIAMENT”—Supreme law.
• PARLIAMENT—2 ASSEMBLIES
• HOUSE OF COMMONS (MPs) & HOUSE OF LORDS
(not as a court)

3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/
hi/guides/newsid_8144000/8144100.s
tm

4. Tours of Houses of Parliament
• http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7F1A
FC4FF75A3725&feature=plcp
• Can you tell which is which?

5. House of Commons
• Who is your local MP?
• http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mps
• How many MPs are there in the HC?
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-
offices/mps/
• How often are MPs elected?
• What ‘s the difference between the
Government and Parliament?

6. House of Lords
• Unelected and unpaid (expenses)
• http://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/wh
os-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-
roles/
• Why have a second House?
• What does it do?

8. Activity - In groups decide where each
statement belongs
Role of the House of Role of the House of Lords Role of the Crown
Commons

9. How to behave in a mature democracy
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPEtYiKOx
NU&feature=related

10. Bill to Act (Stages)
FIRST READING formal – title & main aims introduced, quick vote, no debate
SECOND READING main debate, Minister or promoter leads
COMMITTEE STAGE clause by clause, Standing Committee 16-50 MPs, make amendments
REPORT STAGE report back to house, amendments debated and voted on
THIRD READING review, final vote, send to other house
HOUSE OF LORDS similar process
ROYAL ASSENT becomes law

11. Passage of a Bill
• http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/fl
ash-passage-bill/

12. Activity
• In twos or threes arrange the stages that a Bill
goes through in the correct order

13. There are different types of ...

14. Types of Bill
• Public Bills
– Government
– Private Members
• Private Bills
• Hybrid Bills

15. How many Bills do you think are
currently going through the
parliamentary process?
• http://services.parliament.uk/bills/

16. Homework
• Read the chapter on Parliamentary law-
making in a textbook
• Research the different influences on
Parliament and bring an example of an
influence to class a week today – it can be a
magazine or newspaper article (or
screengrab), or a pamphlet
• There will be a test this time next week

17. Advantages of Parliamentary law-
making
• Scrutiny
• Democratic
• Government control
• The House of Lords
• Flexibility

18. Disadvantages of parliamentary law-
making
• Undemocratic
• Government control
• Slow
• Dated processes, language and statistics