Self-test questions: Parliament: Commons and House of Lords

. In a democratic system, which body confers power on those who govern?

The executive

The Electoral Commission

The Crown

The Houses of Parliament

The electorate

. Anastasia is a keen student of Politics at Somewhere University. Anastasia's little brother has just turned eighteen and is looking forward to being able to vote in the upcoming general election. Eager to know more, her brother asks Anastasia, 'How does the voting work in the UK?'

What is Anastasia's reply?

Elections to the UK Parliament happen through a simple majority system

Elections to the UK Parliament happen through an alternative vote system

Elections to the UK Parliament happen through a supplementary vote system

Elections to the UK Parliament happen through an additional member system

Elections to the UK Parliament happen through a single transferable vote system

. The Westminster Parliament is referred to as being bicameral.
What is meant by the term 'bicameral' within the UK parliamentary system?

There is one single House of Parliament correct incorrect

There are two chambers within the executive correct incorrect

There are two Houses within the legislature correct incorrect

There are two Houses within the executive correct incorrect

There are two chambers within the House of Lords correct incorrect

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. Ade Ryan is a newly-elected Member of Parliament (MP) following a recent election. At dinner one evening, Ade is talking about a proposed piece of legislation which will see changes to how mobile phone companies are regulated. Ade's daughter Janey asks, "Do MPs make the law, Dad?"
Choose the best response to Janey's question from the list below.

Members of Parliament are not a key part of making law because the formal legislative procedure only includes the House of Lords and requires the Crown to give Royal Assent before new laws are enacted. correct incorrect

Members of Parliament are a key part of making law and must give Royal Assent before new laws are enacted. correct incorrect

Members of the House of Commons are not a key part of making law because the formal legislative procedure requires the Crown to give Royal Assent before new laws are enacted. correct incorrect

Members of Parliament are a key part of making law but the formal legislative procedure includes Members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and requires the Crown to give Royal Assent before new laws are enacted. correct incorrect

Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords are a key part of making law and they must give new laws Royal Assent before they are enacted. correct incorrect

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. Within the House of Commons, there are various personnel many of whom have key roles in the workings of Parliament. One such key role exists with independence from the Crown and manages the proceedings within the House. The office-holder ensure rules and procedures are followed and controls the sometimes-lively debates which take place.
Which Parliamentary role is this?

The Lord Advocate correct incorrect

The Lord Speaker correct incorrect

The Leader of the House correct incorrect

The Chief Whip correct incorrect

The Speaker of the House of Commons correct incorrect

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. Ursula is running an outreach session on behalf of the UK Parliament. She explains the history of Parliament to the group and then moves on to the day-to-day running of Parliament and its members. One of the group puts up their hand and starts to complain about the fact that the 'government are never held to account'. Ursula takes the opportunity to talk the group through the ways in which Parliament can hold the executive branch to account.
Which one of the following is not a means through which Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords) scrutinises the executive?

Select committees correct incorrect

General election correct incorrect

Debates correct incorrect

Question Time correct incorrect

Public Inquiry correct incorrect

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. Tasha and her friend Rachel are revising for an upcoming test in their Public law seminar. They have been asked to revise the function and composition of the Houses of Parliament. Having just read the chapter in their textbook on the House of Lords, Rachel bets Tasha that she cannot list four groups of people who sit in the House of Lords.
Which selection should Tasha choose from this list?

Judicial peers, hereditary peers, Lords spiritual and elected industry representatives correct incorrect

Life peers, judicial peers, Lords spiritual and the Prime Minister correct incorrect

Hereditary peers, life peers, judicial peers and Lords spiritual correct incorrect

Hereditary peers, the Prime Minister, judicial peers and Lords spiritual correct incorrect

Life peers, judicial peers, Lords spiritual and elected industry representatives correct incorrect

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. The House of Lords carries out many important legislative functions as part of the state.
Which of the following functions forms the largest proportion of the work of the House of Lords at present?

Consideration of financial Bills correct incorrect

Debates correct incorrect

Question time correct incorrect

Legislative scrutiny correct incorrect

The work of select committees correct incorrect

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. Hannah is giving a presentation on the role and powers of the House of Lords to her seminar group. She has a slide which covers the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. Hannah explains to her group about the changes made to the powers of the House of Lords under the Acts.
What change was made to the power of the House of Lords under the Parliament Act 1911?

The Parliament Act 1911 removed the House of Lords' power to veto a Bill correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1911 removed the House of Lords' power to review secondary legislation correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1911 gave the House of Lords' power to delay money Bills correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1911 removed the House of Lords' power to review primary legislation correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1911 gave the House of Lords' power to delay Bills by up to three years correct incorrect

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. Nicola is giving a presentation on the role and powers of the House of Lords to her seminar group. She has a slide which covers the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. Nicola explains to her group about the changes made to the powers of the House of Lords under the Acts.
What change was made to the power of the House of Lords under the Parliament Act 1949?

The Parliament Act 1949 returned the House of Lords' power to veto a Bill correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1949 removed the House of Lords' power to delay a Bill to two years correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1949 removed the House of Lords' power to delay a Bill correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1949 gave the House of Lords' power to delay money Bills correct incorrect

The Parliament Act 1949 reduced the House of Lords' power to delay a Bill to just one year correct incorrect

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. Parliament's authority is described as supreme – or sovereign. Part of this sovereignty includes the freedom from interference, freedom of expression, freedom to determine its own composition and procedure and can protect Members from claims on issues such as defamation.
Which constitutional principle captures this range of entitlements of Parliament and its members?

The principle of Parliamentary independence correct incorrect

The principle of Parliamentary privilege correct incorrect

The principle of Parliamentary supremacy correct incorrect

The principle of Parliamentary responsibility correct incorrect

The principle of Parliamentary democracy correct incorrect

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. Lord Burton is a Member of the House of Lords. He is made aware of a case in the Court of Appeal where a temporary injunction has been awarded to protect the identity of the defendant. Lord Burton decides to speak in the House and name the individual to raise the issue of non-disclosure agreements and the protection they give to those who may successfully use them. Some MPs have come out in support of Lord Burton however many have raised concerns about his 'abuse of privilege'.
Which answer from the list below best describes the legal issue here?

Lord Burton has used the rule in Pepper v Hart to speak out correct incorrect

Lord Burton has advocated for unrestricted freedom of expression in Parliament correct incorrect

Lord Burton has given rise to a claim in defamation correct incorrect

Lord Burton has risked undermining the administration of justice by disobeying the injunction correct incorrect

Lord Burton has spoken only within the limits of his Parliamentary privilege correct incorrect

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. Gertrude Dennis is a Member of Parliament and is the current Secretary of State for Transport and a member of the Cabinet. She has long been lobbied by members of the transport industry over plans to build a high-speed rail line between the North and London. In her frustrations, Gertrude Dennis gives a speech and in doing so, misrepresents both the Government's plans and the views of industry lobbyists. She does deliberately and hopes that no-one will notice and decides that if they do, she is protected by Parliamentary privilege. The Daily News reports on her misrepresentations under the heading "Transport Secretary lies to Parliament".
Which statement best describes how Gertrude's conduct will be viewed?

A reasonable use of privilege which will lead to an investigation correct incorrect

A breach of privilege which will lead to Gertrude's resignation correct incorrect

A breach of privilege which will see Gertrude being sued for defamation correct incorrect

A breach of privilege which puts Gertrude in contempt of Parliament correct incorrect

A reasonable use of privilege which is permitted correct incorrect

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. Darshna Chowdhury is a Member of Parliament and has been in office for over ten years, securing her seat at three general elections. She is an experienced and popular MP. It comes to light that Darshna has been claiming allowances and expenses for all sorts of things, including a duck house for her pond. Darshna's Parliamentary assistant rings her to say that she is worried she may be arrested but Darshna replies, "It's okay, I'll be protected by privilege and they can't investigate because we are not subject to freedom of information requests".
Which statement best describes the status of privilege and Darshna's expenses claims?

Darshna's expenses claims can be subject to a request and are not protected by privilege correct incorrect

Darshna's expenses claims can be subject to a request but will be protected by privilege correct incorrect

Darshna's expenses claims can be subject to a request but will be kept private correct incorrect

Darshna's expenses claims cannot be subject to a request as they are protected by privilege correct incorrect

Darshna's expenses claims cannot be subject to a request and will be kept private correct incorrect

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. The UK Parliament is updating its website and is reviewing the section entitled 'The Crown'. Part of the page is dedicated to a description of the modern role of the Monarch.
How is the constitutional role of the Crown best described in the modern constitution?

Informal correct incorrect

Formal and ceremonial correct incorrect

Symbolic and occasional correct incorrect

Purely historic correct incorrect

Discretionary correct incorrect

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