1. The Structure and Functioning of the UK Parliament

3. The United Kingdom The UK is a parliamentary monarchy
The head of state in the UK is the Queen
The Parliament of the UK is a bicameral parliament

4. Parliament The highest legislative organ in the UK
Constitutionally consists of the Monarch, The House of Lords and the House of Commons
The Queen in Parliament represents the supreme authority within the United Kingdom

5. Functions of Parliament
Scrutiny
Legislation
Debating
Budget and taxes

6. The Monarch The British monarch has all authority, but no power
An integral part of the legislature
Summons, prorogues (dismisses at the end of a session) and dissolves Parliament
Opens new sessions of Parliament with the Royal Speech
Gives Royal Assent before a Bill which has passed all the stages in both Houses becomes a law

7. The Royal Speech
The Queen's Speech on May 18, The Queen's Speech is delivered by the Queen from the Throne in the House of Lords. Although the Queen reads the speech, it is written by the government. It contains an outline of its policies and proposed legislation for the new parliamentary session.

8. The House of Commons An elected and representative body
650 Members of Parliament (MPs) who represent their constituencies
Members are elected at General Elections held every five years
Members are paid a salary and an allowance
Most MPs are members of one of three main political parties in the UK (Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat), while other represent minor parties or are independent

9. Speaker Speaker of the House of Commons presides over the House
The traditional guardian of the rights and privileges of the House

10. Working in Parliament
MPs generally spend their time working in the House of Commons
This can include raising issues affecting their constituents, attending debates and voting on new laws
Working in committees
Working in their constituency – MPs often hold ‘surgeries’ in their office

11. Political parties
Most MPs are members of one of three main political parties in the UK – Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat
Other MPs represent smaller parties or are independent

12. Video exercise
Listen and answer the following:
Who sits at the Speakers’ right side?
Who is Sarjeant at Arms?
What is Hansard?

13. The House of Lords in the past
In the past mainly a hereditary body
Lords Temporal (hereditary peers and peeresses who have not disclaimed their peerage; life peers created by the Crown under the Life Peerages Act of 1958 and Lords of Appeal in Ordinary – Law Lords)
Lords Spiritual (the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and 24 senior bishops of the Church of England)

14. The House of Lords today
The Lords currently has over 700 Members, and there are three different types:
hereditary Peers, life Peers (Lords Temporal) and bishops (Lords Spiritual)
Unlike MPs, the public do not elect the Lords. The majority are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister or of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

15. Hereditary Peers
The right of hereditary Peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords was ended in 1999 by the House of Lords Act but 92 Members were elected internally to remain until the next stage of the Lords reform process.

16. Life Peers
Appointed for their lifetime only, these Lords' titles are not passed on to their children. The Queen formally appoints life Peers on the advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister.

17. Bishops (Lords Spiritual)
A limited number of 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House, passing their membership on to the next most senior bishop when they retire.

18. Lord Chancellor Member of the House of Commons or Lords
A member of the government – Minister of Justice
Until 2009 presided over the judicial committee of the House of Lords
Involved in judicial appointments

19. Video exercise
What did you learn about Life Peers?
What is the role of the Lord Speaker?
What is the Woolsack?

20. Lord Speaker
The Lord Speaker oversees proceedings in the Lords chamber and plays a key role in the Lords Administration.
The Lord Speaker also acts as an ambassador for the Lords at home and abroad, explaining and promoting the work of the House of Lords and its contribution to the UK's parliamentary system.
presides over business in the Lords chamber from the Woolsack
attending and speaking at state and ceremonial occasions on behalf of the Lords
representing the Lords to overseas parliaments, attending conferences with speakers of other parliaments, sharing best practice and developing links between parliaments

21. Parliamentary sovereignty
The most important principle in the UK constitution
It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK which can create or abolish (repeal) any law
The courts cannot overrule its legislation
Parliament has delegated some of it powers to the regional parliamentary assemblies of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

22. The UK constitution
An “unwritten” constitution – it is not contained in a single source
‘Partly written and wholly uncodified’

23. Complete the table with the words from the text and their related forms:
Verb
Noun
Adjective
legislate
election
represent
nomination
vacant

24. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word(s) from the list below:
bill, supreme, law, legislative, elected, dissolves, hereditary, members
Parliament is the ______________ organ and is constitutionally composed of the Monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Queen in Parliament represents the ________________ authority within the United Kingdom. The House of Commons is an _______________ and representative body, with _________________ elected at General Elections every five years. Before 1999 the House of Lords used to be a ___________________ body. The Queen summons, prorogues and ___________________ Parliament. No ______________ can become a _________ unless the Queen gives Royal Assent.

25. Answer key
Parliament is the legislative organ and is constitutionally composed of the Monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Queen in Parliament represents the supreme authority within the United Kingdom. The House of Commons is an elected and representative body, with members elected at General Elections every five years. Before 1999 the House of Lords used to be a hereditary body. The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament. No bill can become a law unless the Queen gives Royal Assent.

26. Read the text and answer the following questions:
What does Parliament of the United Kingdom consist of?
Which are functions of the Queen in Parliament?
When do the members of both Houses come together?
Who are Life Peers?
Who are other members of the House of Lords?
How are Members of Parliament elected?
What is the role of the Speaker in the House of Commons?
Who can propose new bills?

27. Complete the following statements:
Parliament of the United Kingdom is a _________________ parliament.
Every year the British monarch opens _________________ of parliament, in a historical and ritual ceremony called the State Opening of Parliament.
A bill does not become law, or an Act of Parliament, until it has received ____________________________.
The "Upper House" of the British Parliament consists of about 750 members (a variable number) most of whom are _______________________.
The House of Commons is a chamber composed of 650 members (Members of Parliament or MPs) elected by _________________________.
Elected Members of Parliament do not have a deputy, so in the event of the death, resignation or removal of an MP, a _________________ must be called in order to elect a new MP.
Most bills are put forward by the __________________________________.
Parliament has delegated some of its powers to the regional parliaments or assemblies of ______________________________________________________.

28. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from below: parliamentary, major, relative, universal, absolute, ancient
According to an _______________ tradition, MPs are elected by _____________ suffrage under a system of _________________ majority, in one round of voting. This means that the candidate with the most votes in an election is elected, whether or not he or she has an __________________ majority of votes. This system favours the _______________ political parties, and stable governments. The chairman of the House of Commons is known as the "Speaker", and he or she presides over each ________________ session, deciding who can speak.

29. Match the adjectives with the nouns (multiple matches are possible):
parliamentary
parties
government
opposition
political
suffrage
royal
power
universal
legislative
lords
bicameral
peers
hereditary
assent
elected
parliament
life
ministers

30. Thank you for attention!