How Parliament Works (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

Parliament plays a central role in the UK’s democracy by making laws, debating national issues and holding the government to account

• It works through a set of formal processes that balance the government’s power with scrutiny, debate, and oversight

• This helps ensure that decisions are lawful, transparent and accountable

Parliament plays a key role in scrutinising the government and holding it to account

• Scrutiny means carefully checking government actions and decisions

The government proposes laws and policies to deliver its election manifesto

• These include new laws, changes to regulations and decisions about spending and taxation

MPs and members of the House of Lords can challenge government proposals

• They may question whether policies are effective, fair or affordable

Ministers are accountable to Parliament

• They must explain and justify their actions

• Poor decisions or failures can be criticised publicly

This scrutiny helps prevent the abuse of power and improves the quality of decision-making

Debates take place on the floor of the House of Commons and the House of Lords

• MPs and peers discuss proposed laws and important national issues

• Amendments to proposals can be suggested and voted on

Questioning is a major way Parliament holds the government to account

• Ministers regularly answer questions from MPs about their departments

Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) takes place every Wednesday in the House of Commons

• The Prime Minister must answer questions from MPs

• The Leader of the Opposition is allowed six questions

• The Leader of the Liberal Democrats is allowed two questions

• Remaining questions are asked by MPs from across all parties, selected by the Speaker

PMQs are often highly public and reported in the media

• This increases transparency and public awareness

Similar debates and questioning occur in the House of Lords

• However, there is no equivalent of PMQs in the Lords

Parliamentary committees allow Parliament to examine issues in greater detail

Bill committees examine proposed laws line by line

• This helps identify problems or unintended consequences

Select committees focus on the work of specific government departments

• For example, the Health and Social Care Committee scrutinises the NHS

Committees can:

• Call ministers, civil servants and experts to give evidence

• Question government departments about their decisions and performance.

Some committees are joint committees, made up of members from both the Commons and the Lords

Committees produce reports

• These are published and debated.

• The government is expected to respond

Committee work is often less political and more detailed than debates in the chamber

• This makes it an important part of effective scrutiny