OFFICES OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker, elected by MPs to preside over the House. Other officers include the three Deputy Speakers who are elected by the House on the nomination of the Government but are from the Opposition as well as the government party. They, like the Speaker, neither speak nor vote.

Permanent officers - who are not MPs - include the Clerk of the House of Commons, who is the principal adviser to the Speaker, and the Sergeant-at-Arms, who is responsible for security. Other officers serve the House in the Library, Finance and Administration and Refreshment.

 

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PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

The system of debate is similar in both Houses. Every subject starts off as a proposal or 'motion' by a member. After debate, the Speaker or Chairman 'puts the question' whether to agree with the motion or not. The question may be decided without voting, or by a simple majority vote. The main difference of procedure between the two Houses is that the Speaker or Chairman in the Lords has no powers of order; instead such matters are decided by the general feeling of the House.

In the Commons the Speaker has full authority to enforce the rules of the House and must guard against the abuse of procedure and protect minority rights. The Speaker has discretion on whether to allow a motion to end discussion so that a matter may be put to the vote. He has also powers to stop irrelevance and repetition in debate, and to save time in other ways. In cases of serious disorder the Speaker can delay the sitting. The Speaker can order members braking the rules of behavior of the House to leave the Chamber.

The Speaker supervises voting in the Commons and announces the final results. In a tied vote the Speaker gives a casting vote, without expressing an opinion on the merits of the question. The voting procedure in the House of Lords is broadly similar, although the Lord Chancellor does not have a casting vote.

 

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PUBLIC ACCESS TO PARLIAMENTARY PROCEESINGS

 

Proceedings of both Houses are normally public and visitors can watch the proceedings from the galleries of both chambers. The minutes and speeches are published daily in Hansard House of Commons and Hansard House of Lords the official report of debates. Each daily report also includes the answers to parliamentary questions put down for a written reply. The House of Commons also publishes a Weekly Information Bulletin which gives details about parliamentary affairs. Both Houses have information offices which prepare a variety of publications and answer enquiries from the public. And there is television and The Parliamentary Channel and, of course, government information on the web.

The records of the Lords from 1497 and the Commons from 1547, together with the parliamentary and political papers of a number of former members of both Houses, are available to the public through the House of Lords Record Office.

The proceedings of both Houses of Parliament may be broadcast on television and radio, either live or, more usually, in recorded or edited form. BBC Radio 4 is obligated to broadcast an impartial day-by-day account of proceedings when Parliament is in session. A weekly program covers the proceedings of the select committees on departmental affairs. Many other television and national and local radio programs cover parliamentary affairs. Complete coverage is available on cable television. Also, most national and regional newspapers have parliamentary correspondents. Several national daily newspapers present a daily summary of the previous day's proceedings.

 

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The Queen and the Royal Family

The monarchy of the United Kingdom (the British monarchy) is the

constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The title of the monarch is king or queen. Queen Elizabeth II became monarch on 6 February 1952.

By the Act of Parliament, the monarch must be a Protestant. The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is " Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".

The monarch and immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic, and representational duties. As the monarchy is constitutional, the monarch is limited to non-partisan functions such as granting honors and appointing the Prime Minister. The monarch is by tradition Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. Though the ultimate formal executive authority over the government of the United Kingdom is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative, these powers may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament, and, in practice, within the constraints of convention and precedent.

Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.

As well as the United Kingdom, she is Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica and other Commonwealth countries where she is represented by Governors-General. The Commonwealth of Nations comprises 54 member states. The 2.1 billion people in the member states account for almost a third of the current world population.

 

During her reign Elizabeth II (more than half a century) has seen 12 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and numerous Prime Ministers in the Commonwealth Realms of which she is (or was) also Head of State; between them she has had a total of 140 Prime Ministers during her reign.

THE QUEEN AND THE PRIME MINISTER

 

An important function of the Sovereign is the appointment of a prime minister. Normally the appointment is automatic since it is a convention of the constitution that the sovereign must invite the leader of the party which won a majority in the House of Commons to form a government. If no party has a majority or if the party having a majority has no recognized leader, the Queen's duty is to select a prime minister consulting anyone she wishes.

 

The Queen's closest official contacts are with the Prime Minister whom she receives once every week, when in London, and through him with the Cabinet. She also sees other ministers, generally in order to discuss the affairs of their departments. She sees all the Cabinet papers, the Cabinet agenda, correspondence and other important documents. The Queen is the second after the Prime Minister best informed person in the United Kingdom, as information is one of the important attributes of Queen's power. The Queen is responsible for dissolving Parliament, and this is normally done at the request of the Prime Minister. The appointment or dismissal of ministers is also carried out on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Acts involving the use of " royal prerogative" powers are now performed by government ministers, and the minister is politically responsible for the royal act. The Queen's speech in the Opening of Parliament is prepared by the Prime Minister.

Though the Queen has little direct power she has some rights. Among these rights is the constitutional right to disregard her ministers' advice and this is a strong reserve weapon for the case of need. The Queen is, in fact, the only permanent member of the Cabinet having first-hand knowledge of all its secret papers. Since her accession to the throne the Queen has given audience to 12 Prime Ministers. It is unlikely that the Queen should always be in sympathy with her Prime Minister. And though officially she may not have any political views her silent or other way of approval or disapproval of their actions, which usually are revealed by the press, indicate the Queen’s ability to support or weaken her Prime Minister. With her right to be informed, to warn and to be consulted she can by no means influence state affairs greatly.

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