Britain: An official handbook > 1993

BRITAIN 1993: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
two Houses there are several unofficial party
organisations or committees. The Conserva¬
tive and Unionist Members’ Committee (the
1922 Committee) consists of the backbench
membership of the party in the House of
Commons. When the Conservative Party is
in office, ministers attend its meetings by
invitation and not by right. When the party
is in opposition, the whole membership of
the party may attend meetings. The leader
appoints a consultative committee, which acts
as the party’s ‘shadow cabinet’.
The Parliamentary Labour Party
comprises all members of the party in both
Houses. When the Labour Party is in office,
a parliamentary committee, half of whose
members are elected and half of whom are
government representatives, acts as a channel
of communication between the Government
and its backbenchers in both Houses. When
the party is in opposition, the Parliamentary
Labour Party is organised under the direction
of an elected parliamentary committee, which
acts as the ‘shadow cabinet’.
Other Forms of Parliamentary Control
House of Commons
The effectiveness of parliamentary control of
the Government is a subject of continuing
discussion, both inside and outside
Parliament. In addition to the system of
scrutiny by select committees, the House of
Commons offers a number of opportunities
for the examination of government policy by
both the Opposition and the Government’s
own backbenchers. These include:
1. Question time, when for an hour on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, ministers answer MPs’ questions.
The Prime Minister’s question time is on
Tuesday and Thursday. Parliamentary
questions are one means of seeking
information about the Government’s
intentions. They are also a way of raising
grievances brought to MPs’ notice by
constituents. MPs may also put questions to
ministers for written answer; the questions
and answers are published in Hansard, the
official report. There are some 40,000
questions every year.
2. Adjournment debates, when MPs use
motions for the adjournment of the House to
raise constituency cases or matters of public
concern. There is a half-hour adjournment
period at the end of the business of the day,
while immediately before the adjournment for
each recess (Parliament’s Christmas, Easter,
spring and summer breaks) a full day is spent
discussing issues raised by private members.
There are also adjournment debates following
the passage, three times a year, of
Consolidated Fund13 or Appropriation
Bills.14 These take place after the House has
voted the necessary supplies (money) for the
Government.
In addition, an MP wishing to discuss a
‘specific and important matter that should
have urgent consideration’ may, at the end of
question time, seek leave to move the
adjournment of the House. If the Speaker
accepts the terms of the motion, the MP asks
the House for leave for the motion to be put
forward. Leave can be given unanimously, or
it can be given if 40 or more MPs support
the motion or if fewer than 40 but more than
ten support it and the House (on a vote) is in
favour. If leave is given, the matter is debated
for three hours in what is known as an
emergency debate, usually on the following
day.
3. The 20 Opposition days each session,
when the Opposition can choose subjects for
debate. Of these days, 17 are at the disposal
of the Leader of the Opposition and three at
the disposal of the second largest opposition
party.
4. Debates on three days in each session on
details of proposed government expenditure,
chosen by the Liaison Committee (see p 41).
Procedural opportunities for criticism of
the Government also arise during the debate
on the Queen’s speech at the beginning of
each session, during debates on motions of
censure for which the Government provides
time, and during debates on the
Government’s legislative and other proposals.
n At least two Consolidated Fund Acts are passed each session
authorising the Treasury to make certain sums of money available
for the public service.
14 The annual Appropriation Act fixes the sums of public money
provided for particular items of expenditure.
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