The House of Commons

关于英国下议院的一些小知识 全英文

The House of Commons

• 651 MPs
  • Members of Parliament
  • 524 for England
  • 38 for Wales
  • 72 for Scotland
  • 17 for Northern Ireland
• about vote
  • elector
    • people who live in British
    • >=18 years
    • one elector one vote
  • candidate
    • standing for election as MPs
    • nominated and supported by different political parties
    • receive the largest number of votes = be elected
  • parties
    • win
      • form the government
        • asked by the Queen
      • known as the Government
    • second
      • known as Opposition
      • task
        • supervise the government
        • contribute to the formulation of proper policies
        • oppose what is objectionable
• seat
  • leaders of the parties
    • front benches
  • supporters
    • back benches
    • calked backbenchers
      • mean"not important "
• main function
  • law-making
    • heat debates between the Government and the Opposition
• election of MPs
  • held once every 5years
  • Prime Minister can ask to dissolve the Parliament
• sessions
  • life of Parliament periods
  • a session lasts 1 year
    • form October of one year to about the same date of the next
• the State Opening of Parliament
  • the beginning of a new session
  • held in the House of Lords
• debating chamber
  • called "the house "
  • has 370 seats
  • can provide enough seats on big occasions
  • five rows at each side
    • one side occupied by the Government
    • the other occupied by the Opposition
      • Her Majesty's Opposition
      • has it's own Shadow Cabinet
• the Speaker
  • the chairperson of the House of Commons
  • nominated by the Government with the agreement of the Opposition Party
  • is required to be impartial in carrying out his duties
  • doesnot debate or vote
  • the first womam Speaker in 1992
• meeting
  • the Commons meet on four afternoons and one morning each week
  • 1.begins with a fifty-minute "question time"
  • 2.main debate
  • activities
• some privileges
  • began to receive salaries form 1911
  • have their own secretaries and offices in Parliament buildings
  • travel free of charge on the railway between London and their constituencies
• make laws
• members: Mazikin Ellen Jennifer
• the monarch's opening Speechis a summary of the Government's programme