NCTJ PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATED EXAMS SCRIPT
ALL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Prime Minister powers - ✔✔- leader of the majority party in the House of Commons
- appoints and dismisses members of the government
- chair of cabinet, decides agenda and sums up discussions
- has own office and advisors
- drives through their own policy agenda
- negotiates at international summits
- represents the government abroad
- declares war
- signs peace treaties
- patronage (advises monarch on senior appointments in church and state officials)
✔✔Prime minster constraints - ✔✔- hires and fires all ministers but must include all
wings of the party
- some ministers are too powerful to fire
- subject to media and public pressure
- must rely on majority in House of Commons to pass legislation
- can be knocked off course by events which can make or break them
- MPs can rebel (can result in vote of no confidence)
- negotiates summits but can be left out in the cold
,✔✔What are ministers - ✔✔Ministers are full time politicians, they decide the political
direction of the government (led by PM)
✔✔What are Civil Servants - ✔✔Civil Servants are employees of the state, they are not
politicians but they put ideas and policies into practice and serve under different
governments
✔✔Role of Secretary of State - ✔✔- contributing to cabinet discussions and determining
policy
- running the department and framing policy for it
- piloting legislation through House of Commons
- giving evidence to select committees
- answering questions on departments in Parliament
- taking part in debates and speeches in support of government
✔✔Ministerial code - ✔✔- Collective responsibility: individual ministers broadly
supporting government policy
- Ministerial responsibility: must account for policies, decisions and actions
Ministers are responsible for all actions of their department, and if something goes
wrong they must resign
✔✔Rules for ministers - ✔✔- should be open with Parliament and public
- have no conflict of interests
- should not accept gifts or hospitality that may influence their judgement
- should not separate their roles as minister and constituency MP
- should not misuse government resources for party purposes
- should uphold political impartiality of civil servants
✔✔Permanent Secretary - ✔✔Civil Servant at the head of each department.
They advise the Secretary of State on procedures and policies and keep departments
running (directs and supervisors the work of the department and department's finances)
✔✔What are SPADs - ✔✔Special advisors (temporary civil servants) - cabinet minister
may appoint up to 2
✔✔Types of party funding - ✔✔- short money: state subsidy for opposition parties
- member subscriptions
- fundraising
- donations/bequests/loans
- policy development
✔✔How is the government held to account? - ✔✔- Question Time (PMQs)
- taking part in debates
- gaining support from MPs for Early Day Motions (EDMs)
- introducing Private Member Bills
, ✔✔Types of Debate: - ✔✔- Early Day Motions: expression of a strong view, results in
vote/signaturel that could lead to full debate
- Adjournment debate: 30 min debate at the end of day to raise an issue of concern and
summon a minister to respond
- Urgent debate: if granted by speaker, a debate on specific and important matter must
take place within 24 hours
- E-petition debates: requires 100,000 signatures
✔✔Types of legislation - ✔✔- Green paper: consultation document, broad outline of
possible bill, gets heavily revised
- White paper: forms bill basis, gets another round of feedback first
- Private bills: affect only specific individuals or organisations
- Public bills: change the 'law of the land'
Hybrid bills: a mix of the two
✔✔How is a bill passed through Parliament? - ✔✔1. First reading: introduces bill
2. Second reading: general principles lead and debated
3. Committee stage: public or private bill committees look at main clauses in detail
4. Report stage: committee's written report to Commons to be debated
5. Third reading: bill reviewed and read in final form
6. Passes to House of Lords for further debate
7. Royal Assent: final approval
✔✔What is IPSA - ✔✔Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
- drew up new allowances system for MPs
- granted MPs expenses to help with renting accomodation
- limited train journey costs to open standard class ticket
✔✔What is a backbencher and their roles? - ✔✔A backbencher is an MP who is not a
minister or a member of the opposition front-bench
Roles:
- legislate (make law)
- debate government policy and current issues
- scrutinise the executive
- help constituents
✔✔What do party whips do? - ✔✔Enforce party discipline
✔✔Lords - 3 main roles - ✔✔- Legislative: can amend legislation but not reject it
- Deliberative: debating
- Constitutional: ensures government does not abuse power by whipping MPs to pass
legislation which is either unconstitutional or does not have support of the people
ALL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Prime Minister powers - ✔✔- leader of the majority party in the House of Commons
- appoints and dismisses members of the government
- chair of cabinet, decides agenda and sums up discussions
- has own office and advisors
- drives through their own policy agenda
- negotiates at international summits
- represents the government abroad
- declares war
- signs peace treaties
- patronage (advises monarch on senior appointments in church and state officials)
✔✔Prime minster constraints - ✔✔- hires and fires all ministers but must include all
wings of the party
- some ministers are too powerful to fire
- subject to media and public pressure
- must rely on majority in House of Commons to pass legislation
- can be knocked off course by events which can make or break them
- MPs can rebel (can result in vote of no confidence)
- negotiates summits but can be left out in the cold
,✔✔What are ministers - ✔✔Ministers are full time politicians, they decide the political
direction of the government (led by PM)
✔✔What are Civil Servants - ✔✔Civil Servants are employees of the state, they are not
politicians but they put ideas and policies into practice and serve under different
governments
✔✔Role of Secretary of State - ✔✔- contributing to cabinet discussions and determining
policy
- running the department and framing policy for it
- piloting legislation through House of Commons
- giving evidence to select committees
- answering questions on departments in Parliament
- taking part in debates and speeches in support of government
✔✔Ministerial code - ✔✔- Collective responsibility: individual ministers broadly
supporting government policy
- Ministerial responsibility: must account for policies, decisions and actions
Ministers are responsible for all actions of their department, and if something goes
wrong they must resign
✔✔Rules for ministers - ✔✔- should be open with Parliament and public
- have no conflict of interests
- should not accept gifts or hospitality that may influence their judgement
- should not separate their roles as minister and constituency MP
- should not misuse government resources for party purposes
- should uphold political impartiality of civil servants
✔✔Permanent Secretary - ✔✔Civil Servant at the head of each department.
They advise the Secretary of State on procedures and policies and keep departments
running (directs and supervisors the work of the department and department's finances)
✔✔What are SPADs - ✔✔Special advisors (temporary civil servants) - cabinet minister
may appoint up to 2
✔✔Types of party funding - ✔✔- short money: state subsidy for opposition parties
- member subscriptions
- fundraising
- donations/bequests/loans
- policy development
✔✔How is the government held to account? - ✔✔- Question Time (PMQs)
- taking part in debates
- gaining support from MPs for Early Day Motions (EDMs)
- introducing Private Member Bills
, ✔✔Types of Debate: - ✔✔- Early Day Motions: expression of a strong view, results in
vote/signaturel that could lead to full debate
- Adjournment debate: 30 min debate at the end of day to raise an issue of concern and
summon a minister to respond
- Urgent debate: if granted by speaker, a debate on specific and important matter must
take place within 24 hours
- E-petition debates: requires 100,000 signatures
✔✔Types of legislation - ✔✔- Green paper: consultation document, broad outline of
possible bill, gets heavily revised
- White paper: forms bill basis, gets another round of feedback first
- Private bills: affect only specific individuals or organisations
- Public bills: change the 'law of the land'
Hybrid bills: a mix of the two
✔✔How is a bill passed through Parliament? - ✔✔1. First reading: introduces bill
2. Second reading: general principles lead and debated
3. Committee stage: public or private bill committees look at main clauses in detail
4. Report stage: committee's written report to Commons to be debated
5. Third reading: bill reviewed and read in final form
6. Passes to House of Lords for further debate
7. Royal Assent: final approval
✔✔What is IPSA - ✔✔Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
- drew up new allowances system for MPs
- granted MPs expenses to help with renting accomodation
- limited train journey costs to open standard class ticket
✔✔What is a backbencher and their roles? - ✔✔A backbencher is an MP who is not a
minister or a member of the opposition front-bench
Roles:
- legislate (make law)
- debate government policy and current issues
- scrutinise the executive
- help constituents
✔✔What do party whips do? - ✔✔Enforce party discipline
✔✔Lords - 3 main roles - ✔✔- Legislative: can amend legislation but not reject it
- Deliberative: debating
- Constitutional: ensures government does not abuse power by whipping MPs to pass
legislation which is either unconstitutional or does not have support of the people
