NCTJ PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔MPs duties - ✔✔Constituents:
-Hold weekly 'surgeries' (speaks to constituents about their concerns regarding
Parliament and policy)
-Ask written or oral questions on behalf of constituents at PMQs
-Write to ministers to voice/ resolve constituent concerns
-Introduce bills or table debates of their own (e.g. Private Members Bills)
Party:
-'Toe the party line'
-Adhere to party ideology (vote for motions and proposed legislation)
-Benefits: get backing of party machine, including financially
-Problems: have to do what the whip (party enforcer) tells you
-Backbench rebellions have become more common - its a way to get voice heard
Parliament:
-MPs have to be members of one or more select committees which scrutinise
government and legislation
✔✔Types of primary legislation - ✔✔Public bills: Affect the whole population (e.g.
Coronavirus Act 2020)
Private bills: Affects specific groups or localities (e.g. relating to transport in an area)
Hybrid bills: Affect the general public but have signif impact on specific groups or
localities - combination of public and private bills (e.g. High-Speed Rail (London - West
Midlands) Act 2017)
Private Members Bills (PMBs): Affect the whole population so are effectively public bills
but they are introduced by MPs or Lords who are not in the government, e.g. by a
backbencher (e.g. Abortion Act 1967 introduced by then MP David Steel)
✔✔Secondary legislation - ✔✔Also known as delegated legislation
Often takes the form of statutory instrument
Powers given to ministers by Acts of Parliament allow them to enact laws in detail
✔✔How laws are made - ✔✔First versions appear as green and white papers
1. First reading in the House of Commons (title read out)
2. Second reading in the House of Commons (principles discussed and voted on)
3. Committee stage (discussed in detail)
4. Report stage (Committee recommends amendments)
5. Third reading in the House of Commons (final stage in Commons)
,6. Goes to House of Lords - it goes through a similar process as above
7. Amendments put to House of Commons
8. Bill given Royal Assent
✔✔Bills currently in Parliament - ✔✔Coronavirus Act 2020 (given Royal Assent)
Assisted Dying Bill (in House of Lords)
Anxiety (Environmental Concerns) Bill (in House of Commons)
✔✔House of Lords - ✔✔Second chamber in 'bicameral' (two chamber) Parliament
780 members (Peers)
Mostly Lords Temporal (secular)
Mostly 'life peers' - appointed by Queen on advise of PM
26 Lords Spiritual - bishops and archbishops
92 hereditary peers - The House of Lords Act 1999 abolished the birth right to peerage
✔✔What happens in the House of Lords? - ✔✔Works with House of Commons:
-Provides forum of independent expertise
-Check and challenge the government's actions
-Helps pass legislation
60% time spent on legislation
40% time spent on scrutiny (questioning government and debating issues and policy)
'on the floor' = in the chamber
'off the floor' = out of chamber
✔✔Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - ✔✔Sets and regulates MPs'
salaries, pensions, business costs and expenses
Publish all MPs' claims and expenses
Introduced largely due to the expenses scandal
✔✔Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards - ✔✔Regulates MP behaviour
Oversees registers of interest (including financial)
Ensures adherence to Code of Conduct
Considers allegations of code breaches (only applies to MPs not employees of an MP)
Kathryn Stone OBE
✔✔Issues relating to Britain in Europe - ✔✔Loss of sovereignty:
-Democratic deficit (lack of accountability for citizens, lack of access to decision-making
process, distance from policy, European Commission has 'proposed' commissioners -
unfair)
-Too many rules - over regulation - e.g. international trade
,-Strong British history undermined by membership - we can stand alone
Uncontrolled migration:
-Border controls/ points systems - UK wants its own so it can have more control
-Net migration climbs annually
-Do immigrants exploit welfare system?
Money:
-We pay lots into EU
-How much is trade worth?
-We receive rebates/ grants
-Knock on effect of loss of economic stability after Brexit - NHS, Britain will be poorer -
esp. because of Covid
Debt Crises:
-Greek crisis
-Big bailouts
Labour shortages:
-Rotting crops
-Lack of NHS staff
Trade:
-Potential for trade deals across the globe
-Leaving the single market
Loss of business grants
Long, complex process and not guaranteed a good deal
✔✔Eurosceptic - ✔✔Also known as a Europhile
Person opposed to increasing powers of the EU
✔✔Superstate - ✔✔Large and powerful state formed from a federation or union of
states
✔✔Sovereign debt crisis - ✔✔Economic and financial problems caused by the
(perceived) inability of a country to pay public debt
✔✔Schengen Area - ✔✔26 countries
Abolished passport and immigration controls at their common borders
Functions as a single country for international travel purposes
Common visa policy
✔✔European single market - ✔✔Eu's barrier free economic space created after 1985
, Guarantees free movement of goods, capital, services and people in the EU
✔✔Article 50 - ✔✔Clause in EU's Lisbon Treaty (2009)
Outlines the steps for a country to take when leaving the EU bloc voluntarily
Kick-starts the formal exit process
✔✔Eurozone - ✔✔18 countries
Those countries in the EU that use the Euro as their common currency
Monetary rules are created and maintained by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt
Latvia was latest to join in 2014
✔✔European Union - ✔✔28 states
500 million people
Once was the European Economic Community (EEC)
Eurozone
✔✔EU Key institutions - ✔✔-European Commission (33 commissioners are 'proposed'
causing democratic deficit)
-Council of Ministers (senior ministers from member states - has final say on policy)
-European Parliament (Where MEPs sit)
-European Court of Justice (not to be confused with European Court of Human Rights)
-Council of Europe
-European Court of Human Rights
✔✔Rights of journalist - Legislation - ✔✔Local Government (Access to Information) Act
1985 gave press and public right to all council, committee and subcommittee meetings,
unless information was 'confidential' or 'exempt'
Local Government Act 2000 introduced signif limitations on press and public right to
access meetings who have new 'executive' style decision making - cabinets could meet
in private
Local Government Act 2011 increased transparency - compels councils to hold all
meetings in public, including cabinet and executive meetings, other than in exceptional
cases - cabinet can still meet in private if information is 'confidential' or 'exempt'
✔✔Rights of journalist and access to information - ✔✔-Right to agenda papers
-Right to public register
-Right to watch proceedings/ reasonable accommodation
-Right to meeting minutes
-Right to register of planning applications
-Right to records of payments made to councillors
-Right to background papers
-Right to general financial information
-Right to councillor code of conduct
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔MPs duties - ✔✔Constituents:
-Hold weekly 'surgeries' (speaks to constituents about their concerns regarding
Parliament and policy)
-Ask written or oral questions on behalf of constituents at PMQs
-Write to ministers to voice/ resolve constituent concerns
-Introduce bills or table debates of their own (e.g. Private Members Bills)
Party:
-'Toe the party line'
-Adhere to party ideology (vote for motions and proposed legislation)
-Benefits: get backing of party machine, including financially
-Problems: have to do what the whip (party enforcer) tells you
-Backbench rebellions have become more common - its a way to get voice heard
Parliament:
-MPs have to be members of one or more select committees which scrutinise
government and legislation
✔✔Types of primary legislation - ✔✔Public bills: Affect the whole population (e.g.
Coronavirus Act 2020)
Private bills: Affects specific groups or localities (e.g. relating to transport in an area)
Hybrid bills: Affect the general public but have signif impact on specific groups or
localities - combination of public and private bills (e.g. High-Speed Rail (London - West
Midlands) Act 2017)
Private Members Bills (PMBs): Affect the whole population so are effectively public bills
but they are introduced by MPs or Lords who are not in the government, e.g. by a
backbencher (e.g. Abortion Act 1967 introduced by then MP David Steel)
✔✔Secondary legislation - ✔✔Also known as delegated legislation
Often takes the form of statutory instrument
Powers given to ministers by Acts of Parliament allow them to enact laws in detail
✔✔How laws are made - ✔✔First versions appear as green and white papers
1. First reading in the House of Commons (title read out)
2. Second reading in the House of Commons (principles discussed and voted on)
3. Committee stage (discussed in detail)
4. Report stage (Committee recommends amendments)
5. Third reading in the House of Commons (final stage in Commons)
,6. Goes to House of Lords - it goes through a similar process as above
7. Amendments put to House of Commons
8. Bill given Royal Assent
✔✔Bills currently in Parliament - ✔✔Coronavirus Act 2020 (given Royal Assent)
Assisted Dying Bill (in House of Lords)
Anxiety (Environmental Concerns) Bill (in House of Commons)
✔✔House of Lords - ✔✔Second chamber in 'bicameral' (two chamber) Parliament
780 members (Peers)
Mostly Lords Temporal (secular)
Mostly 'life peers' - appointed by Queen on advise of PM
26 Lords Spiritual - bishops and archbishops
92 hereditary peers - The House of Lords Act 1999 abolished the birth right to peerage
✔✔What happens in the House of Lords? - ✔✔Works with House of Commons:
-Provides forum of independent expertise
-Check and challenge the government's actions
-Helps pass legislation
60% time spent on legislation
40% time spent on scrutiny (questioning government and debating issues and policy)
'on the floor' = in the chamber
'off the floor' = out of chamber
✔✔Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - ✔✔Sets and regulates MPs'
salaries, pensions, business costs and expenses
Publish all MPs' claims and expenses
Introduced largely due to the expenses scandal
✔✔Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards - ✔✔Regulates MP behaviour
Oversees registers of interest (including financial)
Ensures adherence to Code of Conduct
Considers allegations of code breaches (only applies to MPs not employees of an MP)
Kathryn Stone OBE
✔✔Issues relating to Britain in Europe - ✔✔Loss of sovereignty:
-Democratic deficit (lack of accountability for citizens, lack of access to decision-making
process, distance from policy, European Commission has 'proposed' commissioners -
unfair)
-Too many rules - over regulation - e.g. international trade
,-Strong British history undermined by membership - we can stand alone
Uncontrolled migration:
-Border controls/ points systems - UK wants its own so it can have more control
-Net migration climbs annually
-Do immigrants exploit welfare system?
Money:
-We pay lots into EU
-How much is trade worth?
-We receive rebates/ grants
-Knock on effect of loss of economic stability after Brexit - NHS, Britain will be poorer -
esp. because of Covid
Debt Crises:
-Greek crisis
-Big bailouts
Labour shortages:
-Rotting crops
-Lack of NHS staff
Trade:
-Potential for trade deals across the globe
-Leaving the single market
Loss of business grants
Long, complex process and not guaranteed a good deal
✔✔Eurosceptic - ✔✔Also known as a Europhile
Person opposed to increasing powers of the EU
✔✔Superstate - ✔✔Large and powerful state formed from a federation or union of
states
✔✔Sovereign debt crisis - ✔✔Economic and financial problems caused by the
(perceived) inability of a country to pay public debt
✔✔Schengen Area - ✔✔26 countries
Abolished passport and immigration controls at their common borders
Functions as a single country for international travel purposes
Common visa policy
✔✔European single market - ✔✔Eu's barrier free economic space created after 1985
, Guarantees free movement of goods, capital, services and people in the EU
✔✔Article 50 - ✔✔Clause in EU's Lisbon Treaty (2009)
Outlines the steps for a country to take when leaving the EU bloc voluntarily
Kick-starts the formal exit process
✔✔Eurozone - ✔✔18 countries
Those countries in the EU that use the Euro as their common currency
Monetary rules are created and maintained by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt
Latvia was latest to join in 2014
✔✔European Union - ✔✔28 states
500 million people
Once was the European Economic Community (EEC)
Eurozone
✔✔EU Key institutions - ✔✔-European Commission (33 commissioners are 'proposed'
causing democratic deficit)
-Council of Ministers (senior ministers from member states - has final say on policy)
-European Parliament (Where MEPs sit)
-European Court of Justice (not to be confused with European Court of Human Rights)
-Council of Europe
-European Court of Human Rights
✔✔Rights of journalist - Legislation - ✔✔Local Government (Access to Information) Act
1985 gave press and public right to all council, committee and subcommittee meetings,
unless information was 'confidential' or 'exempt'
Local Government Act 2000 introduced signif limitations on press and public right to
access meetings who have new 'executive' style decision making - cabinets could meet
in private
Local Government Act 2011 increased transparency - compels councils to hold all
meetings in public, including cabinet and executive meetings, other than in exceptional
cases - cabinet can still meet in private if information is 'confidential' or 'exempt'
✔✔Rights of journalist and access to information - ✔✔-Right to agenda papers
-Right to public register
-Right to watch proceedings/ reasonable accommodation
-Right to meeting minutes
-Right to register of planning applications
-Right to records of payments made to councillors
-Right to background papers
-Right to general financial information
-Right to councillor code of conduct
