NCTJ PUBLIC AFFAIRS CORRECT EXAMS STUDY
GUIDED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔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
-Right to copies of reports into allegations of maladministration by Local Government
Ombudsman
-Right to 3 days' notice of open meetings and at least 28 days' notice of any matters to
be heard in private
-Right to council's annual accounts, annual audit (including right to inspect certain
items), performance indicators and future performance plans
-Right to full annual report (indicating how well the authority has performed in
comparison to similar councils)
✔✔Agenda papers - ✔✔Orders of business and all reports prepared by officers must be
available on day of open meeting
No matters to be heard unless listed on agenda at least 3 days prior, unless urgent and
not foreseen
Available on Cornwall Council website
GUIDED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔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
-Right to copies of reports into allegations of maladministration by Local Government
Ombudsman
-Right to 3 days' notice of open meetings and at least 28 days' notice of any matters to
be heard in private
-Right to council's annual accounts, annual audit (including right to inspect certain
items), performance indicators and future performance plans
-Right to full annual report (indicating how well the authority has performed in
comparison to similar councils)
✔✔Agenda papers - ✔✔Orders of business and all reports prepared by officers must be
available on day of open meeting
No matters to be heard unless listed on agenda at least 3 days prior, unless urgent and
not foreseen
Available on Cornwall Council website
