How is the UK Parliament structured, and what does it do?
The UK Parliament at Westminster: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch, and Parliament's roles in making law, scrutinising government and representing the public, including Northern Ireland's place at Westminster.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the UK Parliament. Covers the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the role of the monarch, the functions of making law, scrutinising government and representation, parliamentary sovereignty, how a bill becomes law, and how Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain how the UK Parliament is structured and what it does. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the role of the monarch, the three functions of making law, scrutinising government and representation, the idea of parliamentary sovereignty, and an understanding of how Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster. Keep clear the difference between Parliament (which makes law and holds government to account) and the government (the Prime Minister and Cabinet, studied separately).
The three parts of Parliament
The UK Parliament is made up of three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch (Crown). A law must pass through all three before it takes effect.
Parliamentary sovereignty
A central idea is parliamentary sovereignty.
What Parliament does
Parliament has three main functions.
- Making law. A proposal, a bill, passes through several readings, detailed committee scrutiny and votes in both Houses, then receives Royal Assent to become an Act. This is Parliament's core job.
- Scrutinising government. Parliament holds the government to account through questions (such as Prime Minister's Questions), debates, and select committees that examine each department. The opposition has a special duty to challenge and test the government.
- Representing the public. The 650 MPs represent their constituents, raise local and national issues, and reflect public opinion in debate and votes.
Northern Ireland at Westminster
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, so it sends MPs to the House of Commons.
Worked example: explaining a function
Try this
Q1. Name the three parts of the UK Parliament. [3 marks]
- Cue. The House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch (Crown).
Q2. What is parliamentary sovereignty? [2 marks]
- Cue. Parliament is the supreme law-making body and can make or unmake any law.
Q3. How is Northern Ireland represented at Westminster? [2 marks]
- Cue. It elects eighteen MPs by first-past-the-post, and some parties abstain from taking their seats.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)4 marksDescribe the two Houses of the UK Parliament.Show worked answer →
A knowledge question testing AO1. Describe each House clearly.
The House of Commons: the elected, lower House. It has 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a constituency, elected by first-past-the-post. The Commons is the more powerful House because it is elected and the government is drawn from and accountable to it.
The House of Lords: the unelected, upper House. Its members are mostly appointed life peers, with some bishops and a small number of hereditary peers. It revises and scrutinises legislation and can delay, but not permanently block, most bills.
A top answer makes clear that the Commons is elected and more powerful, while the Lords is largely appointed and revising.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)10 marksExplain the main functions of the UK Parliament.Show worked answer →
An explanation question testing AO1 and AO2. Develop each function.
Making law: Parliament is the supreme law-making body. A bill passes through readings, committee scrutiny and votes in both Houses before receiving Royal Assent and becoming an Act. This is parliamentary sovereignty: Parliament can make or unmake any law.
Scrutinising government: Parliament holds the government to account through questions such as Prime Minister's Questions, debates, and select committees that examine the work of departments. The opposition's job is to challenge and test government.
Representing the public: 650 MPs represent constituents, raise local and national concerns, and reflect public opinion.
A strong answer explains all three functions with examples, and may note that the elected Commons leads on each.
Related dot points
- The Prime Minister and Cabinet: how the UK government is formed, the powers and role of the Prime Minister, the role of the Cabinet, and collective Cabinet responsibility.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Covers how the UK government is formed after an election, the powers and role of the Prime Minister, the role of the Cabinet and ministers, collective Cabinet responsibility, and how government is accountable to Parliament.
- Elections and electoral systems: how first-past-the-post and the single transferable vote work, where each is used in the UK and Northern Ireland, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to elections and electoral systems. Covers how first-past-the-post (FPTP) and the single transferable vote (STV) work, where each is used in the UK and Northern Ireland, proportional representation, and a balanced account of the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
- The Northern Ireland Assembly: how MLAs are elected by single transferable vote across eighteen constituencies, and the Assembly's role in making laws, scrutinising the Executive and representing the public.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Covers how the ninety MLAs are elected by single transferable vote across eighteen constituencies, the Assembly's three jobs of legislating, scrutinising the Executive and representing constituents, designation, and cross-community voting.
- Political parties: their role and functions in a democracy, the difference between the Northern Ireland and wider UK party systems, manifestos, and how parties form or share government.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to political parties. Covers the role and functions of parties in a democracy, manifestos, the difference between the multi-party power-sharing system in Northern Ireland and the larger parties at Westminster, and how parties form or share government, presented neutrally and even-handedly.
- The Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement and the framework of devolution: the principle of consent, the three strands, and the key provisions on power-sharing, decommissioning, prisoner releases and policing reform.
A CCEA GCSE Government and Politics guide to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement and the framework of devolution. Covers the principle of consent, the three strands, the key provisions of power-sharing and consociationalism, decommissioning, the early release of prisoners and reform of policing, and how the Agreement underpins the Assembly and Executive.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Government and Politics specification — CCEA (2017)