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WalesPoliticsQuick questions
Government in Wales and the UK (AS Unit 1)
Quick questions on Parliament: the House of Commons and House of Lords - WJEC A-Level Government and Politics
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are the House of Commons?Show answer
Because the government is normally formed by the party with a Commons majority, the Commons both sustains and is meant to check the executive, a tension at the heart of Unit 1.
What are the House of Lords?Show answer
The Lords revises and improves legislation, scrutinises government, and provides expertise, but it cannot ultimately block most legislation. Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 it can delay non-financial bills for about a year but not veto them, and by the Salisbury convention it does not block measures from the governing party's manifesto.
What are scrutiny that works and its limits?Show answer
Select committees show Parliament at its most effective: their cross-party reports can embarrass ministers and shape policy, drawing on expert evidence outside the whipped chamber. Yet the same Parliament shows the limits of scrutiny when a government with a large majority uses the whip and timetable to pass contested legislation despite opposition. The contrast captures the essay's core tension: Parliament has genuine scrutiny machinery, but the executive usually retains the upper hand.
What is q1?Show answer
How many MPs sit in the House of Commons, and how are they elected? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Name two ways the powers of the House of Lords are limited. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
To what extent does Parliament effectively scrutinise the executive? [25 marks]
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