Text 1. The British government structure
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1. reign [reɪn] v |
– царствовать |
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2. rule [ruːl] v |
– управлять |
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3. elect [ɪ’lekt] v |
– избирать |
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4. chamber [‘ʧeɪmbə] n |
– палата (учреждение) |
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5. House of Commons [,hausəv’kɔmənz] |
– палата общин |
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6. House of Lords [,hausəv’lɔːdz] |
– палата лордов |
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7. rewrite [ˌriː’raɪt] v |
– переписывать |
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8. certain [‘sɜːt(ə)n] adj |
– точный, определённый |
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9. bill [bɪl] n |
– законопроект |
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10. voter [‘vəutə] n |
– избиратель |
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11. constituency [kən’stɪtjuən(t)sɪ] n |
– избирательный округ |
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12. life peer [pɪə] |
– пожизненный пэр |
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13. former [‘fɔːmə] adj |
– бывший |
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14. bishop [‘bɪʃəp] n |
– епископ |
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15. hereditary [hɪ’redət(ə)rɪ ], [he-] peer |
– наследственный пэр |
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16. ancestor [‘ænsəstə] n |
– прародитель, предок |
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17. appoint [ə’pɔɪnt] v |
– назначать |
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18. Shadow Cabinet [ˌʃædəǔ ‘kæbɪnɪt] |
– «теневой кабинет» (кабинет министров, намечаемый лидерами оппозиции) |
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19. Chancellor of the Exchequer [,tʃɑːnsələrəvðɪɪks’tʃekə] |
– канцлер казначейства (министр финансов Великобритании) |
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20. symbolic(al) [sɪm’bɔlɪk((ə)l)] adj |
– символический |
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21. throne [θrəun] n |
– трон; престол |
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22. ceremonial [ˌserɪ’məunɪəl] adj |
– церемониальный |
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23. carriage [‘kærɪʤ] n |
– карета |
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24. banquet [‘bæŋkwɪt] n |
– банкет; званый обед |
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25. the Commonwealth [‘kɔmənwelθ] |
– Содружество (межгосударственное объединение Великобритании и большинства бывших английских доминионов, колоний и зависимых территорий. Включает 50 государств; создавалось Великобританией для сохранения её экономических и военно-политических позиций в подвластных странах и территориях; население около 1435 млн. человек) |
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen.
In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head.
The British Parliament has two houses, or chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is the most powerful and decides national policy, but the House of Lords can ask the House of Commons to rewrite certain parts of a bill before it becomes a new law.
The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament, MPs. Each MP is elected by voters in one constituency (region). There are 651 MPs, or seats, in the House of Commons (524 for England, 72 for Scotland, 38 for Wales and 17 for Northern Ireland). In 1994, there were only 59 women MPs.
The 1203 members of the House of Lords are not elected. Some are life peers: they are members of the House of Lords, but their sons or daughters cannot be members. Life peers are usually former members of the House of Commons. There are also a number of judges or bishops. The majority (774), however, are hereditary peers, the heads of aristocratic families. This means that most members of the House of Lords are there because of something their ancestors did. The head of both Houses of Parliament is the Queen, but she has very little power.
Forming a government
The party with most MPs forms the government. The leader of the winning party automatically becomes Prime Minister and appoints the Cabinet. The members of the Cabinet are the leading government ministers. The Prime Minister is the most important person in Parliament (Britain does not have a President). The party who comes second is the Opposition and forms its own Shadow Cabinet.
British Prime Ministers have lived at 10 Downing Street since 1731. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (responsible for money and finance) lives next door at number 11. People often talk about “Downing Street” when they mean the Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet.
Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the monarch is the Head of State. The Queen is also the head of the judiciary (all the judges) and of the Church of England, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Her face is on all British bank notes, coins and postage stamps.
The Queen’s constitutional role, however, is mainly symbolic. True power lies in the hands of the Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet. It is the Queen who formally opens Parliament every autumn, but the speech she makes from the throne, giving details of the government’s future plans, is written for her by politicians. Nothing becomes British law without the monarch’s signature, but the Queen would never refuse to sign a bill which has been passed by Parliament. It is the Queen who officially appoints the Prime Minister, but traditionally she always asks the leader of the party with a majority in the House of Commons.
The most important function of the Queen is ceremonial. On great occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament, she is driven through the streets in a golden carriage, guarded by soldiers. She gives a state banquet, usually in her home Buckingham Palace, when foreign monarchs or Heads of State visit Britain and soldiers dressed in eighteenth-century uniforms help her welcome them.
The Queen is head of the Commonwealth (a group of former and present-day British colonies). As head of the Commonwealth, she meets and entertains prime ministers of the member states.
Since Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, she had represented Britain in visits to most parts of the world. Prime Ministers come and go, but she carries on above politics, a symbol of British traditions.
Vaughan-Rees M., Bystrom P., Beteman S. In Britain. Chancerel, Изд-во Титул, С. 14-15.
Text 1. The House of Commons – what Members of Parliament do
Members of Parliament (MPs) have many duties that involve them in different activities at the House of Commons and in their constituencies.
Representing constituents’ interests
MPs spend some time each week working in their constituency and dealing with constituents’ problems. An MP will often be able to advise on how to address a particular issue and may write to the relevant authority or Minister on behalf of a constituent. MPs can also raise local or personal issues in a variety of ways in the House of Commons.
Legislation
The House of Commons examines and passes proposals for new laws, generally in the form of Bills presented to Parliament by the Government. Individual backbench MPs can also present Bills but there is not as much time available for discussion of these “Private Members’ Bills”. The Government cannot simply legislate on its own – it requires the approval of the House of Commons and the House of Lords for new laws (though the House of Lords has no say in financial measures). Bills are usually amended during their passage through both Houses, and Bills that pass through all the required stages become Acts of Parliament. Most of the detailed examination of Bills in the House of Commons is carried out in General Committees.
Scrutinising Government
A major role of the House of Commons is to subject the policies and actions of the Government to public scrutiny. The Government runs the country but Parliament holds the Government to account. When Government Minister make statements in the House of Commons, they are interrogated by the Opposition and by individual Members of all parties. MPs can also question Ministers directly during the periods given over to question time in the House of Commons. Written questions are also put to Ministers and the answers are included in the published Official Report of proceedings.
Select Committees
Another way in which the work of the Government is scrutinised is through the departmental Select Committees. These committees, made up of Members from all parties, examine the expenditure, administration and policy of Government Departments. They conduct inquiries into subjects within their remit and take evidence from interested bodies. Ministers often appear before them and answer questions. Select Committee reports typically make a number of recommendations for action by the Government.
Approving taxation and expenditure
In order for the Government to be able to implement its policies, it has to raise money through taxation. The Government presents its taxation plans to the House of Commons annually when the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers the “Budget” statement. The House has to approve the levels of taxation being proposed and must also approve the Government’s expenditure plans.
Procedure in debate
The Speaker sits in the Speaker’s Chair at the end of the Table of the House. The Government sits to the Speaker’s right and the Opposition to the Speaker’s left. It is the Speaker’s duty to keep order in debate and to call MPs to speak. The MP selected must address the Chair, and must refer to other MPs by their constituency or to Ministers by their office. Thus MPs will refer to each other as “The Honourable Member for…” or (to Privy Counsellors) “The Right Honourable Member for…” If the MP referred to is of the same party, they will generally be “My Honourable Friend”. By custom, only Ministers and Opposition spokesmen and women (front-benchers) may speak from the Despatch Boxes.
Debates in the House of Commons are always based on a motion. (e.g. “That the…Order be approved” or “That the Bill be read a second time”). At the end of the debate the Chair (the Speaker or, in the case of a Committee Stage of a Bill, the Chairman) will put the question. A Division (vote) of the house may follow, which requires MPs to walk through the appropriate “Aye” or “No” lobby adjoining the Chamber. Tellers announce the results of divisions to the Speaker or Chairman.
Text 2. The House of Lords – what it does
It processes and revises legislation
Bills have through various stages in both to go Houses before they receive Royal Assent and become Acts. The Lords spends about two-thirds of its time revising or initiating legislation.
It acts as a check on the Government
Members question the Government orally or by written questions, they debate policy issues and scrutinise secondary legislation.
It provides a forum of independent expertise
Specialist Committees use members’ wide-ranging expertise. The European Union Committee’s 7 sub-committees involving over 70 members who vet proposed European legislation. The Science and Technology Committee involves over 20 Members in examining science policy. There are also Committees on the Constitution and Economic affairs.
It acts as a final Court of Appeal
The House, through its Appellate Committee, fulfills this function for the United Kingdom in civil cases and for England, Northern Ireland and Wales in criminal cases. Its sittings, on the Committee corridor, are open to the public.
Legislation: Lords Stages
1st Reading: Formal announcement
2nd Reading: Debate on general principles.
Committee: Detailed consideration of amendments in the Chamber but sometimes “off the floor” depending on nature of Bill.
Report: Further chance for Report: amendments.
3rd Reading: Last chance to amend
Consideration of Commons Amendments
Royal Assent: By the Queen.
Some important dates in the history of the House of Lords
14th century – The Lords begin to sit in a separate House from the Commons. Members of the House of Lords are drawn from the Church Lords Spiritual) and from magnates chosen by the Monarch Lords Temporal, while Commons members represent the shires and boroughs.
15th century – Lords Temporal become known as «peers».
18th century – Acts of Union with Scotland (1707 and Ireland (1800) entitle Scottish and Irish peers to elect representatives to sit in the Lords.
1834 – The Palace of Westminster, including the House of Lords. is destroyed by fire. Rebuilding of the new Palace, designed by Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. begins in 1840.
1847 – The House of Lords first sits in its new chamber.
1876 Appellate Jurisdiction Act – Creates Lords of Appeal in ordinary Law Lords) to carry out the judicial work of the House as the final Court of Appeal.
1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts – Allow some bills to become Acts without the consent of the Lords and limit the power to delay other bills to one year.
1958 Life Peerages Act – Creates baronies “for life” for men and women: women sit in the House for the first time.
1963 Peerage Act – Allows hereditary peers to disclaim their peerages, and hereditary peeresses and all Scottish peers to sit in the House.
1999 House of Lords Act – Removes the right of all except 92 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House.
2005 Constitutional Reform – Act Sets up a Supreme Court (from October 2009), separating the judicial and legislative functions.