Page 197 - DPOL202_COMPARATIVE_POLITICS_AND_GOVERNMENT_ENGLISH

Comparative Politics and Government

Notes The normal tenure of the House of Commons (as provided by the Parliament Act of 1911) is of five
years. If a member resigns or dies in office, bye-election is held to fill that seat. However, the process
of resigning a seat is fictitious. In view of the established convention, a member of the House is
expected to discharge a public duty and he should, for this sake, not resign his office until he accepts
some other office under the Crown. Thus, a member intending to resign applies to the Speaker for his
appointment as the Steward of Chiltern Hundreds or the Steward of Manor or Northstead; he soon
gets appointment and thereby relinquishes his membership as well. The House can prolong its life
beyond five years in times of grave national crisis. For instance, elections due in 1940 remained
postponed till 1945 on account of Britain’s involvement in the Second World War. The normal duration
of the House can not be changed until the Parliament Act of 1911 is revised with the concurrence of
both the Houses of Parliament.
According to a well-established convention, the Parliament must meet at least once a year to pass
certain essential bills (like renewal of Army Act) and the budget. The session normally begins in
October and continues till the autumn of next year with certain breaks on holidays. Then it is prorogued
and the unfinished business lapses. The session begins with an inaugural speech delivered by the
monarch in the House of Lords where the Commoners are also present. The House meets for five
days a week (from Monday to Friday). Certain business is exempt from normal closing time and
other business may be exempted if the House so chooses, so that it often sits later than 10 p.m. on the
first four days of the week, and all-night sittings are not uncommon.
Functions and Powers: The House of Commons is essentially a law-making body. The Parliament
Act of 1911 lays down that a money bill shall be initiated in the House of Commons and the Lords
must pass it within a period of one month. As regards non-money bills, the powers of both the
Houses are co-ordinate, though the real situation is different.
It is provided by the Parliament Act of 1949 that in case a non-money bill passed by the Commons is
rejected by the Lords and if the Commons re-adopts it in its successive session causing an interval of
one year, the concurrence of the Lords is not needed. That is the obduracy of the Lords can not do
anything beyond the delay of one year against the determination of the Commons. Facts show that
all important non-money bills are normally introduced in the House of Commons.
Curiously, now the executive powers of the House of Commons are more important than its legislative
powers. The fact that the king can do no wrong implying responsibility of the ministers has left in the
hands of the Commons a major power to exercise control over the ministers. The members may ask
questions from the ministers to show that they exercise check over the government. Motions of
adjournment may be moved (generally by the members of the opposition) to hold discussion on a
matter of urgent public importance. The opposition may go to the last extent of tabling a censure
motion to highlight the ‘crimes’ of the government and, if such a motion is carried through, it amounts
to the fall of the government. All statutory instruments issued by the departments to keep the laws of
the Parliament in operation are placed before the House for approval. When the statutory instruments
are put before the House, any member may raise a point that such and such instrument has violated
the decision of the House and then the House may hold a debate to pass or reject the order in question.
The House may outvote the government by disapproving its policy, rejecting a bill moved by a minister,
cutting the budget, or passing a motion of no-confidence.

A non-money bill passed by the Commons must be passed by the House of Lords to
avoid a crisis leading to further dimunition of its rump authority.

The House of Commons has financial powers as well. It is said that the purse of the nation is in the
hands of the Commons. All money bills and budget must be passed by the Parliament. It is the
government which prepares a money bill and budget and presents them to the House with monarch’s
formal recommendation. Until the budget is passed by the Parliament, no part of it can be implemented.
The Cabinet sees to it that the budget is passed by the House according to its policy. The discussion
over the demands of ministers gives to the members (particularly of the Opposition) an opportunity

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