C) The British Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords).

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 650 MPs, or seats, in the House of Commons, each representing a constituency. The government brings bills to the House of Commons, where they are discussed by MPs. The bills then go to the House of Lords. The House of Lords can suggest changes to a bill, but does not have the power to stop it from becoming law. When the bills come back to the Commons, MPs vote on them, and if they passed they are signed by the Queen or King and become Acts of Parliament, which means that they become part of British law. Parliament controls and criticizes the government in office, which is particularly exercised during the Question Time when MPs may ask any questions on any aspects of the government activities.

The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker. He is chosen from the members but, once elected, is no longer considered a party man. He chairs the debates. The Leader of the House is responsible for organizing the work of the British Parliament.

The leader of the main party opposing the government is called the Leader of the Opposition. The Opposition has a duty to challenge government policies and to present an alternative programme. The Opposition functions as a system of checks and balances.

The House of Lords today is a place of discussion and debate, and it normally passes legislation already approved by the House of Commons. This house has relatively little power.

Membership of the House of Lords was once a right of birth to hereditary peers, but following a series of reforms the House now consists almost entirely of appointed members. Nowadays the House of Lords has 743 members.

The House of Lords comprises the lords temporal (life peers and hereditary peers) and the lords spiritual. Hereditary peers are the heads of aristocratic families. Life peers are given their title as a reward for their good work. The bishops and archbishops in the Church of England who are members of the House of Lords are called the lords spiritual.

The head of both Houses of Parliament is the Queen. She enters the Palace of Westminster only on the day of the State Opening of Parliament at the beginning of the session. Crowned and wearing many of the finest Crown Jewels, she makes her speech from the throne in the House of Lords.

Before the throne in the House of Lords, and dividing the benches, is the Woolsack upon which the Lord Speaker presides over the lords. By tradition the Woolsack is stuffed with wool from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and from Commonwealth countries. The Peers’ benches, covered in red leather, are arranged in five rows on either side of the House. Members of the Government and their supporters are to the right of the throne, and those of the Opposition to the left. The galleries are reserved for diplomats and distinguished strangers or guests, and reporters.

Before every sitting of the House of Commons, the Speaker wearing wig and gown walks in procession to the Chamber from his residence within the Royal Palace. The benches in the House of Commons are covered in green leather. The floor of the House is covered by a green carpet bearing on either side a red stripe, over which no Member may cross when addressing the House. The front bench on the Speaker’s right is for the Prime Minister and the leading members of the Government. The Leader of the Opposition and his supporters are on the Speaker’s left.

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B) The monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The queen’s role. The royal family.	\|	D) The Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Local government.

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