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Students Zone - Self test questions
Use these questions both to test your detailed knowledge of each chapter. Make a note of your answers and then consult the answers page on this website. If you score less than 12 correct answers for any chapter, you probably need to spend more time re-reading and revising its contents.
CHAPTER 10: Parliament in the Westminster System
1. Of the two chambers of the Westminster Parliament:
a) The Commons and Lords are equal in their power
b) The Commons is more powerful
c) The Lords is more powerful
2. Portcullis House is:
a) The modern offices of MPs
b) The traditional home of the Speaker of the House of Commons
c) The main Chamber of the House of Lords
3. The House of Commons consists of:
a) Members elected for a single member territorial constituency
b) Members elected for large multi member constituencies
c) Members elected from a national party list
4. Party organisation in the House of Commons:
a) Is very important
b) Is fairly important
c) Is unimportant
5. 'Whips' are:
a) Servants of Parliament who attend to the special needs of MPs
b) Party officers who guide MPs on how to vote
c) Personal private assistants to MPs
6. The main debate on the principles of proposed legislation takes place:
a) At First Reading
b) At Second Reading
c) At Third Reading
7. Backbench MPs spend:
a) More time serving on Committees than in the Chamber of the House
b) More time in the Chamber of the House than serving on Committees
c) About the same amount of time on both
8. A Select Committee of the House:
a) Scrutinises legislative proposals
b) Scrutinises the working of some branch of the Executive
c) Scrutinises both
9. MPs have had to declare outside interests in a Register on interests since:
a) 1689
b) 1974
c) 1994
10. Backbench MPs:
a) Must refer all complaints from their constituents to the Ombudsman
b) May refer any complaint from their constituents to the Ombudsman
c) Are not allowed to refer complaints to the Ombudsman
11. The House of Lords' power of delay over Commons' legislative proposals was first limited in:
a) 2001
b) 1949
c) 1911
12. Life Peers were first created in:
a) 1997
b) 1958
c) 1911
13. The House of Lords Act 1999:
a) Abolished the voting rights of all hereditary peers
b) Abolished the voting rights of all but a minority of hereditary peers
c) Made no change in the voting rights of hereditary peers
14. The Labour Government's 1999 reforms:
a) Settled the issue of Lords reform
b) Introduced no reforms to the position of the House of Lords
c) Introduced some reforms of the House of Lords
15. The Westminster House of Commons is:
a) The only democratically elected parliament in the UK
b) Is one of two parliaments with members democratically elected by voters in the UK
c) Is one of several democratically elected parliaments and assemblies in the UK
