Guides

A debate on a motion for the adjournment of the House (an adjournment debate) allows for an issue to be debated before the House of Commons then adjourns for the day.Read More

All Party Groups provide an opportunity for parliamentarians to engage with individuals and organisations outside Parliament who share an interest in the subject matter of their Group. They focus either on countries or particular topics.Read More

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland describes itself as a non-sectarian party which advocates co-operation between nationalist and unionist communities. Advancing in the polls in recent years, the Alliance Party is now the third largest political party in Northern Ireland.Read More

There are 26 Bishops from the Church of England (the Lords Spiritual) who currently have an automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. Alongside, the Vatican and Iran, the UK is one of just three countries in the world, where "clerics" are automatically entitled to participate in law making.Read More

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is entitled to an annual salary of £161,401. All of his recent predecessors as Prime Minister have been able to command substantial earnings and fees on leaving office.Read More

The Cabinet is the pre-eminent body of government of the United Kingdom. Meetings of the full Cabinet are normally held once a week on a Thursday morning, although historically the frequency has varied.Read More

Cabinet Committees are groupings of Ministers designed to take the pressure off full Cabinet and to provide a lower-level forum for decision-making. Cabinet Committees are set up by the Prime Minister, and he or she appoints their membership.  Read More

The 2014 Care Act changed the way that adults in England who require care due to old age, illness or disability receive support. At the heart of the Care Act is the 'wellbeing principle', which establishes local authorities' responsibility to safeguard and further the wellbeing of those under their jurisdiction.Read More

The 1989 Children Act brought together and simplified existing legislation relating to the care of children.  Within family law, it shifted the legislative focus towards keeping families together, and valuing children as individuals with their own interests and rights.Read More

The Civil Service is the operational and management tool of the Government. Civil servants implement the outcomes of the policy-making process under the supervision of Government Ministers.Read More

A Committee of the Whole House is when the Committee Stage of a Bill is taken on the floor of the House of Commons. Such committees normally only take place for emergency Bills, for certain clauses of the Finance Bill and for the clauses of Bills that have constitutional significance.Read More

The 2006 Companies Act is the main Act now regulating British company law. It replaced the Companies Acts of 1985 and 1989. The Act is said to be the longest piece of legislation approved by Parliament.Read More

The 1990 Computer Misuse Act represented the first major legislative attempt to tackle cyber threats and criminalise hacking, viruses, malware, and spyware. There were 441 prosecutions under the Computer Misuse Act between 2007 and 2018.Read More

The Conservative Party is the governing party in the British House of Commons. Sitting on the centre right of the political spectrum, the Conservatives are the oldest party still represented in Parliament. With every decade older that a voter becomes, their chance of voting Conservative is said to increase by around 9%.Read More

If a Parliamentary Bill is amended in the Lords or Commons, and the Lords or Commons reject or change the other House's amendments, it must return to the other House so it can endorse or reject the amendments.Read More

Government consultations are sounding exercises on the possibility of a government policy or a change in policy.Read More

The aim of the 2015 Consumer Rights Act is designed to aid both consumers and retailers in understanding their rights and responsibilities, and thus to reduce and simplify disputes. It also seeks to encourage business based on fair practices and access to information.Read More

The Data Protection Act 2018 manages how data is accessed and managed. The 2018 Act addresses how data is managed online, not least in light of the substantial digital advances that have occurred since the passing of the original 1998 Act.Read More

Debates in the House of Lords take place on a motion to call attention to an issue. They can also take place on an 'unstarred question', for which the procedure is broadly similar.Read More