UNIT 4: POLITICS

READING 1 – BRITISH PARLIAMENT

The activities of Parliament in Britain are more or less the same as those of the
parliament in any western democracy. It makes new laws, gives authority for the
government to raise and spend money, keeps a close eye on government activities
and discusses these activities.
The British Parliament works in a large building called the Palace of Westminster
(popularly known as ‘the Houses of Parliament’). This contains offices, committee
rooms, restaurants, bars, libraries, and even some places of residence. It also
contains two larger rooms. One of these is where the House of Lords holds its
meetings. The other is where the House of Commons holds its meetings. The
British Parliament is divided into these two ‘houses’ and its members belong to
one or other of them, although only members of the Commons are known as MPs
(Members of Parliament). The Commons is by far the more important of the two.
1. The atmosphere of Parliament
Look at the pictures of the inside of the meeting room of the House of Commons.
Its design and layout differ from the interior of the parliament buildings in most
other countries. These differences can tell us a lot about what is distinctive about
the British Parliament.

First, notice the seating arrangements. There are just two rows of benches facing
each other. On the left of the picture are the government benches, where the MPs
of the governing party sit. On the right are the opposition benches. There is no
opportunity in this layout for a reflection of all the various shades of political
opinion as there is with a semi-circle). According to where they sit, MPs are seen
to be either ‘for’ the government (supporting it) or against it. This physical division
is emphasized by the table on the floor of the House between the two rows of
benches. The Speaker’s Chair, which is raised some way off the floor, is also here.
From this commanding position, the Speaker chairs (that is, controls) debate (The
Speaker). The arrangement encourages confrontation between government and
opposition. It also reinforces psychologically the reality of the British wo-party
system. There are no ‘cross-benches’ for MPs who belong neither to the governing
party nor the main opposition party. In practice, these MPs sit on the opposition
benches furthest from the Speaker’s chair (at the bottom right of the picture).
Second, the Commons has no special place for people to stand when they are
speaking. MPs simply stand up and speak from wherever they are sitting. Third,
notice that there are no desks for the MPs. The benches where they sit are exactly
and only that - benches, just as in a church. This makes it physically easy for them
to drift in and drift out of the room - something that they frequently do. Fourth,
notice that the room itself is very small. In fact, there isn’t enough room for all the
MPs. There are about 650 of them , but there is seating for fewer than 400. A
candidate at an election is said to have won a ‘seat’ in the Commons, but this seat
is imaginary. MPs do not have their ‘own’ place to sit. No names are marked on
the benches. MPs just sit down wherever (on ‘their’ side of the House) they can
find room.
All these features result in a rather informal atmosphere. Individual MPs, without
their own ‘territory’ (which a personal seat and desk would give them), are
encouraged to cooperate. Moreover, the small size of the House, together with the
lack of a podium or dais from which to address it, means that MPs do not normally
speak in the way that they would at a large public rally. MPs normally speak in a
rather conversational tone and, because they have nowhere to place their notes
while speaking, they do not normally speak for very long either. It is only on
particularly important occasions, when all the MPs are present, that passionate
oratory is sometimes used. On these occasions, the fact that some 200 MPs have to
stand (because there is no seating room left) makes it clear that it is an important
occasion!
It should be noted that the House of Commons was deliberately designed like this.
Historically, it was an accident: in medieval times, the Commons first began
meeting in a church, and churches of that time often had rows of benches facing
each other. But after the House of Commons was badly dam aged by bombing in
1941, it was deliberately rebuilt according to the old pattern (with one or two
modern com forts such as central heating added). This was because of a belief in
the two-way ‘for and against’ tradition, and also because of a more general belief
in continuity.
The ancient habits are preserved today in the many detailed rules and customs of
procedure which all new MPs have to learn. The most noticeable of these is the
rule that forbids MPs to address one another by name. All remarks and questions
must go ‘through the chair’. An MP who is speaking refers to or asks a question of
‘the honourable member for Winchester’ or ‘my right honourable friend’. The
fellow MP concerned may be sitting directly opposite, but the MP never says
‘you’. These ancient rules were originally formulated to take the ‘heat’ out of
debate and decrease the possibility that violence might break out. Today, they lend
a touch of formality which balances the informal aspects of the Com mons and
further increases the feeling of MPs that they belong to a special group of people.
The Speaker
Anybody who happened to be watching the live broadcast of
Parliament on 23 October 2000 was able to witness
anextraordinary spectacle. They saw an elderly male MP being
physically dragged, apparently against his will, out of his seat
on the back benches by fellow MPs and being forced to sit in
the large chair in the middle of the House of Commons.
What the House of Commons was actually doing was
appointing a new Speaker. The Speaker is the person who
chairs and controls discussion in the House, decides which MP
is going to speak next and makes sure that the rules of
procedure are followed. (If they are not, the Speaker has the
power to demand a public apology from an MP or even to ban
an MP from the House for a number of days.) It is a very
important position. In fact, the Speaker is, officially, the
second most important ‘commoner’ (non-aristocrat) in the
kingdom after the Prime Minister.
Why, then, did the man in that scene (Michael Martin MP)
appear to be resisting? The reason is history. Hundreds of
years ago, it was the Speaker’s job to communicate the
decisions of the Commons to the king (that is where the title
‘Speaker’ comes from). Because the king was often very
displeased with what the Commons had decided, this was not
a pleasant task. As a result, nobody wanted the job. They had
to be forced to take it.
These days, the position is a much safer one, but the tradition
of dragging an unwilling Speaker to the chair has remained.
MPs in the House always address the Speaker as ‘Mr Speaker’
or ‘Madame Speaker’. Once a new Speaker has been
appointed, he or she agrees to give up all party politics and
normally remains in the job for as long as he or she wants it.

Question Time
This is the best attended, and usually the noisiest, part of the
parliamentary day. For about an hour, there is no subject for
debate. Instead, MPs are allowed to ask questions of
government ministers. In this way, they can, in theory at
least, force the government to make certain facts public and
 to make its intentions clear. Opposition MPs in particular have
an opportunity to make government ministers look
incompetent or perhaps dishonest.
The questions and answers, however, are not spontaneous.
Questions to ministers have to be ‘tabled’ (written down and
placed on the table below the Speaker’s chair) two days in
advance, so that ministers have time to prepare their
answers. In this way, the government can usually avoid major
embarrassment. The trick, though, is to ask an unexpected
‘supplementary’ question. After the minister has answered the
tabled question, the MP who originally tabled it is allowed to
ask a further question relating to the minister's answer. In this
way, it is sometimes possible for MPs to catch a minister
unprepared.
Question Time has been widely copied around the world. It is
also probably the aspect of Parliament best known to the
general public. The vast majority of television news excerpts
of Parliament are taken from this period of its day. Especially
common is for the news to show an excerpt from the 15
minutes each week when it is the Prime Minister’s turn to
answer questions.
Hansard
This is the name given to the daily verbatim reports of
everything that has been said in the Commons. They are
published within 48 hours of the day they cover.
2. An MP’s life
Traditionally, MPs were not supposed to be specialist politicians. They were
supposed to be ordinary people who gave some of their time to keeping an eye on
the government and representing the people. Ideally, they came from all walks of
life, bringing their experience of the everyday world into Parliament with them.
This is why MPs were not even paid until the beginning of the twentieth century.
Traditionally, they were supposed to be doing the public a service, not making a
career for themselves. Of course, this tradition meant that only rich people could
afford to be MPs so that, although they did indeed come from a wide variety of
backgrounds, these were always backgrounds of power and wealth. Even now,
British MPs, in comparison with many of their European counterparts, do not get
paid very much and, for such a high-status role, their working conditions are
somewhat cramped.
This earlier amateur ideal does not, of course, reflect modern reality. Politics in
Britain in the last half century has become professional. Most MPs are full-time
politicians. If they do another job, it is only part-time. But the amateur tradition is
still reflected in the hours of business of the Commons. Until 2003, the House
never ‘sat’ in the mornings. This is when, in the traditional ideal, MPs would be
doing their ordinary work or pursuing other interests outside Parliament (When the
Commons sits). The House also gives itself quite long holidays, similar to those of
schools in Britain (including half-terms).
But this apparently easy life is misleading. In fact, the average modern MP spends
more time at work than any other professional in the country. The prepared
timetable of sittings sometimes has to be extended and occasionally the House
debates all through the night and through the next day without a break. MPs’
mornings are taken up with committee work, research, preparing speeches and
dealing with the problems of their constituents (the people they represent). At
weekends MPs are expected to visit their constituencies (the areas they represent)
and listen to the problems of anybody who wants to see them. It is an extremely
busy life that leaves little time for pursuing another career. It does not leave MPs
much time for their families either. Politicians have a higher rate of divorce than
the national average.
When the Commons sits
The day in the main chamber of the House of Commons
normally follows the following order:
1. Prayers (one minute)
2. Question Time (one hour)
3. Miscellaneous business, such as a statement from a
minister (up to 45 minutes)
4. Main business (up to six and a half hours). On more than
half of the days, this is a debate on a proposal for a new law,
known as ‘a bill’. Most of these bills are introduced by the
government but some days in each year are reserved for
‘private members’ bills’; that is, bills introduced by individual
MPs. Not many of these become law, because there is not
enough interest among other MPs and not enough time for
proper discussion of them.
5. Adjournment debate (half an hour). The main business
stops and MPs are allowed to bring up a different matter for
general discussion.
The parliamentary day used to run from 2.30 p.m. to 10.30
p.m. But in 2003, the hours were changed, with sessions
starting in the morning and finishing by early evening. The
intention was to allow MPs more time with their families and to
present a more normal, sober, nine-to-five image to the
public.
The change was also a recognition that, with so many more
women MPs than before, some of them with young children,
the Commons is no longer a gentleman’s club.
But the new hours were very unpopular, and not only with
male MPs. Mornings have always been used for committee
work, and now these committees had to start working before 9
a.m. Some MPs complained they no longer had time to drop
their children off at school. Others, who did not live near
London and so could not return to their homes anyway,
wandered around in the evening like lost souls. The new
system meant MPs had to cram all their other duties into a
much shorter period.
At the time of writing a compromise has been reached. The
old hours are used for Mondays and Tuesdays and the new
ones for Wednesdays and Thursdays, as follows:
Monday 2.30 p.m. - 10.30 p.m.
Tuesday 2.30 p.m. - 10.30 p.m.
Wednesday 11.30 a.m. - 7.30 p.m.
Thursday 10.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.
 Friday 9.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. (the House does not ‘sit’ every
Friday)
3. Parliamentary business
The basic procedure by which the Commons conducts its business is by debate on
a particular proposal, followed by a resolution which either accepts or rejects the
proposal. Sometimes this resolution just expresses a viewpoint, but most often it is
a matter of framing a new law or of approving (or not approving) the government’s
plan to raise taxes or spend money in certain ways. Occasionally, there is no need
to take a vote, but there usually is, and at such times there is a ‘division’. That is,
MPs have to vote for or against a particular proposal. They do this by walking
through one of two corridors at the side of the House - one side for the ‘Ayes’
(those who agree with the proposal) and the other for the ‘Noes’ (those who
disagree).
But the resolutions of the Commons are only part of its activities. There are also
the committees. Some committees are appointed to examine particular proposals
for laws, but there are also perm anent committees whose job is to investigate the
activities of government in a particular field. These committees comprise about
forty members and are formed to reflect the relative strengths of the parties in the
Commons as a whole. They have the power to call certain people, such as civil
servants, to come and answer their questions. They are becoming an increasingly
important part of the business of the Commons.
How a bill becomes a law
Before a proposal for a new law starts its progress through Parliament, there
will have been much discussion. If it is a government proposal, either a Green
Paper (which explores the background and ideas behind the proposal) or a
White Paper (the same thing but more explicit and committed) or both will
probably have been published, explaining the ideas behind the proposal.
After this, lawyers draft the proposal into a bill.
Most bills begin in the House of Commons, where they go through a num ber
of stages:
First Reading This is a formal announcement only, with no debate.
 Second Reading The House debates the general principles of the bill
and, in most cases, takes a vote.
Committee Stage A committee of MPs examines the details of the bill and
votes on amendments (changes) to parts of it.
Report Stage The House considers the amendments.
Third Reading The amended bill is debated as a whole
The bill is sent to the House of Lords, where it goes through the same stages.
(If the Lords make new amendments, these will be considered by the
Commons.)
After both Houses have reached agreement, the bill receives the royal assent
and thus becomes an Act of Parliament which can be applied as part of the
law.
4. The party system in Parliament
Most divisions take place along party lines. MPs know that they own their position
to their party, so they nearly always vote the way that their party tells them to. The
people whose job is to make sure that MPs do this are called the Whips. Each of
the two major parties has several MPs who perform this role. It is their job to
inform all MPs in their party how they should vote. By tradition, if the government
loses a vote in Parliament on a very important matter, it has to resign. Therefore,
when there is a division on such a matter, MPs an expected to go to the House and
vote even if they have not been the during the debate.
The Whips act as intermediaries between the backbenchers and the frontbench of a
party (Frontbenchers and backbenchers). They keep the party leadership informed
about backbench opinion. They are powerful people. Because they ‘have the ear’
of the party leaders, they can influence which backbenchers get promoted to the
front bench. For reasons such as this, ‘rebellions’ among a group of MPs (in which
they vote against their party) are very rare.
Sometimes, the major parties allow a ‘free vote’, when MPs vote according to their
own beliefs and not according to party policy. Some quite important decisions,
such as the abolition of the death penalty, allowing TV cameras into the Commons
and the banning of foxhunting (see unit 3) have been made in this way.
 Frontbenchers and backbenchers
Although MPs do not have their own personal seats in the
Commons, there are two seating areas reserved for particular
MPs. These areas are the front benches on either side of the
House. These benches are where the leading members of the
governing party (i.e. ministers) and the leading members of
the main opposition party sit. These people are thus known as
frontbenchers. MPs who do not hold a government post or a
post in the shadow cabinet are known as backbenchers.
5. The House of Lords
Most parliamentary systems have a second chamber. The British one is called the
House of Lords. Like some other second chambers, the House of Lords has no real
power and only limited influence, although the Lords can delay a bill, they cannot
stop it becoming law in the end, even if they continue to refuse it. Its role,
therefore, is a consultative one. In the Lords, bills can be discussed in more detail
than the busy Commons has time for - and in this way irregularities or
inconsistencies in these proposals can be avoided before they become law. In
addition, the Lords act as a forum for discussion, and can sometimes bring to
attention matters that the Commons has been ignoring. Most importantly of all, it
is argued, the Lords can act is a check on any governments which, through their
control of the Commons, are becoming too dictatorial.
But who are the members of the House of Lords and how do they get there? Its
name suggests that its members are aristocrats. In fact, only a very small
proportion of them are there by hereditary right and even these are unlikely to be
there for much longer. It took Britain a long time to reform this undemocratic
aspect of its political system. Until 1958, all of the Lords were indeed aristocrats.
Then the first step was taken. A law was passed which made it possible to award
life peerages’ through the honours system. These gave people entitlement to sit in
the Lords but not the children of these people. During the second half of the
twentieth century, the life peerage system established itself as a means of finding a
place in public life for distinguished older politicians who no longer wished to be
as busy as an MP in the Commons but still wished to voice their opinions in a
public forum. At the time of writing, four of the last six Prime Ministers, as well as
hundreds of former ministers and other respected politicians, have accepted the
offer of a life peerage. Political parties are, in fact, especially keen to send their
older members who once belonged to the leadership of the party to the House of
Lords. It is a way of rewarding them with prestige but removing them from the
Commons, where their status and reputation might otherwise create trouble for the
present party leader and party unity. Informally, this practice has become known as
‘being kicked upstairs’.
By the end of the twentieth century, so many life peers had been appointed that it
was common for them to form a majority over the hereditary peers at most sitting
of the Lords (since many aristocrats are not, of course, interested in politics). The
next step was taken in 1999, when the number of aristocrats with the right to sit in
the Lords was limited to 92 (about 15% of the total members). At the same time,
the lumbers of life-peerage appointments was increased.
At the time of writing, it is not clear what the next step will be. The problem is
that, while almost everybody agrees that further reform is necessary, nobody can
agree on the best way to compose the House of Lords. Many people believe
members should be elected. But how?
And how long should they stay as members? (There would be no point in simply
replicating the model of election of MPs in the Commons.) It is widely believed
that the value of the Lords lies in the fact that its members do not depend on party
politics for their positions. Because they are there for life, they do not have to
worry about losing their positions. This means they can take decisions
independently, purely on the merits of a case. Indeed, it is noticeable that, since the
hereditary element became so small, the Lords has been more assertive more
willing to challenge the decisions of the government-controlled Commons. So
others argue that the life-peerage system should remain. This, however, raises the
question of who appoints them. At present, they are appointed either on the
recommendation of the Prime Minister, political parties or an independent body
(set up in 2000) called the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
So the small hereditary element of membership of the House of Lords remains, a
fascinating relic of older times. One last thing is worth noting. It is perhaps
typically British that there has been no serious discussion about changing the name
of the House of Lords. So, whatever happens in the future, the British second
chamber will remain as a testament to tradition.
The Lords Spiritual
As well as life peers (and, at the time of writing, the remaining
hereditary peers), there is one other kind of peer in the House
of Lords. These are the 26 most senior bishops of the Church
of England. (By tradition, the Archbishops of Canterbury and
York are also given life peerages on their retirement.) Until
2009, there was also a group of ‘Law Lords’, who fulfilled the
Lords’ role as the final court of appeal in the country. But this
role is now in the hands of the Supreme Court.
How the House of Lords lost its power
In 1910, the Liberal government proposed heavy taxes on the
rich. The House of Lords rejected the proposal. This rejection
went against a long-standing tradition that the House of
Commons had control of financial matters.
In 1910, the Liberal government proposed heavy taxes on the
rich. The House of Lords rejected the proposal. This rejection
went against a long-standing tradition that the House of
Commons had control of financial matters.
What was to happen? Revolution? No. What happened was
that the king let it be known that if the Lords rejected the
same bills again, he would appoint hundreds of new peers who
would vote for the bills - enough for the government to have a
majority in the Lords. So, in 1 911, rather than have the
prestige of their House destroyed in this way, the Lords agreed
to both bills, including the one that limited their own powers.
From that time, a bill which had been agreed in the Commons
for three years in a row could become law without the
agreement of the Lords, This was reduced to two years in
1949.
The state opening of Parliament
These photographs show two scenes from the annual state
opening of Parliament. It is an example of a traditional
ceremony which reminds MPs of their special status and of
their togetherness. In the first photograph, ‘Black Rod’, a
 servant of the Queen, is knocking on the door of the House of
Commons and demanding that the MPs let the Queen come in
and tell them what ‘her’ government is going to do in the
coming year. However, the Commons refuses her entry. In the
seventeenth century, Charles I once burst in and tried to
arrest some MPs. Ever since then, the monarch has not been
allowed to enter the Commons. Instead, the MPs agree to
come through to the House of Lords and listen to the monarch
in there. This is what they are doing in the second photograph.
By tradition, they always come through in pairs, each pair
comprising an MP from two different parties.

B. TALKING POINTS
1 In what ways do the seating arrangements in the House of Commons differ from
those in the parliament of your country? Why are they different? What difference
does this make??
2 When the Commons decide to vote, they do not vote immediately. Instead a
‘division bell’ rings throughout the Palace of Westminster, after which MPs have
ten minutes in which to vote. Why?
3 Everybody in Britain agrees that the House of Lords needs further reform. How
do you think it should be reformed?
C. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Section A: Choose the best answer.
1. What is the main function of Parliament in Britain?
A) To manage the economy
B) To oversee military operations
C) To make new laws
 D) To conduct foreign policy
2. Which two houses make up the British Parliament?
A) The Senate and the House of Commons
B) The House of Lords and the Senate
C) The House of Commons and the House of Representatives
D) The House of Lords and the House of Commons
3. Who are known as MPs in the British Parliament?
A) Members of the House of Commons
B) Members of the House of Lords
C) Members of Parliament from any house
D) Members of the governing party
4. What is distinctive about the seating arrangement in the House of Commons?
A) It is arranged in a circle.
B) It consists of rows of chairs.
C) There are two rows of benches facing each other.
D) There are individual desks for each MP.
5. How are questions posed to government ministers during Question Time?
A) They can be spontaneous.
B) They must be written and submitted in advance.
C) They can only be asked by the Speaker.
D) They are taken from the public.
6. What is Hansard?
A) The budget for Parliament
B) A committee of MPs
 C) A type of parliamentary bill
D) The official record of parliamentary debates
7. Traditionally, how were MPs viewed in relation to their roles?
A) As full-time politicians
B) As specialist politicians
C) As ordinary people serving the public
D) As aristocrats
8. How does the House of Commons typically begin its day?
A) With a debate
B) With prayers
C) With Question Time
D) With a speech from the Prime Minister
9. What is the maximum duration of the Main Business session in the House of
Commons?
A) 1 hour
B) 2 hours
C) 6.5 hours
D) 10 hours
10. What change was made to the House of Commons’ sitting hours in 2003?
A) They began sitting in the mornings.
B) They now sit only in the evenings.
C) They now sit on weekends.
D) They only sit during holidays.
11. What are ‘Whips’ responsible for in Parliament?
A) Managing the budget
 B) Organizing social events
C) Ensuring MPs vote according to party lines
D) Leading debates
12. How do MPs vote during a division?
A) By raising their hands
B) By submitting written ballots
C) By walking through designated corridors
D) By using electronic voting machines
13. What is a ‘free vote’?
A) A vote where all MPs are absent
B) A vote without any rules
C) A vote where MPs can vote according to their beliefs
D) A vote that does not count
14. What does the term ‘backbenchers’ refer to?
A) MPs who are in the government
B) MPs who do not hold a government post
C) MPs who lead committees
D) MPs who are former Speakers
15. How many members are approximately in the House of Commons?
A) 300
B) 400
C) 650
D) 800
16. Why were MPs historically not paid for their roles?
 A) It was believed they were doing public service.
B) They did not work very hard.
C) There was not enough money in Parliament.
D) Only wealthy individuals could afford to serve.
17. How can the House of Lords influence legislation?
A) They can stop bills from becoming law.
B) They can initiate legislation.
C) They can amend financial bills.
D) They can delay bills but not prevent them from becoming law.
18. What is meant by the phrase “being kicked upstairs” in the British
politics?
A) Members are promoted to higher positions in the Commons.
B) Members are removed from political life altogether.
C) New members are elected to the Commons.
D) Older politicians are given life peerages and moved to the Lords.
19. What is one of the key arguments for maintaining the life-peerage system?
A) Life peers are more accountable to the public.
B) Life peers can act independently of party politics.
C) Life peers have a greater understanding of financial matters.
D) Life peers can be easily removed by the Prime Minister.
20. What happens during the annual state opening of Parliament?
A) MPs refuse entry to the monarch.
B) The monarch enters the House of Commons.
C) New laws are proposed.
D) The House of Lords is disbanded.
Section B:
Section C: Fill in the gaps with appropriate words or expressions from the
box.
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT – HOUSE OF COMMONS

greatly limited the government a close control of

lower house general elections Palace of Westminster

a hung parliament House of Lords Northern Ireland

national security delay legislation spending and funding

The House of Commons is the (1) ……………….. of the Parliament of the United
Kingdom. In addition, it is the public elected house of Parliament, in contrast to
the (2)……………….. , where members are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen,
who are hereditary peers or members of the Church of England. The House is
located in the (3) ………………….. in London, and its official name is the
Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and (4)
………………………… in Parliament Assembled (Parliament, 2018).
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected in (5) ……………………. that are
usually held every 5 years. Historically, snap elections could be called at any
moment by the Prime Minister; however, after the Fixed-term Parliaments Act of
2011 (Parliament, 2011), those powers were (6) ……………………... Today, snap
elections can be called after the Parliament is dissolved as a result of a non-
confidence vote (which usually occurs in the case of (7) ……………………. or
political gridlock), or through the vote of two-thirds of the vote of Parliament. A
hung Parliament occurs when no party has an overall majority of 326 MPs.
The main four functions of the House consist in (a) checking and challenging the
work of (8) ………………….., (b) making and amending laws, (c) debating
current affairs relevant to the country and (d) revising government (9)
……………….. (Parliament, 2018).
Through these functions, the House can have (10) ………………….. government.
Nevertheless, regarding some affairs of (11) ……………….., the government is
not obliged to inform or brief the House before.
Making laws is a function shared with the Lords, albeit since 1911, the upper
house lost its veto right over the Commons, and was restricted in its capacity to
(12) ……………………. Nonetheless, while laws may origin in the Lords as well,
since 1911 important laws come from the Commons and are usually approved by
the peers.
Section D: Write an answer of about 150 words for the following question:
Question: Most people in Britain agree that the House of Lords needs further
reform. How do you think it should be reformed?