Read and Speak. Круглова М.В. - 62 стр.

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Parliament, Britain’s legislature comprises the House of Commons, the House of

Lords and the Queen in her constitutional role.

The Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a

local constituency.

The Lords is made up of 1,185 hereditary and life peers and peeresses, and the two

archbishops and the 24 most senior bishops of the established Church of England.

The centre of parliamentary power is the House of Commons. Limitations of the

power of the Lords - it rarely uses its power to delay passage of most laws for a year -

are based on the principle that the House, as a revising chamber, should complement

the Commons and not rival it. Once passed through both Houses, legislation receives

the Royal Assent and then becomes law.

General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. Voting,

which is not compulsory is by secret ballot and is from the age of 18. The simple

majority system of voting is used. Candidates are elected if they have more votes

than any of the candidates - although not necessarily an absolute majority over all

other candidates.

The political party system is an essential element in the working of the

constitution. Although the parties are not registered or formally recognized in law, in

practice most candidates in elections, and almost all winning candidates, belong to

one of the main parties, Conservative or Labour. A number of smaller parties are also

represented in Parliament.

The Government is formed by the party with majority support in the Commons.

The Queen appoints its leader as Prime Minister. As head of the Government the

Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers, of whom about 20 are in the Cabinet -

the senior group that takes major policy decisions. Ministers are collectively

responsible for government decisions and individually responsible for their own

departments. The second largest party forms the official Opposition, with its own

leader and ‘shadow cabinet’. The Opposition has a duty to challenge government

policies and to present an alternative programme.

I. Give your impressions of:

1. the British constitution; 2. the head of State in the UK ; 3. the centre of

parliamentary power; 4. the House of Lords; 5. the British Prime-Minister.