PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE JUNE 2013

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1 62 ND WESTMINSTER SEMINAR ON PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE JUNE 2013 AIM 1. The aim of the seminar is to explore parliamentary practice and procedure within a Westminster-style framework in order to enhance the capacity of participating parliamentarians and clerks. OBJECTIVES 2. Parliamentarians. To explore through briefings, discussion sessions and practical observation: The role of Parliament in holding the Executive to account The role of opposition parties and cross-party relations Party discipline and transparency The role of a second chamber and bicameralism The relationship between Parliament and the media Representation and the role of the MP in the constituency The management and administration of Parliament including the work of the Speaker/Presiding Officer, the Commission and Members services. 3. Clerks. To explore through briefings, discussion sessions and practical observation: The role of Parliament in holding the executive to account The role of the Committee Clerk Member/Clerk relations The Scrutiny Unit The Journal Office Providing procedural and legal advice to Members Representation and the role of the MP in the constituency The management and administration of Parliament including the work of the Speaker/Presiding Officer, the Commission and Members services.

2 PROGRAMME IN BRIEF MONDAY 17 JUNE Seminar welcome and introductions Session 1: Introduction to the UK Parliament Session 2: The legislative process Session 3: Running Parliament Session 4: Bicameralism - the work of a second Chamber Session 5: Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and motions Clerk s Reception at No 3 Parliament Street TUESDAY 18 JUNE Split day Members only Clerks only Session 6: The role of an MP Session 6: Member/Clerk relations Session 7: The role of the Opposition Session 7: The role of the Committee Clerk Session 8: Party discipline in Parliament Session 8: The Scrutiny Unit Session 9: The role of the Leader of the Session 9: The Journal Office House Session 10: The role of the media in the oversight of Parliament Session 10: Legal Services and Speaker s counsel WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE Session 11: The Committee System Session 12: Workshop session on the Committee System Session 13: Holding the Prime Minister to account Prime Minister s Questions Session 14: Standards, Privileges and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) Session 15: The Working Parliament Session 16: Devolution Session 17: Electoral Systems Session 18: Working supper delegates exchange views THURSDAY 20 JUNE Session 19: Broadcasting Parliament Session 20: Parliament, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and Civil Society Session 21: Women in Parliament Session 22: The role of the Speaker Session 23: Parliamentary information services resource, research and outreach Session 24: Commonwealth matters Session 25: Constituency visit briefings FRIDAY 21 JUNE Session 26: Constituency visits Session 27: Report back on constituency visits Session 28: Young people and Parliament engaging the next generation Session 29: Closing plenary 2

3 PROGRAMME IN FULL SUNDAY 16 JUNE All day Arrival day MONDAY 17 JUNE 0830 Depart hotel 0845 Arrive Houses of Parliament, proceed to the Attlee Suite 0900 Seminar Welcome and Introductions 1000 Session 1: Introduction to the Parliament at Westminster The seminar uses the Parliament at Westminster as the vehicle to deliver most of the sessions. This session will introduce delegates to Westminster, give an overview of the structure of the Parliament including its history, defining features, recent reforms and debates, and current issues Coffee 1115 Session 2: The Legislative Process Parliamentarians are legislators. This session will provide discussion on the passage of bills through Parliament. Where do bills originate? How are they drafted? How do they become law? What is the purpose of secondary legislation? What is pre-legislative scrutiny? 1215 Lunch 1315 Session 3: Running Parliament Many Parliaments have a form of Parliamentary Commission to administer and manage themselves, some do not and some are introducing such a body. How is the Parliament at Westminster administered and managed? What are the roles of the House of Commons Commission and House of Lords House Committee? How do these bodies interact with the two management boards? What is the interaction between the two Houses? 1415 Session 4: Bicameralism - the work of a Second Chamber Many Parliaments have two Chambers and some who have just one are setting up a second Chamber. This session will examine the advantages and disadvantages of a bicameral system. Using the Westminster vehicle, what work does the Upper House, the House of Lords, undertake and what is its relationship with the Lower House, the House of Commons? What might future reforms of the House of Lords look like? 1530 Tea 1600 Session 5: Parliamentary Questions (PQ) and motions Parliamentary questions are dealt with differently in different jurisdictions, this session will explore the different types of questions (written, oral and urgent) asked in Parliament and the ways in which questions are tabled, answered and traced. What rules govern parliamentary questions? How do questions enable MPs to hold the Government to account and how effective is the summoning of Ministers to Parliament to answer and urgent question? What is the interaction between PQs and Freedom of Information (FOI)? 1715 Depart Attlee Suite for No 3 Parliament Street 1730 Reception at No 3 Parliament Street 1830 Depart No 3 Parliament Street for hotel TUESDAY 18 JUNE 0830 Depart hotel 3

4 0845 Arrive Houses of Parliament Split day Member-only sessions (Attlee Suite) Clerk-only sessions (CPA Room) 0900 Session 6: The role of an MP Session 6: Member/Clerk relations What is the role of an MP in his/her constituency? What is the relationship between the Party and the MP? What are the differences between a list MP and a constituency MP? Is constituency work increasing? A discussion on what makes for an effective working relationship between Members and Clerks. Clerks and officials are the oil in the parliamentary engine. For Parliaments to function effectively and efficiently there should be relationships of mutual respect and esteem between parliamentarians and Clerks. How can the relationship be enhanced? 1015 Coffee in the Attlee Suite Coffee in the CPA Room 1030 Session 7: The role of the Session 7: The role of the Opposition Committee Clerk A look at life in Opposition and cooperation with MPs from other Parties. What is the role of Opposition Parties in scrutinising the Executive? What is understood by the term loyal Opposition? Why do some Parliaments use the terms, Majority Party and Minority Party? How are Opposition Parties financed? What is the role of the Shadow Cabinet? 1200 Session 8: Party Discipline in Parliament A discussion on Party discipline and the role of Whips in Parliament. How do Whips operate as a channel of communication between the front and back benches? How is Party discipline maintained? How do Government and Opposition interact to deliver parliamentary business? How are Whips offices organised? How do Whips interact with Members who take the major decision to vote against their Party line? 1315 Lunch in the Attlee Suite for all 1430 Session 9: The role of the Leader of the House How does the Leader of the House organise Government business? What is the Leader s role in enhancing Parliament / Government relations? A session exploring the skills and knowledge required by Committee Clerks to support their Committees in carrying out their programme of work. What is the role of Clerks in planning work? What role should Clerks play during inquiry sessions? What is the relationship between the Committee Chair and the Committee Clerk? What makes for a comprehensive and informative Committee report? Session 8: The Scrutiny Unit This session will give an overview of the role of a Scrutiny Unit in providing financial scrutiny and support to the several Committees. How is the Unit structured? What expertise does the Unit make available for Committees to use? Session 9: The Journal Office How does the Journal Office record the daily votes and proceedings? What procedural advice and services does the Journal Office offer to the House and various Committees? What help does the Journal Office offer to members of the public drafting petitions, and to Members planning to present them? 1530 Tea in the Attlee Suite Tea in the CPA Room 1545 Session 10: The role of the media in the Session 10: Legal Services and oversight of Parliament Speaker s Counsel 4

5 In the UK, MP-bashing is a frequent occurrence in the national media, yet in local (constituency) media that is often not the case. In each country the parliamentarian / media relationship is different. What relationship should parliamentarians seek to have with the media? How can successful relationships be built with national and local media? What media training is on offer for parliamentarians? How can MPs maximise their use of modern technology and social media? What is the role of the Legal Services Office and Speaker s Counsel? Where can Clerks turn to for specialised legal advice? What is the Legal Services Office s role in scrutinising domestic legislation? 1700 Depart Houses of Parliament for hotel WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE 0830 Depart hotel by coach 0845 Arrive Houses of Parliament 0900 Session 11: The Committee System The Select or Departmental Committee system can be a powerful parliamentary tool to scrutinise the Executive, yet in some jurisdictions the system is weak. This session focuses on the scrutiny role of Select Committees. How are Committees structured and how do they function? What are the conditions and success factors that make for an effective Committee? What benchmarks can be used to measure Committee performance? 1015 Coffee 1030 Session 12: Workshop session on the Committee System This session will be a workshop on committees, using a hypothetical case study exercise Session 13: Holding the Prime Minister to account Prime Minister s Questions At Westminster the Prime Minister appears in Parliament once a week to answer questions. Some other Parliaments have a similar process. What is the purpose and procedure of Prime Minister s Questions (PMQ)? How effective are PMQ in holding the Prime Minister to account? In what other ways is the Prime Minister held to account? Following this discussion delegates will have the opportunity to view PMQ live via a video stream in the Attlee Suite Lunch 1330 Session 14: Standards, Privileges and the role of an Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was set up by the House of Commons in What is the role of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards? What do the Committee on Standards and the Committee of Privileges do? What is the Code of Conduct? What is the role of IPSA? 1430 Session 15: The Working Parliament 1530 Tea What is happening in Parliament? This session will provide an opportunity for delegates to observe Parliament live through viewing Ministerial Questions in the House of Commons Chamber, viewing a Select Committee in session, or viewing the House of Lords in session. 5

6 1545 Session 16: Devolution Devolution is a sensitive issue in many countries. This session will look at how devolution is structured, and what roles and powers can be held by devolved legislatures. What are the recent and anticipated developments to devolved structures in Commonwealth countries? What are the issues around the independence referenda such as Quebec, and Scotland in 2014? 1700 Session 17: Electoral Systems In the UK members of the European Parliament, House of Commons, and devolved legislatures are all elected using different voting systems. Using the UK as a case-study, this session will give an overview of the different electoral systems operating at a national and regional level: - First-past-the-post, used to elect MPs to the House of Commons and for local elections in England and Wales - Single Transferable Vote (STV), used for electing the Northern Ireland Assembly, local elections in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and European Parliament elections in Northern Ireland - Additional Member System (AMS), used to elect the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the London Assembly - Closed Party List, used to elect Members of the European Parliament, with the exception of Northern Ireland which uses Single Transferable Vote What are the arguments for electoral reform? How does the UK electoral system compare with other systems in the Commonwealth? 1800 Depart Attlee Suite for the CPA Room 1815 Session 18: Working supper in the CPA Room Delegates exchange views For parliamentarians to have the opportunity to network together, exchange ideas and experiences is hugely important. This informal working supper has been designed to facilitate that opportunity Depart Houses of Parliament for hotel THURSDAY 20 JUNE 0830 Leave hotel 0845 Arrive Houses of Parliament 0900 Session 19: Broadcasting Parliament Showing the general public what happens in Parliament is an important element in the process of widening democracy. Should Parliament be broadcast to the public? What is BBC Parliament? What is BBC Democracy Live? How has the broadcasting of Parliament evolved in the UK? How does this compare with other countries? 1000 Coffee 1015 Session 20: Parliament, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and Civil Society Parliamentarians are sometimes wary of NGOs and civil society. This session will explore the relationship between parliamentarians, NGOs, and civil society organisations. How can more active mutual cooperation be achieved? How can mutual communication be encouraged? 1130 Session 21: Women in Parliament 6

7 The number of women in Parliament and the empowerment of women parliamentarians are big challenges in some Parliaments. How well are women represented in Parliament today? How has an increase in women s participation in politics been achieved? What are the continuing challenges faced by women in politics and how should they be addressed? 1230 Depart the Attlee Suite for Speaker s House 1245 Lunch at Speaker s House 1345 Depart Speaker s House for the Attlee Suite 1400 Session 22: The role of the Speaker The Speaker of a Parliament is a very important appointment. What is the role of the Speaker? Should the Speaker have a role outside Parliament? How is the Speaker elected should he/she renounce party affiliation? Should the Speaker be a serving parliamentarian? 1500 Tea 1515 Session 23: Parliamentary information services resource, research and outreach To function better, parliamentarians should have access to modern and effective information services, but the investment is large. How are Information Services structured in a modern Parliament? Taking Westminster as an example, what services are offered through the House of Commons library, research departments and the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology (POST)? What other information services are available to Members? 1630 Session 24: Commonwealth matters Following the last CHOGM and the coming implementation of 85% of the recommendations of the report by the Eminent Persons Group, there is much going on to modernise the Commonwealth and the CPA. This session will explore the role of the Commonwealth and the CPA and the challenges they both face. How can / should the Commonwealth be strengthened? What is the role of the CPA in strengthening parliamentary democracy and diplomacy? 1730 Session 25: Briefings for the Constituency Visit This day, delegates will be the guests of British MPs in their respective constituencies. Understanding the administration and logistics involved is important. Delegates should make the most of attending and listening to this short briefing Depart Houses of Parliament for hotel FRIDAY 21 JUNE Depart hotel for constituency visits Morning Session 26: Constituency Visits It is always interesting to learn how colleagues interact with their constituents and to know more about the way colleagues run their constituency offices, etc. This session involving visits to London MPs constituencies will focus on the role of the MP in the constituency Lunch 1400 Session 27: Report back on Constituency Visits A round table discussion on points of interest from the morning s constituency visits Session 28: Young People and Parliament Engaging the Next Generation 7

8 Over half of the Commonwealth s 2 billion people are aged 25 or under. It is important for parliamentary democracy to engage young people with politics and parliament. How can politicians reach out to young people and address their lack of political engagement? What are the arguments for and against lowering the voting age to 16? 1530 Session 29: Closing Plenary and Presentation of Certificates Many Parliaments have a large percentage turnover following elections. What further training and advice would be helpful to assist new parliamentarians and Clerks in planning their induction work? This session will finish with the presentation of certificates Tours of Parliament (optional) All day Departure day SATURDAY 22 JUNE 8