Word Study

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 483.

Royal prerogative.The special rights, powers and immunities to which the Crown alone is entitled under the common law. Most prerogative acts are now performed by the government on behalf of the Crown. Some, however, are performed by the sovereign in person on the advice of the government (e.g. the dis­solution of Parliament) or as required by constitutional convention (e.g. the appointment of a Prime Minister).

House of Commons.The representative chamber of Parliament (also known as the Lower House) composed of 650 Members of Parliament (MP s) elected for 523 single - member constituencies in England, 72 in Scotland, 32 in Wales and 17 in Northern Ireland.

House of Lords. The non-representative chamber of Parliament (also known as the Upper House) consisting of the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. The former comprise the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of Lon­don, Durham and Winchester, and 21 other Anglican bishops selected according to seniority of appointment. The latter consist of hereditary peers and peeresses in their own right, life peers and peeresses, and the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary.

Prime Minister.The head of the UK government, who is appointed by the Crown to select and preside over the Cabinet and bears ultimate responsibility for the policy and machinery of government. The Prime Minister also advises the Crown on such matters as the dissolution of Parliament, the creation of peerages, and the making of senior appointments.

Local government.A form of government in which responsibility for the regulation of certain matters within particular localities (local government areas) is delegated by statute to locally elected councillors.