There are many ways that the parliament can hold government to account and the best known is Question Time. The main aspect is Prime ministers Question Time, which is a weekly slot where MPs can ask one notified question of the Prime Minister and one unscripted supplementary question. These are also usually dominated by the PM and the leader of the opposition who can ask four or five supplementary questions. Question Time also extends to other ministers, forcing them to answer oral questions from MPs. Each department features in a four-week cycle. This holds the government to account as the PM and the executive can be scrutinised by the opposition if the opposition does not agree with what has been going on. On the other hand Prime Ministers Question Time is not as effective because the Prime Minster and his government already know what questions they will be asked; so planning of answers can be made before hand. It is also often weak and ineffective. Oral questions seldom produce detailed responses and are used as a way to embarrass ministers rather than to subject them to careful scrutiny. The PMs questions, in particular, often degenerates into a party-political battle between the PM and the leader of the opposition that just turns into abuse rather than answering the questions.
Another way the Parliament attempt to hold the government to account is through written letters from MP’s and peers. If they have a question for the government, then the member of government they have written to must respond to the MP or peer and answer their question. This is another way of holding the government to account as the MP’s and peers have the ability to communicate with the government and the right to know what is happening. Debates and ministerial Statements can be examined through legislative debates and through emergency debates that are held at the discretion of the speaker. Adjournment debates allow backbenchers to initiate debates at the end of the parliamentary day. Ministers are also required to make formal statements to parliament on major policy issues. This causes the ministers to be able to show the parliament what they are doing which gives the government a greater idea of what is going on within parliament.
Select committees are another method of scrutinising the government. They scrutinise government policy and there are 19 departmental select committees, which shadow the work of the major government departments. They have the power to write reports and have question and answer sessions with ministers and civil servants. They also have the ability to see government papers. However they have no executive power and at best they can only criticise the government and they cannot change government policy. The government also has a majority on each of these committees and the whips, which ensure that loyal backbenchers sit on key committees and tend to be appointed to the influential posts of committee chairs, influence the committee appointments.
The second largest party, known as the opposition, also holds the government to account by getting given privileges in debates at Question Time and in the management of parliamentary business to help carry out its role of opposing the government. On certain days, the opposition is also given the ability to choose the subject, which will be debated. They are able to use this, as an opportunity to criticise government policy or to highlight any other alternative policies they feel should be implemented. This helps to hold the government to account, as the opposition are given power to criticise the government and make the public aware of how the government are acting. This means that the government cannot act completely as they wish, as the public will be made aware of what they are doing and if they disagree, the government may lose the next election. There is a weakness with this, as the government can just carry on doing as they wish, and ignore the arguments put forward by the opposition party.
In conclusion as the majority of MP’s in the House of Commons are members of the party that won the election, the primary role of parliament is to support the government rather than to criticise it or hold it to account, therefore I believe that parliament cannot do its job adequately. Also the major disadvantages within the select committees causes parliament not to be able to carry out the true scrutiny and oversight that is necessary.
