We can argue that one of the ways that parliament is able to control the executive is by holding the prime ministers question time every Wednesday. At this event questions are raised and directed to the prime minister about his actions and dealing with the executive at their private meetings. He then has to explain himself, and how he thinks that his actions will benefit the country. Parliament is able to use this question time to gauge Blair’s activity with the executive and monitor it’s progress. This would make it possible for parliament to step in on particular issues if it was felt that their assistance was required.
Parliament also ensures that there are no privacy laws protecting the prime minister. This can also be used as a method of control over the executive. If the prime minister’s actions are monitored closely by the media, and broadcast, there is much less likely to be strange happenings with in the executive, as these will be discovered. This also means that the public and members of other parties are quite within their rights to question the actions of the prime minister and the executive. All though this cannot be directly attributed to parliament, the fact that parliament passes privacy laws means that they are responsible for this method of control.
Another way that parliament is able to control the executive is through using the House of Lords. The House of Lords can be used when it is felt that their expertise is required in a particular area concerning the executive. Their lengthy knowledge means that In the event of a disagreement between the executive and the House of Commons, The Lords can point them in the right direction, using their knowledge and experience. They can help decide what is best for the country. Although what the Lords have to say is not always taken on board, it is rarely discarded, as this would be foolish. So this is another way that the executive can be controlled, through the expertise of the Lords.
Parliament is also fairly effective in controlling the executive due to the huge procedure required to pass laws. This means that the executive cannot just make decisions regardless of the other governing bodies. Suggestions have to be passed through the commons, and then on into the Lords. In the Lords they will be looked at closely for errors and their implications on other aspects of the constitution and society. This process keeps on taking place until a compromise is found between the Lords and the commons. This is an effective way of controlling the executive.
In conclusion, I think it can be said that parliament is adequate in controlling the executive, however is far from being 100% effective. There are a number of ways in which the power of the executive could be controlled better, and the UK parliament falls down on these. However, the adequacy is there, and that’s what really matters for now.
