Cabinet
The Cabinet is made up of about twenty senior
Ministers chosen by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet
decides on government policy and co-ordinates
the work of the different government departments.
The Cabinet meets each week and also sets up smaller
committees to look at certain issues. Cabinet
meetings are private and its members should not
disclose any information about them. There is
also a Cabinet Office which is the central department
of the Government. This department is responsible
for ensuring that the Government can work efficiently
and also manages the Civil Service.
Candidate
A person standing for election is known as a candidate.
In order to stand a person must be a British citizen
over 21. They must be nominated on official papers
signed by ten electors including a proposer and
a seconder. The papers must also include the candidate's
full name and address and their consent in writing.
All candidates must pay a £500 deposit which is
lost if they do not secure 5% of the total number
of votes cast in their constituency.
Candidates do not have to live in the constituency
in which they intend to stand. Party support,
although usual, is not necessary - a candidate
can stand as an independent.
Casting Vote
The casting vote is the vote that decides an issue
when two sides have exactly the same number of
votes. In the House of Commons the casting vote
is held by the Speaker or the chairman of a committee.
The convention is that the Speaker’s casting vote
always gives the House another chance to discuss
the subject before any final decision is taken.
If the vote is tied in the House of Lords the
Lord Chancellor does not have the casting vote
because he may already have voted. The rules of
the House decide the outcome of the vote.
Central Lobby
The Central Lobby is situated in the middle of
the Palace of Westminster and was planned as the
focal point of the Palace by Charles Barry. It
forms the crossroads of the building. Everything
to the south of it is part of the House of Lords,
and everything to the north is part of the House
of Commons. When the Houses are sitting the Lobby
is a hive of activity and members of the public
can come here to request a meeting with their
MP.
The Central Lobby is octagonal and features mosaics
of St. George, St. David, St. Andrew and St. Patrick.
The statues around each of the archways were designed
by Charles Barry using sculptors from the Thames
Bank Workshop. Barry originally planned a higher
ceiling for the lobby, but had to change his plans
to accommodate the ventilation system.
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the principal
Finance Minister of the Government. The Chancellor
is the head of the Treasury and one of the most
important members of the Cabinet. He is responsible
for coordinating Government spending. His duties
include preparing and presenting the Budget.
Civil Service
The Civil Service are the permanent administrative
staff who work in Government Departments and carry
out the policies of Government. In 2000 there
were nearly 500,000 Civil Servants, 80% of whom
work in Government Offices outside London. Members
of the Civil Service are non-political in the
sense that they work for the Government, whichever
party forms it.
The branch of the Civil Service that works in
the Foreign Office and serves in British Embassies
abroad is known as the Diplomatic Service.
Command Paper
Command Paper is the collective name given to
different types of papers prepared by the Government
and presented to Parliament. The following documents
are all types of Command Paper:-
Treaties,
some White papers,
some Green Papers,
Government replies to Select Committee reports,
reports of Royal Commissions,
reports of some major committees of inquiry,
annual reports and statistics of certain bodies
(judicial, penal, immigration).
The name Command Papers comes from the fact that
these papers are presented to Parliament with
the words “presented to Parliament by command
of His/Her Majesty”.
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is one of the three leading
political parties in Britain. Conservative replaced
the name "Tory" in general use from
1830.
Traditionally it was the party of the landed interests
but, in the 19th century, it broadened its political
base. The world of finance and the management
of industry have tended to support the modern
Conservatives. Since the Second World War, the
Conservative Party has formed the Government from
1951 to 1964, from 1970 to 1974 and from 1979
to 1997. You will find more information on the
Conservative Party website.
Contents Lobby
Content is the name given to a 'yes' vote in divisions
in the House of Lords - in other words a vote
in agreement with the proposal being discussed.
Members of the House of Lords show that they agree
with a proposal by going into the Contents Lobby
during a division.
Cross Bench Peers
Independent Peers are often called Cross Bench
Peers. They do not belong to either the Government
party or one of the Opposition parties, and by
tradition sit on the benches that cross the chamber
of the House of Lords.
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