United Kingdom
House of Commons
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Bicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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Yes
Openness and transparency
Information about access to parliamentary documents, parliament’s reporting to the public, parliament’s relation to Freedom of Information laws, and lobbying.
Parliamentary documents
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The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance
The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance.
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All
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The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance
The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance.
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Some
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Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site
Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site.
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All
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Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website
Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website.
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All
- Citizens can submit comments on draft legislation on the parliamentary web site
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No
Annual reporting by parliament
- Parliament publishes an annual report on its activities
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Yes
- The annual report is available on the parliamentary web site
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Yes
- Parliament publishes the parliamentary budget
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Yes
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Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public
Only the total amount; A summary of the main elements; The complete budget
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A summary of the main elements
- The parliamentary budget is available on the parliamentary web site
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Yes
- Link to the parliamentary budget
Access to parliament
- Plenary meetings are open to the public
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Yes
Notes:
It is technically possible for the House to resolve to sit in private, but this power is exercised so rarely as to be irrelevant.
The public gallery can be cleared if the house passes a motion to sit in private. This is usually employed to delay the business of the House, rather than to deliberately conduct proceedings in camera.
- Committee meetings are open to the public
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Yes
Notes: Legislative committees meet in public; select (investigative) committees meet in public for the vast majority of evidence-taking but in private for deliberative purposes.
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There is a dedicated channel for broadcasting parliamentary meetings
A dedicated channel is one that is mainly about parliament, and is accessible free of charge to the general public. The channel might be owned by Parliament or a public or private company. Dedicated channels may be broadcast by parliament, government, or another broadcaster. They may be carried on television, radio or the Internet (webcasting).
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Yes
- Media used for the dedicated channel
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TVWebcast
- Meetings broadcast on the dedicated channel
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Plenary sittingsCommittee meetings
Freedom of information
- There is a freedom of information law in the country
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Yes
- Parliament is subject to the freedom of information law
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Yes
- Parliament has an office/division dedicated to FOI requests
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Yes
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Categories of Information that are exempt from disclosure
Certain categories of information may be exempt from disclosure
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Freedom of Information Act 2000, sections 21-44.
A range of general exemptions apply, relating to security, legal processes, policy advice, etc. Parliament is exempt from responding to FOI requests that would infringe on parliamentary privilege. In addition, there are other general exemptions from disclosure that could apply to Parliament, such as national security and privacy for personal information.
Lobbying
- There are rules about the activities of lobbyists in parliament
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Yes
Notes: Anyone can lobby their MP and it is the responsibility of Members to declare any conflicts of interest that may arise from this. A statutory list of professional lobbyists is maintained by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, but this regulates the lobbying of Members in their capacity as government ministers, rather than as parliamentarians.
Sources:
Rules: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/lobbying-parliament/
Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists: https://registrarofconsultantlobbyists.org.uk
- There is a register of accredited lobbyists
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No