Parliament is a two-house legislature with an Executive and is one of the world’s oldest representative institutions. Its main roles are to scrutinise and challenge the work of Government, shape effective laws and debate/debate the big issues of the day.
During the coronavirus pandemic, most surveyed parliaments faced four sometimes conflicting imperatives: enable continued functioning (including innovative solutions such as virtual sessions); ensure constitutional governance and balance of powers in the face of emergency powers; protect citizens’ rights including through robust scrutiny; and set an example as an institution through observing health requirements such as social distancing. Parliaments and Crisis examines how these different priorities drove different parliamentary responses.
The Supreme Court directed the Central government to respond to a plea seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The government has argued that the issue should be left to Parliament, while the petitioners have raised concerns about the alleged violation of the Constitution.
The Home Secretary will answer oral questions and appear before a select committee. The Chancellor will face MPs’ oral questions and the Education and Health Ministers will undergo committee scrutiny. The Hereditary Peers Bill continues its Report Stage in the Lords while the Football Governance Bill completes Commons scrutiny. MPs will also debate the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Parliamentary committees will review the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago and a Bill to create an Armed Forces Commissioner. The House of Lords will hold its Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment debate.
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