VIII. Mark the statements that are true.

1. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. 2. The Queen’s powers in

Britain are unlimited. 3. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party which has majority in the House of Lords. 4. The Queen opens each session of Parliament with a throne speech. 5. The Privy Council is responsible for all government measures. 6. The Judicial Committee is the final cpurt of appeal in Britain.

IX. Answer the questions on the text:

1. What kind of monarchy is Great Britain? 2. Is the Queen’s power hereditary or elective? 3. Who is the virtual ruler of the country? 4. What are the functions of the Queen in Britain? 5. The Privy Council consists of 300 members, doesn’t it? 6. What is the final court of appeal in Britain?

 

X. Make a short summary of the text.

TEXT B. GOVERNMENT

Task: read the text, find the answers to the questions given below.

Effective power belongs to the Government, which is part of Parliament and responsible to it, but which also normally dominates it. The Government consists of about a hundred politicians under the Prime Minister. Members of the Government are not elected by the House of Commons. They are nominated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister may also require ministers to resign. A modern government is arranged in about fifteen departments, each with its ministerial head. The number changes from time to time, as departments are split or joined together¹. All the heads of departments are members of the House of Commons.

The executive power belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet consists of 16 to 24 senior ministers whom the Prime Minister has appointed. Most ministers in the Cabinet are heads of departments. The Cabinet meets once a week in No 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Cabinet-making² is the most important part of a Prime Minister's job. The Prime Minister decides which ministers will be included. In order that it can work as a team and arrive at decisions more easily and quickly the Cabinet is restricted to about twenty members.

The Cabinet formulates a comprehensive policy covering all major issues both at home and abroad. The Cabinet has to decide on important day-to-day issues as they arise, e.g. a major strike, a run on the sterling, political upheavals abroad. It must also consider future policy. The policy decided upon by the Cabinet is implemented by the various departments of state. The Cabinet is also the Court of Appeal: This is presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of Appeal, and a quorum is three judges.

Notes:

1 split or joined together- дробятся или соединяются

2 Cabinet-making- создание кабинета

 

1. Which body has more powers: Parliament or the Government?

2. How is the choice of the members of the Government exercised?

3. Is the number of Ministers in the Government constant?

4. What kind of state body is the Cabinet: executive, legislative, judicial?

TEXT С BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Task: read the text, get ready to render its contents in Russian.

The legislative power resides in Parliament, which, strictly speaking¹, consists of the Sovereign, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

There are 635 members of the English House of Commons, or MPs as they are usually called. They are elected by popular vote and represent the counties and borough constituencies. The House of Commons seems to have most of power within Parliament. It is here that the Government is formed. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of that party which has majority in the House of Commons. Any member of the House may introduce a Bill. The maximum life of the House of Commons has been restricted³ to 5 years since the Parliament Act 1911.

Each session of Parliament is usually opened in the House of Lords. The House of Lords, or the Upper House⁴, consists of hereditary and life peers and top church officials. In the full House of Lords there are some 650 members. The House of Lords is not an elective body. The House of Lords like the Monarch has now lost most of its powers and cannot influence the process of decision-making⁵ in Parliament. In practice, the powers of the House of Lords have been truncated⁶ to limited revising and delaying functions. It is the House of Commons which is the dominant part of the legislature. The Lords and the Commons began to meet separately some five centuries ago. The House of Lords consists of the Lords «Spiritual and Temporal»⁷. The Lords Spiritual are the two archbishops (Canterbury and York) and twenty-four bishops of the Church of England. The Lords Temporal include peers by hereditary right, peers by virtue of their office (the Law Lords), and Life peers created under the Life Peerage Act, 1958.

Notes:

1 strictly speaking – строго говоря

2 the Sovereign, the House of Commons and the House of Lords-

монарх, палата общин и палата лордов

3 to restrict- ограничивать

4 Upper House- верхняя палата парламента

5 decision-making- принятие решений

6 to truncate- сокращать

7 the Lords “Spiritual and Temporal”- лорды духовные и светские

TEXT D. PROCEDURE OF PASSING BILLS

Task: read the text and say, how many stages a bill must pass to become an Act of Parliament.

A law passing through Parliament is called a bill. It becomes a law, an Act of Parliament, when it is passed by Parliament.

Preparing a bill for submission to Parliament may take many months, and it may be preceded by other government publications. A Green Paper sets out various alternatives or discussion. Pressure groups make their views known. Government departments concerned are also consulted. The Government then issues a White Paper containing its definite proposals for legislation. Any member of the House of Commons may introduce a bill. When the bill is introduced it receives its formal «first reading»¹ after which it is printed² and circulated to members. The first reading of a bill is scarcely³ objected to as there is no debate or amendment allowed at this stage, but a date is fixed for the second reading.

At the «second reading» the bill is debated. When this second reading takes place, the member who has introduced the bill makes speech explaining the proposed new law and his reasons for bringing it forward⁴. Some members may support the bill, but others may oppose it. There may be a discussion. If the bill passes this stage it is sent to a Committee where details are discussed and amendments generally made.

Finally the bill is given a «third reading». The House of Commons may be unanimous in favour of⁵ the bill or not. The Speaker must then call for a division⁶. If the bill has a majority of votes it will go before the House of Lords.

The House of Lords can not reject bills passed by the House of Commons. The Lords can merely delay⁷ bills which they don't like. A bill becomes an Act of Parliament when the Queen signs it.

Notes:

1 “first reading”- «первое чтение» (законопроекта)

2 to print- печатать

3 scarcely- редко

4 bringing forward- выдвижение

5 in favour of- в пользу

6 call fro a division- призвать к голосованию

7 to delay- отсрочить