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House of Commons Facts & Worksheets

The House of Commons is the elected legislative body of the United Kingdom Parliament and is said to be the “heart of Parliament” and the “heart of democracy” of Britain.

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The House of Commons, also called Commons, is the elected legislative body of the United Kingdom Parliament and is said to be the “heart of  Parliament” and the “heart of democracy” of Britain.

See the fact file below for more information on The House of Commons, or you can download our 29-page House of Commons worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

OVERVIEW

  • The House of Commons is the lower house of the two-chamber British Parliament. Its primary function is to pass legislation.
  • It is Britain’s primary legislative authority since it is the only one with authority to levy taxes and allocate funds.
  • The Norman French word communes is where the word “Commons” originates, and it refers to the geographical and social communities of their representatives.
  • “The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled” is the House of Commons’ full, official title.

HISTORY

  • During the late 13th century, landowners and other property owners started sending delegates to the Parliament to voice complaints and petitions to the king and make promises to pay taxes.
  • In the 14th century, the commons (i.e., the knights and burgesses chosen as representatives) started using a different room, or “house,” from the nobles and high clergy (i.e., the lords). 
  • Initially, the House of Lords had more authority than the other house, but as people’s rights grew over the centuries, the House of Lords’ authority gradually diminished.
  • By the late 17th century, the House of Commons had acquired exclusive authority to propose taxation legislation. Bills enacted by the Commons were still subject to the House of Lords veto.

REFORM BILL

  • In 1832, to prevent the House of Lords from rejecting the government’s Reform Bill, the Liberal Party government’s only option was to threaten to fill the chamber with additional liberal peers. 
  • A Liberal government used the same threat again in 1911 to pressure the Lords into passing the Parliament Act of 1911, which allowed the House of Commons to overrule the Lords’ rejection of a measure.
  • The Reform Bill was any of the three British parliamentary bills passed into law in 1832, 1867, and 1884–1885. The Prime Minister increased the number of people eligible to vote for the House of Commons and rationalized districts’ representation.
  • The first Reform Bill, written by the former Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, was created to move voting rights from the sparsely inhabited boroughs ruled by aristocracy and nobility to the densely populous industrial cities.
  • The First Reform Act, known as the “Great Reform Act,” raised the number of eligible voters by 217,000. Additionally, voting requirements were lowered to make it possible for many smaller property owners to vote.
  • The Second Reform Act of 1867, created by Tory Benjamin Disraeli, raised the number of voters to 938,000 by granting the right to vote to numerous workingmen in towns and cities.
  • The Third Reform Act of 1884 extended voting rights to agricultural laborers, while representation was equalized by the Redistribution Act of 1885 based on 50,000 voters in each single-member parliamentary district.
  • The 1884 Act achieved an overall growth of minor under 60% when compared to the increase in voters in the first and second reform bills, which had 50% and 90% increases, respectively. However, it gave the counties more seats than the boroughs for the first time, extending the 1867 limited town democracy to the countryside. 
  • Women were not allowed to cast ballots until the Act of 1918, which gave all men over 21 and women over thirty the right to vote. Ten years later, in 1928, the Equal Franchise Act ended the last remaining form of discrimination.

PARLIAMENT ACTS

  • At first, the House of Lords held the authority to halt legislation until the early 20th century.
  • It is because the system came under strain when the House of Lords refused to approve David Lloyd-George’s “People’s Budget” in 1909, which was designed to raise money to fight poverty and squalor. 
  • After a general election in 1910, the budget was eventually approved; a subsequent election was held to address the House of Lords reform.
  • As a result, the Parliament Act of 1911, proposed by a Liberal majority in the House of Commons, was passed on August 10, 1911. This made the House of Lords lose its ability to veto Bills
  • Instead, a Bill could be postponed by the Lords for up to two years. The Act also decreased a Parliament’s maximum term from seven to five years.
  • This 1911 Act was another step in gradually democratizing the British Constitution.
  • The Lords’ delaying powers were further limited to one year by the Parliament Act of 1949.

HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBER

  • The House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarchy are the three branches of the Parliament.
  • The head of the state is the monarch, who opens new sessions of parliament. 
  • The House of Lords is the UK Parliament’s upper chamber. It is essential for reviewing Bills, challenging governmental decisions, and investigating public policy.
  • The two sides in the House of Commons chamber are the government, which governs the nation, and the opposition parties, which scrutinize and question the government’s actions.
  • The Government sits on the right side of the speaker with the Government ministers on the front bench, while the opposition sits on the left-hand side with the shadow ministers on the front benches.
  • The speaker, who occupies the chair at the front of the chamber, supervises arguments and maintains decorum. The clerks who provide procedural guidance to the speaker and members are situated in front of the speaker’s chair.
  • The speaker will declare a division when members are requested to vote on a specific matter.
  • The division lobbies: the “ayes” are located behind the government, and the “noes” are behind the opposition. 
  • Therefore, if you’re a Member of Parliament and want to vote in favor of a certain amendment or bill, you’ll go through the “aye” lobby; if not, you’ll go through the “no” lobby.
  • Located on the top level of the chamber is the Press Gallery, where the media and Hansard sits.
  • They are the official reporters who record everything that is said and done in the House of Commons. A Hansard is the official transcript of what transpires in the British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and South African parliaments. The public is seated in the public galleries.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

  • There are 650 elected Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent the UK public’s interests and concerns in the House of Commons.
  • Most MPs are members of a political party, but others are independent.
  • To be eligible to run for office, a candidate must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, or a commonwealth nation who does not need a visa to enter or reside in the UK, or you must have indefinite permission to remain in the UK.
  • Following a general election, the party leader with the most elected MPs becomes the prime minister.
  • MPs serve as the government’s head and select the cabinet,  which consists of about 20 senior ministers to oversee the operations of several government agencies.
  • The Members of Parliament (MPs) discuss significant issues, establish and review laws, represent the public, and hold the government accountable.
  • Prime Minister’s questions and Ministerial questions provide members of parliament from all parties with the chance to bring up issues or criticize governmental actions. Additionally, MPs can ask urgent questions about a current issue. If approved, the minister in charge is called before the House to address the matter.
  • MPs can express the opinions and experiences of their constituents while questioning ministers from all government departments and discussing problems, highlighting how potential changes to the law or new policies may affect them. Making and forming laws is a joint responsibility of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Without the consent of the Parliament, the Government is unable to enact new legislation or levy new taxes. 
  • A proposed law that is presented to Parliament is called a Bill. A Bill goes through many procedures before becoming law.
  • The first step is when the Bill will go through multiple rounds of discussion, debate, and amendment in the House of Commons. The House of Lords will then go through the same process.
  • Both Houses must concur on Bill’s final wording before passing it. The Monarch then receives it and grants formal permission, known as Royal Assent. The Bill then becomes a law and a Parliamentary Act.
  • Additionally, most MPs are members of committees that spend a lot of time scrutinizing government spending and policy, which is known as scrutiny.
  • For each government agency, a Commons Select Committee is responsible for investigating three things: budget, policies, and administration.
  • For example, the Home Affairs Committee oversees the Home Office’s operations, and the Select Committees examine laws and government spending. A minimum of 11 people make up these departmental committees, choosing their area of inquiry before gathering written and oral testimony. They consult with professionals and the general public to learn how laws impact people’s daily lives. 
  • A committee completes its investigation by writing a report with recommendations, which the government typically responds to within 60 days. These efforts aid in the formulation of government policy.

House of Commons Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the House of Commons across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching about the House of Commons, also called Commons, which is the elected legislative body of the United Kingdom Parliament and is said to be the “heart of  Parliament” and the “heart of democracy” of Britain.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. House of Commons Facts 
  2. Whose Seat?
  3. Commect
  4. Common and Difference
  5. Odd One Out
  6. The HIStury
  7. The MP 
  8. What’s New?
  9. The Commons’ Opinion
  10. The Proposal
  11. Aye or No?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main function of the House of Commons?

The main function of the House of Commons is to debate and pass legislation.

How many members are there in the House of Commons?

There are usually around 650 members in the House of Commons.

Who is the leader of the House of Commons?

The leader of the House of Commons is called the Leader of the House of Commons and is a member of the governing party.

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Link will appear as House of Commons Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 12, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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