The Life of Parliament

The life of Parliament is divided into periods called “sessions”. At the end of every session Parliament is ‘prorogued’. This means that all business which has not been completed is abandoned. And parliament cannot meet again until it is summoned by the Monarch. Every new session begins with a clean slate. A session normally lasts for about a year, from late October of one year to about the same date of the next year. Though if a general election is held in the spring or summer the normal rhythm of the sessions is interrupted.

The beginning of a new session is called “The State Opening of Parliament”. It is a fine ceremonial occasion. It begins with the royal carriage procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. The Household Cavalry are there, also the Lord Great Chamberlain, Gold Stick in Waiting, the Master of the Horse, the Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Ladies of the Bedchamber, and of course the trumpeters, the crowds along the processional route, and now the television cameras. The ceremony takes place in the House of Lords. The leading members of the House of Commons stand crowded together at the end of the chamber opposite to the Throne, within the four walls of the room.

The Monarch takes the place on the throne and reads out the “Monarch’s Speech”, which is a document, about a thousand words in length, prepared by the Government. In the document the Government gives a summary of the things which it intends to do during the session which is about to begin. The members of the House of Commons then go back to their own chamber. A member of the Government party proposes that a humble address should be presented to the Monarch to thank him (the King) or her (the Queen) for the gracious speech. A debate on this proposal then begins. It lasts for five or six days. It is really a succession of debates on particular aspects of the Government’s policy as set out in the Monarch’s Speech. Usually the opposition proposes to add to the address to the Monarch some expressions of regret about some part of the Speech or about some omissions from it. At the end of each debate there may be a vote on the Opposition’s amendment. If the Government lost such a vote it would have to resign or ask for a general election.

Note*

to abandon, v. - відмовлятися від presumably, adv. - ймовірно, здогадно to lose a vote - втратити голос

royal carriage procession - процесія королівського кортежу а trumpeter, n. – трубач a humble address - поштиве, шанобливе звертання

Talking Points*

How is the life of the Parliament divided?

What’s the “State Opening of Parliament”?

What’s “the Monarch Speech”?

What’s the part of the Opposition in debates on particular aspects of the Government’s policy?

Do you happen to have Opposition in politics in your country?

How do you like it…

· Queuing. At British banks, shops, cinemas, theatres or bus stops you can always see people in queues. They stand in a line and wait quietly, often for a long time. Each new person stands at the end of the queue - sometimes in rain, wind or snow. Do people behave in such a way in your country?

· Cards. The British send birthday cards and often give birthday presents. There are cards for other days, too: Christmas cards, Valentine’s Day cards, Mother’s Day cards, Father’s Day cards, Easter cards, Wedding Anniversary cards, Good Luck cards, “Congratulations on Your New Baby” cards, and “Get Well Soon” cards.

· The phrase ‘Broken Britain’ is well known to British newspaper readers; it’s a phrase commonly used across the media to describe society’s problems. This identification of a broken society traces back to around the time of the Second World War, and some people argue that the real answer is – and was then – to address society’s inequalities rather than ‘Big Society’ and a retreat from state involvement.

Unit 4

Дата добавления: 2015-08-18