How Parliament works - UK Parliament

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href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/working/">Jobs</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="breadcrumb"> <div class="inner"> <strong>You are here:</strong> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/">Parliament home page</a></li><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/">About Parliament</a></li><li>How Parliament works</li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="secondary-navigation"> <ul><li class="parent"><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/">How Parliament works</a><ul><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/">Parliament's role</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/sovereignty/">Parliamentary sovereignty</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/guides/">Guides to Parliament</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections-and-voting/">Elections and voting</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/">Daily business</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/">Making laws</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/">Committees</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/occasions/">Parliamentary occasions</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/publications/">Publications</a></li><li><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/about-the-house-of-commons/">About the House of Commons</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div> <div id="content" class="three-column"> <div id="content-small"> <a name="skipToContent"></a> <h1 id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_HeadingOne_ctlHeadingH1_h1Item"> How Parliament works </h1> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120117013243im_/http://assets4.parliament.uk/iv/main-large/id_1001.jpg" id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_PageContent_ctlRichMediaControl_SimpleImage_imgMainImage" alt=""/>  <div class="rte main-introduction"> <p>Find out what happens at Parliament, how your MP represents you and how Parliament checks up on the work of Government. </p> </div>  <div class="tabs-wrapper parent"> </div> <div id="sub-landing-basic"> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/">Parliament's role</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>What Parliament does, its role in UK politics, and its relationship with Government, the Crown and Europe</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/sovereignty/">Parliamentary sovereignty</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/guides/">Guides to Parliament</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Find out more about the work of Parliament, its history and traditions. </p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections-and-voting/">Elections and voting</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>This section explains the different sorts of parliamentary elections and how the constituency system works.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/">Daily business</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>What happens in Parliament on a regular basis, including Question Time, Ministerial Statements and Early Day Motions.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/">Making laws</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Find out the difference between Bills and Acts, types of Bills and what stages they go through to become law.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/">Committees</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Explanation of the main types of committees: Select, Joint and General.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/occasions/">Parliamentary occasions</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Key business and ceremonial events - both regular and occasional - punctuate the parliamentary year.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/publications/">Publications</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Descriptions and explanations of the different types of parliamentary publications.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section-promotion">  <h2><a href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/about-the-house-of-commons/">About the House of Commons</a></h2>  <div class="inner"> <p>Information on the work, governance and administration of the House of Commons</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="panel"> <div class="local-module">  <h2>Related information</h2>  <div class="local-module-content"> <div class="itemImageWithTitle"> <a id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl00_ctlLocalModuleItem_hypLink"> <strong>How does a Bill become Law?</strong> </a> </div> <div class="itemText">  <div class="rte main-introduction"> <p></p><div> <p>How does a Bill become an Act? Our guide shows a Bill's journey through Parliament - find out what happens at each stage</p></div> </div>  <ul class="square-bullets"> <li id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl00_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl00_liItem"> <a id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl00_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl00_hypRelatedLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/flash-passage-bill/">Passage of a Bill: flash version</a> </li> <li id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl00_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl01_liItem"> <a id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl00_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl01_hypRelatedLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/passage-bill/">Passage of a Bill: html version</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="itemImageWithTitle"> <a id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl01_ctlLocalModuleItem_hypLink"> <strong>Living Heritage</strong> </a> </div> <div class="itemText">  <div class="rte main-introduction"> <p> </p><div> <p>Learn about the history of Parliament's role</p> </div> </div>  <ul class="square-bullets"> <li id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl01_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl00_liItem"> <a id="ctl00_ctl00_SiteSpecificPlaceholder_ctlRightHandModuleContainer_ctl00_rptLocalModuleItems_ctl01_ctlLocalModuleItem_ctlRelatedLinks_rptRelatedLinks_ctl00_hypRelatedLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/">The evolution of Parliament</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <p class="marker">Footer links</p> <ul> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl01_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/azindex/">A-Z index</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl02_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/">Glossary</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl03_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/contact-us/">Contact us</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl04_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/">Freedom of Information</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl05_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/job-opportunities/">Jobs</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl06_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/using-this-website/">Using this website</a></li> <li><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl07_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/">Copyright</a></li> <li class="last"><a id="ctl00_ctl00_ctlGlobalFooter_ctlNavigationLinks_rptLinks_ctl08_hypLink" href="/web/20120117013243/http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/privacy/">Cookies</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ Sys.Application.initialize(); //]]> </script> </form> <script type="text/javascript"> /*<![CDATA[*/ var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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How Parliament works - UK Parliament