Role and functions of Parliament

Under the Westminster model of parliamentary government the British Parliament does not play a significant role in the formulation of policy. Responsibility for the formulation of public policy resides almost exclusively with the executive – the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. It is the role of Parliament to scrutinise proposals for new legislation, to examine government policy and administration, and more broadly to provide a forum within which the major issues of the day may be debated. Many attempts have been made to outline the role and functions of the British Parliament. Studies of the Westminster model often begin with Walter Bagehot's lucid description of the five functions of the House of Commons in 1867. The main function of the Commons, Bagehot asserted, was elective, to provide an assembly from which the executive is drawn, and to maintain that executive as long as it is deemed fit to govern. Secondly, Bagehot described an expressive function, whereby parliament should “express the mind of the English people on all matters which come before it”. Bagehot also placed particular emphasis on the teaching function of parliament, arguing that “a great and open council” placed in the middle of society, ought to “teach the nation what it does not know” and alter society “for the better”. In addition, the House of Commons, Bagehot stated, had long had an “informing function”, that is, to inform the executive of the grievances of the people. Finally, Bagehot identified the legislative function, which, while undoubtedly important, and at times supremely important, was not, he suggested, as important as other functions, most notably the educative function (Bagehot, 1867, pp 152-5).

It has become customary in works on British parliamentary government to enhance Bagehot's assessment with modifications or additional functions. Some have highlighted long-standing functions of parliament neglected by Bagehot, most notably a financial function. The granting of supply was one of the original functions of the English Parliament, and the role of parliament in approving government expenditure and taxation features prominently in recent attempts to summarise parliament's functions (Hennessy, 1995; Tyrie, 2000; Wright, 2000; Rush, 2005).