UK Parliament Please wait - you are being redirected to an updated version of this page

The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world. Parliamentary government in the United Kingdom is based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper House) and the House of Commons (the lower house) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch. The main functions of Parliament are to: examine proposals for new laws provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure debate the major issues of the day. Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. At any time up to the end of this period, a general election can be held for a new House of Commons. There are devolved Parliaments/Assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland created by legislation passed by the UK Parliament. Palace of Westminster House of Lords House of Commons The Speaker of the Commons Parliamentary committees The party system Making new law Major parliamentary occasions Accountability of Government Standards in public life