Why do we have a second chamber and what does it do?
Students decide who they think should sit in the House of Lords.
- Why we have two houses of parliament
- The role of the House of Lords
- The members of the House of Lords
Advocates of a two chamber parliament say the ability to double check and refine legislation is one of the advantages. Introduce the concept of double checking with a structured question and answer exercise.
Why is it sometimes a good idea to double check things?
Have students ever asked for someone to check their work, or something they have made?
Who would students go to if they wanted the following things 'double checked' ?
Knowledge, expertise, experience
- To make sure your mountain bike was safe.
- If you weren't sure the cough medicine you had was the right one.
- Whether you had spelt a word right in your science homework.
- If you were tall enough to go on a theme park ride.
- If the game you were buying would work on your console.
The sort of people who can give advice on these questions all do different jobs - but what is it they have in common?
Taking time to check carefully
You want someone to have a look at the brakes on your bike. There are two bike shops on your high street. The one near the station is very busy all day.
The shop further along the road is a quieter. Who will you use to double check your brakes and why?
So what makes a good double-checker?
2) Main activity
The role of the House of Lords
Explain that in an election everyone gets to vote for an MP. They sit in the Commons and they decide upon new laws for Britain.
The House of Lords does the job of double checking and fine tuning the laws that the House of Commons make. They have the time and the expertise to look at things very carefully.
Who do students think should sit in the House of Lords?
Imagine there are 600 places in the Lords to be given away. What sort of people should get the jobs? How many of each type of person would you need? (120 doctors, 20 teachers, 25 schoolchildren, 10 footballers etc). To help students think about this here are some possible dilemmas that the House of Lords might look at.
Possible workload for the Lords
 A law about what lessons should be taught in schools.
 New rules for asylum seekers.
 Changes to the way hospitals are run.
 Grants to help farmers grow things that people want to buy.
 How much money should be given to different types of sports.
 If fox-hunting should be banned in England and Wales.
 Should the law allow someone dying a slow painful death from a disease to be helped to commit suicide.
 Whether women should be allowed to become priests.
 Checking if a new law breaks any of the laws that have already been made.
 Checking that a new law will do what it is supposed to
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