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NCTJ PA Past Exam Questions and Answers: A Guide to UK Politics and Local Government, Exams of Advanced Education

Chamberlain College of NursingAdvanced Education

A comprehensive overview of key concepts and issues related to uk politics and local government, focusing on the role of backbench mps, party discipline, eu issues, and local authority funding. It includes a series of questions and answers that are relevant to the nctj pa exam, making it a valuable resource for students preparing for this qualification.

Typology: Exams

2023/2024

Available from 12/08/2024

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NCTJ PA Past Exam Questions and
Answers
BACKBENCH MPS + 4 roles - Answer- Define: backbenchers are MPs who are not
members of the government or the opposition front bench.
• legislation - voting on and amendinglegislation - 2nd reading, report stage, third
reading, membership of public bil committees; introducing private members' bills; limited
role ni approving/amending delegated legislation
• debating government policy in general debates, sponsored by the government and the
opposition
• scrutinising the executive/holding the government to account through question time
(including PMQs) and written questions; debate on the adjournment, membership of
select committees (departmental and public accounts, liaison committee), urgent
debates (emergency debates)
• representing/helping constituents - holding surgeries, dealing with constituents'
correspondence, taking up constituents' problems, taking an interest in major
constituency matters.
11 ways a backbench MPs raise an issue in Parliament? - Answer- oral question to the
relevant minister at question time
written question tothe relevant minister
through debates (adjournment debates and raising the issue in a relevant general
debate],
raising the issue at the relevant select committee.
sponsoring a private members' bill on the issue
PMB ballot
ten minute rule bills
early day motions,
emergency questions
supporting constituents' petitions
e-petitions
HOW IS PARTY DISCIPLINE IMPOSED? - Answer- - The whip system
- WHIPS APPOINTED BY PARTY LEADERS TO ENFORCE DISCIPLINE WITHIN
PARTY
- THEY SEND OUT MEMOS UNDERLINED THREE LINES - THREE LINE WHIP
EXAMPLE OF A LINE WHIP HAVE ONE - TO VOTE AGAINST
- Backbench revolts have become more common in recent years
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Download NCTJ PA Past Exam Questions and Answers: A Guide to UK Politics and Local Government and more Exams Advanced Education in PDF only on Docsity!

NCTJ PA Past Exam Questions and

Answers

BACKBENCH MPS + 4 roles - Answer- Define: backbenchers are MPs who are not members of the government or the opposition front bench.

  • legislation - voting on and amendinglegislation - 2nd reading, report stage, third reading, membership of public bil committees; introducing private members' bills; limited role ni approving/amending delegated legislation
  • debating government policy in general debates, sponsored by the government and the opposition
  • scrutinising the executive/holding the government to account through question time (including PMQs) and written questions; debate on the adjournment, membership of select committees (departmental and public accounts, liaison committee), urgent debates (emergency debates)
  • representing/helping constituents - holding surgeries, dealing with constituents' correspondence, taking up constituents' problems, taking an interest in major constituency matters. 11 ways a backbench MPs raise an issue in Parliament? - Answer- oral question to the relevant minister at question time written question tothe relevant minister through debates (adjournment debates and raising the issue in a relevant general debate], raising the issue at the relevant select committee. sponsoring a private members' bill on the issue PMB ballot ten minute rule bills early day motions, emergency questions supporting constituents' petitions e-petitions HOW IS PARTY DISCIPLINE IMPOSED? - Answer- - The whip system
  • WHIPS APPOINTED BY PARTY LEADERS TO ENFORCE DISCIPLINE WITHIN PARTY
  • THEY SEND OUT MEMOS UNDERLINED THREE LINES - THREE LINE WHIP EXAMPLE OF A LINE WHIP HAVE ONE - TO VOTE AGAINST
  • Backbench revolts have become more common in recent years
  • party whips are MPs (and peers) appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party's contribution to parliamentary business and ensure that MPs (and peers) vote as required by the party leadership, and show the importance of party discipline, especially in the House of Commons. 9 EU ISSUES: - Answer- the cost of EU membership; the impact of leaving the EU on UK trade with the EU and rest of the world; the overall funding crisis ni the Eurozone, and its impact on EU countries; theUK's continued membership and role withinthe EU; the development of a two-speed/two tier Europe; the overall nature of the European Union (intergovernmentalism versus supranationalism), the debate about increasing federalism at the heart of the EU, lack of democratic accountability of the institutions (democratic deficit); the expansion of qualified majority voting under the Lisbon Treaty, etc. Explain the national non-domestic rates/uniform business rates system ( who pays it, who sets it, who collects it and where the money goes) 8 points) - Answer- 1) business, commercial and industrial properties pay national non-domestic rates/uniform business rates
  1. properties have a rateable value set by valuation officers every five years based on rentable values and central government/the Welsh Government sets each year
  2. the multiplier which is the same for the whole of England (there is a different multiplier for Wales).
  3. The multiplier may only be increased by the rate of inflation, The individual bill is the rateable value multiplied by the multiplier
  4. The charge si collected by the biling authorities
  5. Since 2013 local authorities in England have been able to retain a proportion of the business rates.
  6. The remainder is handed over to central government and then redistributed back to all local authorities in England.
  7. In Wales all of the business rates income is handed to the Welsh Government which then redistributes it to all local authorities in Wales. 8 features of how Council tax system works ( who pays it, who sets it, who collects it and where the money goes) - Answer- 1) a domestic property tax,
  8. houses valued on resale price and put into bands charge set by charging and precepting authorities for band D and properties in other bands pay a proportion;
  9. single occupiers pay 75%;
  10. students are exempt;
  11. council tax reduction of up to 100% available.
  12. council tax benefit has been localised and replaced with council tax support
  13. Central government may demand a local referendum in England if it deems the council tax to be excessive
  14. councils in England are now able to increase council tax by 2% specifically to raise funds for adult social care
  1. national non domestic rates/uniform business rate which are property taxes paid by industry/business - the level is set by central government, collected locally and centrally distributed (local authorities may now retain part of their business rates) LOCAL SOURCES:
  2. Council tax which is a domestic properly tax set and collected by the local authority [restrictions on council tax rises before triggering a local referendum);
  3. rents, fees and charges (parking fees and fines (this is any increasingly significant portion of revenue funding);
  4. balances/reserves General versus specific grants for revenue expenditure? - Answer- general grants (money that local authorities may spend as they wish) including business rates income (some of which is retained by local authorities) and specific grants (money given for particular services) 11 newsworthy issues relating to the sources of funds for local authority revenue expenditure? - Answer- 1) how current central government policy, whilst not increasing central government taxation, is forcing local authorities to increase the council tax above the rate of inflation;
  5. due to austerity fewer grants going out/government grants reduced
  6. domestic property valuations for council tax purposes has not been increased in England since 1991;
  7. the adult social care precept;
  8. the requirement for a local referendum if the local authority wishes to significantly increase the council tax;
  9. the complexity of precepts;
  10. billing of second homes;
  11. discounts and exemptions for council tax;
  12. business rates are set by central government multiplier (collected by local government who now retain some of it);
  13. non domestic properties were last revalued in 2021 and the new valuations will start to take effect from 2023,
  14. exemptions from business rates, 7 current issues on local authority funding? - Answer- 1) Cuts of around 40% in central government grants to local authorities since 2010
  15. Difficulty in finding new efficiency savings each year
  16. Effect of cuts in core local government services
  17. Effect of changes in social housing rents, council tax relief schemes and business rates on revenue income
  18. Increasing significance of rents, fees and charges within the local government revenue budget
  19. The council tax referendum which effectively limits council tax rises to less than 2%.
  20. The business rates retention scheme giving council's some direct control over business rates in their areas

4 various allowances and expenses that councillors may claim. - Answer- 1) basic allowance (flat-rate payment made ot councillors)

  1. Councillors with extra responsibility receive special responsibility allowance (additional payment made to senior councillors, party leaders, portfolio holders, committee chairs)
  2. subsistence allowance (paid for additional travel costs onofficial trips away from the local authority area)
  3. dependants and child care allowance How is councillor allowance rates decided? - Answer- The full council decides the level of allowances after recommendations are made by an independent remuneration panel. How could you find out how much senior officers are paid at the council? - Answer- - Freedom of Information is not required to find this out.
  • It is a legal requirement that councils publish the scheme of allowances and information on officer salaries.
  • All councils publish a range of financial information, some of which they are required to do so by law including all spending over £500). 10 FEATURES OF Rights as a journalist to attend planning meetings? - Answer- 1) Press and public have a general right to attend council, committee and sub-committee meetings.
  1. The key legislation addressing these rights is the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
  2. They may be excluded if the item to be discussed is either confidential or exempt.
  3. A vote should be passed to exclude the press and public from discussion of an exempt item.
  4. Exempt Information: Local authorities may withhold certain information if it falls under specific exemptions outlined in the legislation. This could include information related to legal matters, personnel issues, or commercially sensitive information.
  5. Closed Sessions: Local authorities may go into closed sessions to discuss matters that are not open to the public. However, decisions on issues discussed in closed sessions are typically made in open sessions.
  6. Resolution to Exclude: If a local authority wishes to exclude the public and the media from a meeting, it must pass a resolution stating the grounds for exclusion. This resolution is typically passed at the beginning of the meeting.
  7. Exclusion Criteria: Exclusion is generally based on specific reasons, such as the discussion of confidential information, legal advice, or matters involving individual privacy.
  8. Agendas and Reports: Local authorities must make agendas and reports available in advance of the meeting. the agenda should be published five clear days ahead of the meeting - and if held in private, 28 days' notice should be given.
  9. Minutes: Minutes of meetings, which summarize discussions and decisions, must be made available to the public and the media after the meeting.

who provides/is responsible for adult social care (3 points)? - Answer- 1) local authorities: county councils and unitaries.

  1. services are often outsourced/provided by the private or voluntary sector.
  2. Local authority adult social services agree on a care package for adults with care needs, which is subject to means-testing. Fostering versus adoption (4 features of each)? - Answer- Fostering:
  3. foster parents (couples or single people) are vetted and paid by local authority children's services to look after children who are in care.
  4. The arrangement may be short term or long term but the foster parent does not assume parental rights.
  5. The amount the foster parent is paid depends on the local authority.
  6. The child usually keeps their surname and usually also contact with birth parents. Adoption:
  7. permanent and persons wishing to adopt are vetted by local authority social services and the adoption has to be agreed to by the courts.
  8. The arrangement is permanent and the adopted child assumes the surname of those who have adopted him/her.
  9. Adoptive parents are given full parental responsibility for the child
  10. No payment is made. 3 key issues of fostering and adoption? - Answer- 1) shortage of potential foster parents and the move away from children's homes.
  11. issues like interracial adoption/political correctness
  12. problems of finding both foster parents and people willing to adopt children with special needs. 9 features of minister define and describe role + appointment: - Answer- 1) Ministers are the politicians who together form the government (the executive).
  13. ) senior members sit in the cabinet (secretaries of state) while non-cabinet ministers include ministers of state and junior ministers (parliamentary under-secretaries of state).
  14. There are over 100 ministers in the government, the majority of whom sit in the House of Commons but some sit in the House of Lords.
  15. Those who sit in the Commons receive a ministerial salary in addition to their MPs' salary. [Those in the Lords only receive a ministerial salary.]
  16. They are responsible for government policy and for the operation of the department or part of a department.
  17. Each minister is given a specific area of government policy to oversee, and they speak on behalf of the Government during parliamentary debates and must answer questions put to them by other MPs or members of the House of Lords.
  18. They are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the PM.
  19. There are various ranks/levels- secretaries of state (head government departments and sit in the cabinet); ministers of state are the deputy ministers; parliamentary undersecretaries are the junior ministers
  1. Must follow two conventions - convention of collective responsibility and convention of individual ministerial responsibility Ministers versus civil servants? - Answer- Ministers are elected MPs (or members of the House of Lords) who have been appointed as members of the government.
  • They will have overall responsibility for establishing policy in a government department or a section of it.
  • They also have overall responsibility for the running of that department. Civil servants are paid employees of the government.
  • Their role is to advise on policy development and administer the delivery of that policy. 2 Cabinet minister conventions? - Answer- Convention of collective responsibility all members of the government accept the policies of the government Convention of individual ministerial responsibility a minister takes responsibility for the actions of his department and should resign if a serious error is made / anything that has gone wrong in his/her department (although often they wil be sacked by the PM). 8 features of Role of Prime Minister - Answer- 1) Usually leader of the majority party in the House of Commons
  1. Appoints and dismisses members of the government Chairs the cabinet
  2. Represents the government at home and abroad
  3. Has wide powers of patronage to key civil service, armed forces and religious posts
  4. Usually minister for the civil service
  5. Meets with the monarch in the weekly audience
  6. National security
  7. powers of the PM are based on convention not statute 8 features of House of Lords composition + how members are selected: - Answer- 1) Lords Temporal, comprising the life peers/peeresses and the elected hereditary peers
  8. Lords Spiritual comprising the senior bishops of the Church of England (i.e. leading bishops and archbishops)
  9. 92 elected hereditary peers, 90 of whom are elected by their fellow hereditary peers from their party); 26 Lords Spiritual (senior Church of England bishops); and almost 700 life peers appointed by the Kin on the advice of the prime minister.
  10. Life peers are appointed for life on advice of the Prime Minister and their titles expire when they die
  11. The number of elected hereditary peers is capped under the House of Lords Reform Act
  12. There is a by-election to fill a seat when one dies or leaves the Lords
  13. Most Lords represent a political party, those that don't are called crossbenchers
  14. The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) recommends individuals for appointment as non-party-political life peers and vets nominations for life peers

3 features of free schools? - Answer- 1) Free schools are also publicly-funded schools, independent of the local authority, funded directly by the Department for Education.

  1. They may be set up by parents; teachers; faith groups; voluntary bodies.
  2. They have even more freedom than academies - particularly over buildings. Academies versus free schools? - Answer- - Free schools are new establishments - an existing school cannot be converted to a free school Government's plans for all schools in England to have academy status by 2022
  • operational freedoms e.g. varying curriculum, school hours, teachers' pay, different teaching methods and academies may be part of an academy chain
  • academies run by an academy trust or multi-academy trust, whilst free schools can be set up by anyone (parents, charities, universities, religious groups etc) 4 features of OFSTED? - Answer- 1) OFSTED is the independent inspection service for early years providers, schools and further education providers
  1. Also responsible for inspecting local authority children's services departments and children's* social care providers.
  2. A team of inspectors is sent in to observe lessons and grade the school
  3. Ofsted's powers include giving notice to improve, or to put the school into special measures if it is failing to provide adequate education. features of local authority schools? - Answer- 6 features of grammar schools? - Answer- - few are left in England, - academically- selective schools and admit pupils following an aptitude test (usually called 11+).
  • created from the 1940s onwards
  • have been the subject of disagreement between politicians about their retention and perceived elitism
    • may still be local authority community schools but many have become academies and opted out of local authority control.
  • They are found in certain areas of England including Kent, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire etc. 4 features of greenbelt area: - Answer- 1) area on the outskirts of towns and cities that cannot be developed.
  1. designated as green belt to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another.
  2. has to be used as open space, agricultural land or for recreation
  3. encourages developers to recycling derelict and other urban land Green Belt Zone vs Greenfield site? - Answer- Green Belt Zones: areas protected against development to prevent the spread of towns and cities into the countryside Greenfield sites: pieces of land in urban or rural areas that have not been previously developed, such as fields and farm land

Outline the 5 stage process a planning application goes. - Answer- 1) Planning applications are submitted to the local district or unitary council with a detailed or outline plan

  1. Smaller developments may be approved by planning officers while others wil need to go before the planning committee.
  2. Council officers produce areport, after consultation with interested parties, with recommendations for the committee (Consultation is carried out with the parish/community council, neighbouring residents and other interested parties)
  3. a planning officer will then make a recommendation and the plans are then decided upon by the council's planning committee based on national and local planning policy
  4. Applications may be approved, rejected or conditionally approved. greenfield versus brownfield site? - Answer- Greenfield sites: pieces of land in urban or rural areas that have not been previously developed, such as fields and farm land. These sites are typically in a natural state, such as agricultural land, greenfield sites may include open fields, forests, or other undeveloped spaces. Brownfield sites: pieces of previously developed land that are now derelict but may have existing infrastructure. These sites may have been used for industrial, commercial, or residential purposes in the past. 4 considerations for developers greenfield versus brownfield sites? - Answer- Greenfield sites may be larger and, if planning permission is secured, could lead to larger homes being built.
  • Flexibility: Developers have more flexibility in planning and designing the layout of the development since there are no existing structures to work around.
  • Lower Costs: Construction costs can be lower as there is no need for demolition or clearing existing structures. Infrastructure development can be more straightforward. Brownfield sites typically have existing infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and transportation links, reducing the need for new infrastructure development.
  • Environmental Considerations: Brownfield development is often viewed as more environmentally friendly as it avoids encroaching on greenfield areas and promotes reuse of existing land. 7 current issues about rail and transport? - Answer- 1) working conditions (safety on the lines)
  1. better integration of services across the UK (Great British Rail) and regionally (Crossrail, Northern Powerhouse Rail);
  2. rail strikes;
  3. issue of 'driver-only' trains, electrification;
  4. costs of tickets;
  5. excessive profits of private rail companies and lack of investment; 7) re- nationalisation Conservation area vs National Park? - Answer- Conservation areas: an area designated by a local planning authority for extra planning controls due to architectural or historical interest
  1. new trade links outside the EU area;
  2. less 'red tape';
  3. trade war between UK and EU;
  4. delays at ports; lorry jams;
  5. potential decline in food standards Parliamentary by-election / election voting system? - Answer- Parliamentary by- elections use first- past-the-post, where the candidate with more votes than any other (simple majority) wins. Define proportional representation and 4 examples? - Answer- Proportional representation is an electoral system where the number of seats won by each party is in proportion to the votes gained by each party 4 examples:
  • The list system (European Parliament elections)
  • additional member system (although this a mix of PR and first-past-the post)
  • single transferable vote (Northern Ireland assembly),
  • supplementary vote (mix of PR and FPTP used for directly elected mayors). 4 features of first-past-the-post? - Answer- 1) used in parliamentary elections
  1. To win a seat the successful candidate must achieve one more vote than their nearest rival (simple majority).
  2. The party who has gained more than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons (326 out of 650) will form the government and its leader will be appointed prime minister by the King.
  3. Should no party gain over 50% of the seats, there may have to be a coalition or minority government. 3 disqualifications to vote in parliamentary election? - Answer- Disqualifications:
  4. member of the House of Lords
  5. prisoners
  6. banned by court after being found guilty of electoral malpractice. Define and describe role of Care Quality Commission (5 features) - Answer- 4 ROLES: inspection, regulation, enforcement, reporting
  7. independent statutory regulator, responsible for monitoring and inspecting health and social services including NHS hospitals.
  8. Care Quality Commission was set up to improve the quality of healthcare [and social care] as an independent watchdog for both the NHS and independent healthcare organisations and to investigate serious service failures in NHS trusts.
  9. The Care Quality Commission registers and licenses providers of health care and continually monitors that they comply with the essential standards.
  10. Should inspectors find non-compliance, the commission has now the power to impose financial penalties.
  11. powers to issue warning notices; suspend or cancel registration; issue penalty notices; prosecute.
  1. Providing information to the public about the quality of healthcare services through published inspection reports. 7 parts of NHS? - Answer- 1) Secretary of State for Health - ultimate responsibility
  2. Department of Health - strategic leadership
  3. NHS England - [ may be made of the NHS Commissioning Board]
  4. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) - partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and pay for health and care services to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area.
  5. NHS Trusts - hospitals, ambulance services etc
  6. Health and Wellbeing Boards- local authority led boards to co-ordinate health and social care.
  7. Public Health England - national leadership and expert services to support public health - works with local councils and NHS. Describe role of local authority in provision of health? - Answer- 3 features of NHS Hospital Trust? - Answer- 1) organisation which runs and manages the hospital providing secondary care.
  8. Its main income from contracts with the local clinical commissioning group
  9. foundation trusts have more freedom over their spending and budgets 4 features of Integrated Care Systems? - Answer- - a major change in the administration of health care in England which now depends on collaboration rather than a separation between commissioners and providers.
  • They aim to bring together various health and care organizations to work in partnership, fostering a more coordinated and patient-centered approach to healthcare delivery
  • ICSs/ICBs emphasize collaboration across different sectors, including NHS providers, local authorities, and community services.
  • Integrated Care Boards comprise representatives of NHS bodies, GPs, local authorities and others, and they both plan health and care services and commission and fund the services. difference between NHS commissioners vs NHS providers? - Answer- Commissioners:
  • NHS England oversees the commissioning side of the NHS in England Providers:
  • NHS Trusts are the main providers of secondary care, such as hospitals, mental health units etc ; Some Trusts gain Foundation Trust status with gives them more operational independence ;
  • Private sector providers can also be commissioned to provide NHS services Clinical Commissioning Groups VERSUS integrated care systems? - Answer- - Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were established as part of the Health and Social Care Act in 2012, and replaced primary care trusts on 1 April 2013.
  1. Post code lottery in health with different clinical commissioning groups setting own priorities Increased use of the private sector
  2. Increased availability of private health care schemes creating a two-tier health service.
  3. lack of staff, recruitment problems and staff burnout
  4. extensive waiting lists
  5. Covid enquiry
  6. Scandals e.g. Telford's maternity units
  7. NHS pay disputes and strikes
  8. Outdated IT systems driving inefficiencies
  9. Public scrutiny surrounding NHS's deal with American spy corporate Palantir and it's impact of patient and public data 4 features of parliamentary sovereignty? - Answer- 1) sovereignty of parliament means parliament is supreme.
  10. it can pass/repeal any law it wants
  11. membership of the EU may be seen as running contrary to the sovereignty of parliament as parliament cannot pass/repeal any law it wants if that law runs counter to EU law.
  12. other international treaties impact sovereignty of parliament Explain the 5 role and powers of an elected Police and Crime Commissioner? - Answer- Police and Crime Commissioner is a directly elected official
  13. agrees police plans (must produce a yearly policing plan)
  14. Agrees budgets/ precepts
  15. appointing/dismissing the chief constable
  16. representing the community in policing plans
  17. holding the chief constable to account. Police and crime commissioners are overseen by police and crime panels made up of local councillors. 2 features of electing PCCs? - Answer- 1) police and crime commissioners are elected by the public every four years (from 2023 by first past the post)
  18. there are typically low turnouts in PCC elections. Define direct tax + role in budget? - Answer- Direct taxes are levied on the income and earnings of individuals and companies Includes income tax, inheritance tax and corporation tax.
  • Direct taxes are charged according to a person's earnings/status/ability to pay (such as income tax, corporation tax, inheritance tax, land tax) and are set at different rates for individuals and businesses. Role in Budget: Direct taxes contribute a significant portion of government revenue and are often used to achieve redistributive goals by taxing higher incomes at higher rates.

Define indirect tax and role in budget? - Answer- Indirect Taxes are paid on expenditure,for example when buying goods and services (Taxes imposed on goods and services, usually as a percentage of their value.) -They are charged at a flat-rate at the point of purchase for consumers, or charged by businesses, regardless of ability to pay. Includes VAT, customs and excise duties, alcohol and petrol tax. Role in Budget: Indirect taxes provide a substantial portion of government revenue and can influence consumer behavior by affecting the cost of goods and services. 10 purposes of budget? - Answer- 1) The Budget is a review of the nation's finances and the economic situation, medium-term forecasts

  1. a financial plan that outlines the expected revenues and expenditures of a government for a specific period, usually one year.
  2. announcing government spending plans and taxation changes.
  3. Budget proposals are then enacted via a Finance Bill presented to the House of Commons.
  4. serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the allocation of resources, highlighting the government's priorities and fiscal policies.
  5. Revenue Allocation: The budget allocates funds for various government activities, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and defense.
  6. Resource Distribution: It determines how resources are distributed among different sectors and regions, aiming to address economic and social needs.
  7. Fiscal Policy Tool: The budget is a crucial tool for implementing fiscal policy, influencing economic growth, employment, and inflation through taxation and spending decisions.
  8. Debt Management: It addresses public debt by outlining strategies for borrowing, repayment, and debt reduction.
  9. Economic Stabilization: The budget can be used to counter economic fluctuations by adjusting spending and taxation in response to economic conditions. direct versus indirect tax? - Answer- 2 features of Monetary Policy Committee? - Answer- 1) an independent committee of economic experts chaired by the Governor of the Bank of England sets the level of interestrates to control inflation.
  10. the committee has a target of 2% inflation to meet and must provide a letter of explanation if it is 1% above or below Interest rates definition + explanation of 3 impacts of raising interest rates - Answer- Interest rates are set by the Bank of England, which influences borrowing costs throughout the economy. Cost of Borrowing: Higher interest rates can increase the cost of government borrowing, affecting the budget deficit. Consumer Spending: Raising interest rates can lead to higher borrowing costs for consumers, potentially reducing spending and slowing economic activity.(increases mortgage rates; may increase homeowners' monthly mortgage payments)
  1. It has responsibility for all local government services within its geographical area, including education, social services, housing, planning, and transportation.
  2. Unitary authorities cover both urban and rural areas and may vary in size and population.
  3. Often found in metropolitan areas/cities etc.
  4. found in Wales, Scotland, the metropolitan areas of England and some shire areas of England. Each of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester - Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Trafford, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Wigan - is represented by a unitary council. 7 FEATURES Two-tier system + EXAMPLE - Answer- 1) specific area is served by two tiers of council - usually a county council (upper tier) and a district/city/borough council (lower tier).
  5. County council covers the entire county - within that there are several district councils
  6. Some district councils are granted royal borough status
  7. The two tiers are politically independent, separately elected, and decide their own policies and budgets -
  8. They may be under the political control of different parties although they are obliged towork ni partnership on some areas of shared services.
  9. The upper tier (county council) looks after 'major' services such as education, adult social services, children's social services, waste disposal, strategic planning.
  10. The lower tier (district council) looks after other services such as waste collection, housing, planning applications, elections, council tax collection.
  11. Only found in England An example is Surrey County Council and the 11 district councils covering the same area. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO TIER AND UNITARY (2 points) - Answer- 1) two-tier system will see services split between two independent tiers (upper and lower) while a unitary council deals with all services for a specific area.
  12. Unitary authorities are single-tier councils responsible for all of the services that are divided between district/ borough and county councils in two-tier areas.
  13. Two-tier authorities often comprise of a county council (upper tier) and several district/borough/city councils (lower tier). DEFINE Hybrid system + EXAMPLE - Answer- - This is when a unitary authority exists in a geographical area which is predominantly two-tier.
  • both models exist within different areas of a single county Example (EAST SUSSEX) -include Brighton being a unitary despite the rest of East Sussex being two-tier.
  • Brighton exists as its own entity and gets no services from East Sussex County Council.

8 features of a Combined authority (relevant to devolution): - Answer- 1) a group of two or more local authorities that come together to collaborate on issues that span their administrative boundaries ,working as a 'super council'

  1. Agrees a devolution deal with central government outlining its powers
  2. typically established to address strategic issues that require joint planning and coordination, such as transportation, economic development, and regeneration/ planning and policing
  3. Each participating local authority retains its existing powers, but the combined authority gains additional powers and resources to address shared challenges.
  4. Combined authorities can take on significant powers and resources devolved from national government
  5. Combined authorities are often associated with metropolitan areas and are intended to facilitate more integrated and effective governance in larger urban regions.
  6. While established by Parliament, CAs are locally owned and have to be initiated and supported by the councils involved.
  7. Usually is expected to adopt a metro-mayor, who will be directly elected by the public 7 devolution issues? - Answer- 1) fallout of Brexit and leaving the EU
  8. funding distribution, Scottish Nationalist control of Scottish Parliament
  9. calls for an England only Parliament
  10. West Lothian question
  11. complexity of monitoring different laws in different countries (possible cross over etc)
  12. free prescriptions and lower tuition fees in some parts of UK - difference in service provision in higher education in Scotland versus England Scotland
  13. Nuclear Arms in Scotland
  14. ongoing independence movements in Scotland and Wales
  15. Devolution deal for Hull and East Riding announced in Autumn Statement 3 features of Mayoral Combined Authorities + 2 examples? - Answer- 1) Mayoral Combined Authorities are formed when a group of councils come together to legally share powers and take decisions across council boundaries under the leadership of an elected mayor (sometimes referred to as 'metro mayor'
  16. can take on significant powers and resources devolved from national government and attract additional financial support to support this work
  17. Powers can include transport, housing, local health services, waste services, policing, skills, business support and social care Examples: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, difference between combined and MAYORYAL combined authorities? - Answer- Whilst all combined authorities have core powers in transport, skills and economic development, each also has its own bespoke devolution 'deal'. This means that the total package of powers and funding for combined authorities varies according to their agreement with central government. In combined authorities with a mayor the deals are more encompassing because there is a directly elected individual accountable for the decisions made over devolved matters in their area.