Her Majesty's Government

Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom. The government is led by the Prime Minister. Parliament examines what the Government is doing, makes new laws, holds the power to set taxes and debates the issues of the day. The House of Commons and House of Lords each play an important role in Parliament's work.

Parliament
The main functions of the UK Parliament are to check and challenge the work of the Government (scrutiny); Make and change laws (legislation); Debate the important issues of the day (debating); Check and approve Government spending (budget/taxes).

Members of Parliament (MPs) and Lords belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet. MPs and Members of the Lords sit in the two Chambers of Parliament scrutinising the Government and debating legislation. The two Chambers of Parliament are House of Commons and House of Lords.

House of Commons
The UK public elects Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs consider and can propose new laws as well as raising issues that matter to the people. This includes asking government ministers questions about current issues including those which affect local constituents.

House of Lords
The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It is independent from, and complements the work of, the elected House of Commons. The Lords shares the task of making and shaping laws and checking and challenging the work of the government.