How effective is Parliament?

3.19.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Jul 2008

The Hansard Society published a new book yesterday called 'Law in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process'.

The book analyses the elements that come together to make an act of Parliament, using the findings from detailed case studies and over 80 interviews with ministers, MPs, peers, government officials and pressure groups.

Key conclusions from their study include:

• Although there is a predominant belief within government that to change a bill is a sign of weakness, parliamentary scrutiny does make a difference to the final shape of an Act.

• MPs and peers have a larger impact than is commonly recognized.

• Often by working closely with parliamentarians, external actors and specialist NGOs in particular can have a significant influence on legislation.

• Despite recent improvements, the sheer volume and increasing complexity of legislation continue to hinder Parliament's effectiveness.

Commenting on the book, Sue said, "Their research actually challenges the conventional view of Parliament's effectiveness and the myth that government always gets its way.

"This is a fascinating book, which is both detailed but accessible and easy to read. I was especially interested to read their recommendations for changes that could be made which would improve the legislative process. These include more structures and straightforward government consultations, an increase in pre-legislative scrutiny and improvements to the committee stage.

"I welcome this book and in particular their suggestions for reform. I think the public are becoming increasingly disillusioned and skeptical of government consultations and their value. The government should adopt a much more accessible, inclusive and innovative method of consulting.

"I certainly agree with the Hansard Society that there should be more pre-legislative scrutiny. I would also argue that Parliament and government need to get much better at assessing and evaluating the impact of legislation once it has been implemented. This important part of the whole process is often neglected even though the lessons learnt could be fed into the formation of future legislature"