Chapter 5 Test 1

Elections to the European Parliament use a system of proportional representation, where seats are allocated to each party in proportion to the total number of votes it has won.

NATO is a group of European and North American countries that have agreed to help each other if they come under attack. It also aims to maintain peace between all of its members.

This procedure is used for claims of less than £10,000 in England and Wales and £3,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the economy.

Proceedings in Parliament are broadcast on television and published in official reports called Hansard.

The public can listen to debates in the Palace of Westminster from public galleries in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The Council of Europe is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in those countries. It has no power to make laws but draws up conventions and charters, the most well-known of which is the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, usually called the European Convention on Human Rights.

The most serious criminal cases in Scotland, such as murder, are heard at a High Court with a judge and jury.

The leader of the opposition leads his or her party in pointing out what they see as the government’s failures and weaknesses.

You need to be at least 16 years old to ride a moped, and there are other age requirements and special tests for driving large vehicles.

The European Union (EU), originally called the European Economic Community (EEC), was set up by six western European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) who signed the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957.

Donated blood is used by hospitals to help people with a wide range of injuries and illnesses.

In Northern Ireland elected members, known as MLAs, meet in the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, in Belfast.

Living people can donate blood and a kidney.

The MP’s office is located at The House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A OAA.

In England, Wales and Scotland Magistrates and Justices of the Peace (JPs) usually work unpaid and do not need legal qualifications.

The House of Lords is normally more independent of the government than the House of Commons.

The British constitution is not written down in any single document, and therefore it is described as ‘unwritten’. This is mainly because the UK, unlike America or France, has never had a revolution which led permanently to a totally new system of government.

The UN was set up after the Second World War and aims to prevent war and promote international peace and security.

Proceedings in Parliament are broadcast on television and published in official reports called Hansard. Written reports can be found in large libraries and at www.parliament.uk.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, if an accused person is aged 10 to 17, the case is normally heard in a Youth Court in front of up to three specially trained magistrates or a District Judge. The most serious cases will go the Crown Court.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments.