Text 2. Government in Britain

Effective power belongs to the Government, which is part of Parliament and responsible to it, but which also normally dominates it. The Government consists of about a hundred politicians under the Prime Minister. Members of the Government are not elected by the House of Commons. They are nominated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister may also require ministers to resign. A modern government is arranged in about fifteen departments, each with its ministerial head. The number changes from time to time, as departments are split or joined together¹. All the heads of departments are members of the House of Commons.

The executive power belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet consists of 16 to 24 senior ministers whom the Prime Minister has appointed. Most ministers in the Cabinet are heads of departments. The Cabinet meets once a week in No 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Cabinet-making² is the most important part of a Prime Minister’s job. The Prime Minister decides which ministers will be included. In order that it can work as a team and arrive at decisions more easily and quickly the Cabinet is restricted to about twenty members.

The Cabinet formulates a comprehensive policy covering allmajor issues both at home and abroad. The Cabinet has to decideon important day-to-day issues as they arise, e.g. a major strike, arun on the sterling, political upheavals abroad. It must alsoconsider future policy. The policy decided upon by the Cabinet isimplemented by the various departments of state. The Cabinet isalso the Court of Appeal: This is presided over by the Lord ChiefJustice of Appeal, and a quorum is three judges.

Notes:

¹ split or joined together – дробятся или соединяются

² Cabinet-making – создание кабинета

Date: 2016-02-19; view: 942; Нарушение авторских прав