Collaborating with Parliament – GOV.UK

Parliament plays a crucial role in the daily operations of civil servants, departments, and professions. Understanding how Parliament functions is vital for civil servants, as it enables them to assist ministers and ensure effective communication of our work to MPs and peers.

Contents

Training on parliamentary processes is available for free to all civil servants. This page aims to guide you through the full range of parliamentary learning opportunities, helping you locate the right course for your needs.

• Introduction to Parliament
• Parliamentary scrutiny
• Legislation

For more information on this section of the Government Campus learning curriculum, visit the ‘Skills you need to work in government’ page.

Introduction to Parliament

O nosso Introduction to Parliament course outlines how Parliament holds the government accountable. It discusses its implications for civil servants and details the various ways they may engage with parliamentary oversight.

Dealing with parliamentary scrutiny can be daunting, particularly for those new to the process. To assist you, we have developed a series of desk aids that cover:

• how Parliament assesses your department’s performance
• the steps involved in responding to various types of parliamentary scrutiny
• strategies for effective collaboration with Parliament.

Courses relating to these desk aids are available below. All courses are taught by experts in parliamentary affairs, providing an opportunity to ask detailed questions while examining the practical effects of parliamentary scrutiny on civil service work.

Parliamentary scrutiny

• Ministerial correspondence – This course delves into how Parliament utilizes correspondence to hold the government accountable, explaining its significance for civil servants and detailing departmental procedures for drafting responses.
• Written parliamentary questions – This course covers Parliament’s role in government accountability through written questions, emphasizing its relevance to civil servants and outlining the processes for drafting responses.
• Oral and urgent parliamentary questions – This course explains how Parliament holds the government accountable through oral and urgent parliamentary questions and the preparation required from civil servants for their ministers.
• Select committees – This course discusses Parliament’s use of select committees for government accountability, exploring their structure, functions, and how civil servants can assist their departments in responding to scrutiny.

Legislation

• Primary legislation – This course introduces civil servants to primary legislation, outlining what it is, how departments prepare bills, how Parliament reviews them, and the civil service’s supporting role.
• Secondary legislation – This course clarifies the concept of secondary legislation, how it is developed within government departments, its parliamentary scrutiny process, and civil servants’ supportive roles.
• Effective explanatory memoranda – Participants will learn about explanatory memoranda (EM), their preparation in government, and how they are examined alongside secondary legislation in Parliament. Practical examples of effective EMs will also be presented.

Additionally, we offer Bill Team Basics for those working in bill teams across the government. Held biannually, this week-long course provides a roadmap for new bill teams tasked with delivering primary legislation. Each session covers a different aspect of bill management, offering practical guidance and featuring speakers with direct involvement in the legislative process. Bill Team Basics also includes the bill team toolkit, consisting of five documents that provide an overview, practical information, and advice from seasoned bill managers.