ABSTRACT
Parliament is composed of the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Commons cease to be Members of Parliament. The constitutional importance of the official Opposition is reflected in the fact that the Leader of the Opposition draws a substantial salary in both the House of Commons and Lords, which is drawn on the Consolidated Fund. The Petition will be presented to the House by a Member of Parliament immediately before the half-hour adjournment debate at the end of each day's business. The House of Commons has 650 directly elected representatives of the people: Members of Parliament. Control of proceedings in the Chamber of the Commons is in the hands of the Speaker, an elected Member of Parliament who acts as the politically impartial Chair of proceedings. The three principal tasks of the House of Commons are to represent the people, to enact legislation and to scrutinise the administration of government.
