The House of Commons formally scrutinises the Government through its Committees and Prime Minister’s Questions, when members ask questions of the prime minister; the house gives other opportunities to question other cabinet ministers.

The House of Commons currently meets in a temporary Commons chamber in the West Block of the parliament buildings on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, while the Centre Block, which houses the traditional Commons chamber, undergoes a ten-year renovation.

The House of Commons is the major law-making body in Parliament. In the Commons Chamber, Members devote most of their time to debating and voting on bills. The Chamber is also a place where Members represent constituents’ views, discuss national issues and call on the government to explain its actions.

The role of the House of Commons is to approve new laws and taxes, hold the Government to account, and debate the issues of the day. Read our publication for a overview of how the House works.

The Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.

The Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved. Accordingly, the House of Commons assumed its current title.

The House of Lords debates legislation, and has power to amend or reject bills. Under those Acts, certain types of bills may be presented for Royal Assent without the consent of the House of Lords (i.e. the Commons can override the Lords’ veto).

The main role of the house of Commons is as a debating chamber for new laws and a place to discuss how to govern the United Kingdom. The House of Commons is the legislator. This means that ALL laws start here on a green paper.

The House of Commons has many important functions. These include scrutiny, legislation, representation, debate and recruitment of government. Legislation is the main function, as it is the job of the House of Commons to introduce and pass bills.

To become a Member of Parliament , you must first run in a federal election, which is held every four years. In each of the country’s 338 constituencies, or ridings, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected to the House of Commons, even if he or she gets less than half of the total votes.

The Leader of the House of Commons is generally a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons. The House of Commons devotes approximately three-quarters of its time to government business, such as bills introduced by the government and ministerial statements.