how many houses are in the british parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber with elections held at least every five years.[8] The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Palace of Westminster (commonly known as the Houses of Parliament) in London. By constitutional convention, all government ministers, including the Prime Minister, are members of the House of Commons or, less commonly, the House of Lords and are thereby accountable to the respective branches of the legislature. Most cabinet ministers (Secretaries of State) are from the Commons, whilst junior ministers can be from either House. However, it should be noted the Leader of the House of Lords must be a peer and is a cabinet position, usually combined with a paid position.
House of Commons of the United Kingdom A candidate for a constituency must submit nomination papers signed by ten registered voters from that constituency, and pay a deposit of Â£500, which is refunded only if the candidate wins at least five per cent of the vote. The deposit seeks to discourage frivolous candidates. Each constituency returns one member, using the first-past-the-post electoral system, under which the candidate with a plurality of votes wins. Minors (that is, anyone under the age of 18), members of the House of Lords, prisoners, and insane persons are not qualified to become members of the House of Commons. To vote, one must be a resident of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and a British citizen, or a citizen of a British overseas territory, of the Republic of Ireland, or of a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. British citizens living abroad are allowed to vote for 15 years after moving from the United Kingdom. No person may vote in more than one constituency.