Parliament

Read the source below (extract written for this paper). The House of Lords is often criticised as undemocratic: its members are appointed or hereditary, and it includes 26 bishops. Yet supporters argue that its expertise and independence improve legislation, and that peers frequently defeat the government on important issues. Critics respond that the Lords can only delay legislation and that the Salisbury Convention limits its power over manifesto commitments. Using the source, evaluate the view that the House of Lords is an effective check on the government. In your response you must compare the different opinions in the source, consider this view and the alternative to this view in a balanced way, and use knowledge and understanding to help you analyse and evaluate.