Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 12 October 2009.
David Tredinnick
Conservative, Bosworth
2:30,
12 October 2009
Will the Secretary of State confirm that before a Member of Parliament visits a school in his Constituency for prize-giving he will have to be vetted?
A Member of Parliament (MP) is elected by a particular area or constituency in Britain to represent them in the House of Commons. MPs divide their time between their constituency and the Houses of Parliament in London. Once elected it is an MP's job to represent all the people in his or her constituency. An MP can ask Government Ministers questions, speak about issues in the House of Commons and consider and propose new laws.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
