Majority
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means having the support of more than half the Members in the House of Commons and therefore being able to win important divisions. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.

Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of the ideas and policies of a political party. It is usually published during the campaign before a General Election. Each party draws up its manifesto after a lot of consultation with members of its party. The manifesto contains a description of what the party will do if it wins the election and becomes the Government. Once in Government the success of the party is often measured by how many of its manifesto commitments it manages to put into practice.

Member of Parliament (MP)
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.

Members' Lobby
The Members' Lobby is the room next to the House of Commons Chamber. It is a place where MPs can collect messages and where the Chief Whips' offices are located. When the House is sitting it is a hive of activity. During the Second World War the Lobby suffered extensive damage and was subsequently rebuilt. It is decorated with statues of former Prime Ministers.

Minister
Ministers make up the Government and are almost always members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister: Departmental Ministers, Ministers of State and Junior Ministers. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.

Ministerial salaries
Ministers of the Crown have always been paid in one form or another, but it was as late as 1937 before there was a comprehensive review of Ministerial salaries - although this did not result in a substantial income for Ministers. It was not until 1964 that Ministers received a significant increase in salary when the Lawrence Report recognised that they were being disadvantaged because they had to give up the majority of their MP's salary when they became a Minister. Unlike MPs, Ministers were not entitled to earn money outside Parliament.

Ministerial Statements
Oral ministerial statements are made after questions and urgent questions, before the main business of the day. A minister speaks on behalf of the government to present its views to Parliament. Statements can be on any subject ranging from a new policy announcement to an important national or international event or crisis. Some statements are either made or repeated in the House of Lords. Written ministerial statements are published in Hansard.

Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is the Government Department which is responsible for the British Armed Forces. This includes the Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. You will find more information on the MoD website.

Modernisation Committee
The Modernisation Committee is a Select Committee of the House of Commons. It was first set up on 4th June 1997 to consider how the practices and procedures of the House should be modernised. It has produced a number of reports, and many of its recommendations have been approved by the House of Commons.

Money Bills
A Money Bill is a Bill that deals with national taxation, public money or loans and their management. A Bill is only considered to be a money Bill if the Speaker of the House of Commons agrees that it is. The Speaker signs a certificate to indicate this. The House of Lords has no power over money Bills.

MP salaries
In April 2004 the MP’s basic salary was increased to £57,485. Their pay usually increases in line with that of senior civil servants but is also subject to regular reviews by the Senior Salaries Review Body. MPs are also allowed to earn money outside Parliament but must declare this in the Register of Members' Interests. Payment of MPs can be traced back as far as the 13th Century when shires and boroughs allowed their representatives certain wages for attending Parliament. However by the end of the 17th century electors had ceased to pay their representatives. Despite this, during the 18th and 19th centuries, a seat in the House of Commons could be very lucrative. Fewer people were allowed to vote and voting was not secret. Therefore the system was open to abuse and powerful landowners in many of the seats were able to control both the candidates and the electorate. Payment of MPs was proposed by many of the groups that campaigned for electoral reform in the 18th and 19th centuries. A salary would ensure that MPs could be independent as they would not have to rely on the patronage of wealthy landowners for their income. MPs remained unpaid until 1911 when they became entitled to draw £400 a year from public funds. This £400 was increased at irregular intervals.

Courtesy of www.parliament.uk