Name all the functions the Privy Council possesses.

II. The Ministry.

Translate the following text in writing (10 minutes).

The Ministry is the government of the moment. The head of the Ministry is the Prime Minister. The functions of the Prime Minister are: leading the majority party, running the Government, appointing Cabinet Ministers, representing the nation in political matters.

Upon accepting office the Prime Minister must form a government, i.e., select a cabinet and ministry from among the Members of Parliament of his own party. The Cabinet constitutes the centre of the government and is composed of about 20 most important ministers. All major Government decisions are made by the Cabinet, and therefore it is the Cabinet which forms Government policy. Decisions of the Cabinet must be unanimous. It makes its decisions collectively and is collectively responsible to Parliament.

After the Prime Minister has formed his cabinet, he selects the rest of his ministry. Most of these ministers are the political heads of Government Departments are members of one of the Houses.

2.Answer the following questions:

1) What are functions of the Prime Minister?

2)What is the first task of the Prime Minister upon accepting office?

3)What body makes all major decisions of the Government?

3.Complete the following phrases:

1)The Ministry is…

2)The Cabinet is…

3)20 most important ministers make …

4)Decisions made by the Cabinet must be….

5)The Cabinet is collectively…

6)Most the ministers are…

III. Government Departments.

1. Translate the names of the departments: the Home Office, the Foreign Office, the Treasury. How are their heads called? Match the Department and the subject it handles:

1)the Home Office a)financial matters

2)the Foreign Office b)internal affairs of the UK

3)the Treasury c)international matters

Vocabulary

to implement policy [’pɒləsɪ]	осуществлять политику
permanent stuff [’pɜ:rmənənt]	постоянный штат
Civil Service/Servant	гражданская служба/служащий
Ministry of Defence	Министерство Обороны
an agency/-ies	агентство
ministerial department	ведомственный департамент
non-ministerial department	вневедомственный департамент
the Treasury

2.Read and translate the text in writing (15 minutes):

Government Departments are responsible for implementing Government policy. Each department is headed by two people: a political head who is usually the minister, and an administrative head from the Civil Service, called a permanent servant. They are responsible for a permanent stuff which is part of the Civil Servants. There are many such departments: the Home Office, the Department of Education, the Ministry of Defence, etc. The most important is the Treasury.

As well as government departments there are government agencies formed to operate public services, e.g., the Post Office, British Rail, etc. Most agencies are subjects to the control of one of the government departments.

Government departments are either ministerial departments or non-ministerial departments.

Обратите внимание на то, что русскому слову «министерство» могут соответствовать несколько английских слов: Ministry, Office, Department. Например: the Home Office-Министерство Внутренних Дел, the Ministry of Defence – Министерство Обороны, the Department for Education-Министерство Образования. То же самое касается слова «министр», которому могут соответствовать следующие английские слова: Minister, Secretary. Например: the Home Secretary-Министр Внутренних дел, Secretary of State for Defence – Министр Обороны, the Cabinet Ministers – министры Кабинета. Для Министерства Финансов и его главы в Британском правительстве есть отдельное название: Her Majesty’s Treasury-Министерство Финансов (Казна) ее Величества и the Chancellor of the Exchequer-Министр Финансов (Канцлер Казны).

3.See the list of some British Ministries and Departments. Choose one of them and make a presentation about it and about its head on behalf of the real person. Use the plan below:

1.My name is…

2.I’m the head of the…

3.I accepted the office in…

4.I am…years old.

5.I’m married/not married.

6.I have… (don’t have) children.

7.I live in…

8.I belong to the…party.

9.The functions of my Department are…

(Provide a picture of the real person).

Ministerial departments

· Attorney General's Office