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The British constitution is unusual in that it is not a written constitution. The modern constitution has been guilt on the common laws and practices of parliament over hundreds of years. As such, it is difficult to define precisely the powers that each house has. In fact, it is easier to describe their general functions and make up rather than their powers. The House of Commons is made up of elected members of parliament. There are over 600 members and they are elected every five years or at shorter intervals. The Prime Minister and the other parliamentary ministers are normally drawn from the members of the commons although some may be appointed from the House of Lords. Members of the House of Commons are paid a salary. The House of Lords is an appointed body, with hereditary peers, life peers, bishops, archbishops and law lords. Lords are normally not paid a salary. Most bills and new legislation are generated in the House of Commons. Once passed in the Commons, the bill is passed to the Lords for further debate and approval before being passed to the monarch who finally approves the bill to make it law. The House of Lords can return bills to the Commons for amendments or reject bills entirely. The Commons may then debate and modify a bill before passing it to the Lords once more. Although the Lords has the power to veto bills, the Commons may also override that veto. It is generally accepted that the two houses will work together rather than as adversaries. Sometimes the houses clash and inevitably triggers public debate about the powers and responsibilities of the houses. Despite the lack of written rules for the British government, the system has survived many hundreds of years and it has been the model for numerous democracies around the world. That it has been copied so often is surprising, bearing in mind that few people can claim to fully understand the powers, rights and functions of the British Parliament. This answer does not do justice to the question but the web carries far more detailed documents that describe the finer detail of the way parliament works within Britain. Those who are interested may benefit from Roger Darlington's description of the political system of the UK. His article can be seen at http://www.rogerdarlington.co.uk/Britishpoliticalsystem.html
The House of Lords is more powerful than the House of Commons

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