Supplementary written evidence from Constitution
Unit, University College London
Comparative table showing size of the Ministry compared
with size of the Legislature.
COUNTRIES WITH PARLIAMENTS OF LESS THAN 100
MEMBERS
| Country | Size of Cabinet (current)
| Size of
Junior
Ministry |
Total
size of Ministry | Size of legislature
| Ratio of Ministry to legislature |
Population |
| Wales | 10 | 4
| 14 | 60 | 1:4
| 2,980,000 |
COUNTRIES WITH PARLIAMENTS OF BETWEEN 100 AND 200 MEMBERS
| Country | Size of Cabinet (current)
| Size of
Junior
Ministry |
Total
size of
Ministry | Size of
legislature
| Ratio of
Ministry to legislature
| Population |
| NI | 13 | 2 |
15 | 108 | 1:7
| 1,789,000 |
| New Zealand | 19 | 8
(Ministers
outside
Cabinet)
| 27 | 122 | 1:5
| 4,252,277 |
| Scotland | 8 | 10
| 18 | 129 | 1:7
| 5,194,000 |
| Finland | 22 | 0
(Secretaries
of State in
Finland are
civil servants)
| 22 | 200 | 1:9
| 5,255,068 |
COUNTRIES WITH PARLIAMENTS OF BETWEEN 200 AND 300 MEMBERS
| Country | Size of Cabinet (current)
| Size of
Junior
Ministry |
Total
size of
Ministry | Size of
legislature
| Ratio of Ministry to legislature |
Population |
| The Netherlands | 12 | 8
| 20 | 225
75 (Senate)
150 (House of Representatives)
| 1:11 | 16,783,092 |
| Ireland | 15 | 15
| 30 | 226
166 (Dáil Éireann)
60 (Seanad Éireann)
| 1:8 | 4,622,917 |
| Australia | 20 | 10
(Outer ministers)
12
(Parliamentary Secretaries)
| 42 | 226
150 (House of Representatives)
76 (Senate)
| 1:5 | 21,515,754 |
COUNTRIES WITH PARLIAMENTS OF BETWEEN 200 AND 500 MEMBERS
| Country | Size of Cabinet (current)
| Size of
Junior
Ministry |
Total
size of
Ministry | Size of
legislature
| Ratio of Ministry to legislature |
Population |
| Sweden | 24 | 32
| 56 | 349 | 1:6
| 9,074,055 |
| Canada | 36 | 27
(Parliamentary Secretaries)
| 63 | 413
308—House of Commons
105—Senate
| 1:7 | 33,759,742 |
COUNTRIES WITH PARLIAMENTS OF OVER 500 MEMBERS
| Country | Size of
Cabinet
(current)
| Size of
Junior
Ministry |
Total
size of
Ministry | Size of
legislature
| Ratio of
Ministry to
legislature
| Population |
| Spain | 16 | 26
| 42 | 609
350 (Congress of Deputies)
259 (Senate)
| 1:14 | 46,505,963 |
| Germany | 16 | 30
| 46 | 622 | 1:14
| 82,282,988 |
| France | 23 | 8
(Secretaries of State)
| 31 | 920
577 (Assemblée nationale)
343 (Senate)
| 1:29 | 64,768,389 |
| Italy | 22 | 38
| 59 | 945
630 (Chamber of Deputies)
315 (Senate of the Republic)
| 1:16 | 58,090,681 |
UK
(Ministers from House of Commons only)
| 20 | 32
(Ministers)
28 (Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State)
| 80 | 650 | 1:8
| 62,348,447 |
UK
(Ministers from House of Commons and House of Lords)
| 23 | 37
(Ministers)
35
(Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State)[22]
| 95 | 1,388
650 (House of Commons)
738 (House of Lords)
| 1:14 | 62,348,447 |
November 2010
22
Does not include 27 Whips. Back
|
