Lesson 3.1.1.5

3.1.1.5 Devolution Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.1.5, Devolution: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Politics (7152), Unit 1: Government and politics of the UK, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is devolution?

    • The sale of central government assets to private companies in the regions
    • The complete abolition of the UK Parliament and its replacement by regional councils
    • The transfer of certain powers from the central UK Parliament to devolved bodies
    • The transfer of all powers from the devolved bodies to the central UK Parliament

  2. Which institution is the devolved legislature for Scotland?

    • The Northern Ireland Executive
    • The Scottish Parliament
    • The Greater London Authority
    • The Welsh Senedd

  3. Which devolved body is the Welsh legislature known as today?

    • The Senedd, which is the devolved parliament of Wales
    • The Westminster Council, which administers Welsh local authorities
    • The Northern Ireland Assembly, which meets in Belfast
    • The Scottish Parliament, which governs Wales from Cardiff

  4. Which body is responsible for devolved matters in Northern Ireland alongside the Assembly?

    • The Welsh Cabinet, which approves all policy decisions for the province
    • The Scottish Government, which administers Northern Ireland from Edinburgh
    • The Northern Ireland Executive, formed to exercise devolved powers
    • The Northern Ireland Supreme Court, which controls all local policy

  5. Why is the debate about devolution in England significant?

    • England is governed by the Scottish Parliament, which makes all its decisions
    • England already has a devolved parliament that is larger than the UK Parliament
    • England has been fully federalised with equal powers to each of its regions since 1999
    • England has no separate devolved legislature, which raises questions about fairness across the UK

  6. Which evaluation best supports the view that devolution has changed the government of the UK?

    • Devolution has created a single UK-wide parliament that meets in every region each year
    • Devolution has removed all powers from the cabinet and given them to the monarch
    • Devolved bodies hold significant powers, so central government must share responsibility
    • Devolution has had no impact because the UK Parliament still makes every decision in every part of the country

  7. Which statement about parliamentary sovereignty and devolution is most accurate?

    • The UK Parliament remains sovereign
    • Devolution has ended parliamentary sovereignty, and the devolved bodies now control the UK Parliament
    • Devolution has transferred sovereignty to the European Union, which governs Scotland and Wales
    • The UK Parliament has no power over the devolved bodies, which are fully independent states

  8. Which devolved body has the power to make its own primary legislation in its area of competence?

    • The Greater London Assembly, which can pass acts on any matter in England
    • The Northern Ireland Executive, which can override the Assembly on all issues
    • The Scottish Parliament, within the powers devolved to it
    • The Scottish Government, which can only issue guidance and not legislate

  9. What does the phrase 'the roles, powers and responsibilities of devolved bodies' refer to?

    • The specific powers each devolved body has
    • The duties of the Supreme Court to hear all appeals from devolved bodies at first instance
    • The obligations of local councils to pay grants to the Commons each year
    • The authority of the monarch over the devolved bodies, which is exercised directly

  10. Which factor best explains why devolved administrations can differ in policy from the UK Government?

    • The UK Government controls every policy area, but the devolved bodies follow it with delay
    • Some policy areas are devolved, so each nation can make its own decisions in those areas
    • Devolved administrations can only make policy with the approval of the House of Lords
    • Devolved administrations are legally forbidden from making policy in any area of government

  11. Which example best illustrates the impact of devolution on the government of the UK?

    • The monarch appoints the devolved first ministers without consulting any elected body
    • The Supreme Court is elected separately in each devolved nation to hear its own cases
    • The UK Parliament sets all local council budgets in England without any input from the devolved bodies
    • Health or education policy can differ between Scotland and England because these areas are devolved

  12. Which claim about the strengths of devolution is best supported by the specification's focus?

    • Devolution ensures that the cabinet decides all matters in each nation without any elected body
    • Devolution removes all need for national policy and ensures identical rules in every region
    • Devolution means the UK Parliament can no longer legislate on any matter affecting the nations
    • Devolution can bring decision making closer to the people affected, although it may also raise questions about fairness

  13. Which statement best describes the effect of devolution on the UK Parliament's workload?

    • Some matters are dealt with by devolved bodies, so the UK Parliament focuses on reserved
    • The UK Parliament now deals with every devolved matter in full, with no change to its workload
    • The UK Parliament has been abolished, and all its business is handled by devolved bodies
    • The UK Parliament deals only with foreign affairs, and all domestic policy is devolved

  14. Which argument best supports the view that devolution is a process rather than a single event?

    • Devolution ended in 1999 and has not changed since then, because the arrangements are fixed
    • Devolution occurred once in 1707 and has not been revised since that date
    • Devolution has only ever been debated and has never produced any legislation of substance
    • Devolved powers have changed over time through new legislation and debate, so the settlement continues to evolve

  15. Which evaluation best assesses the constitutional implications of devolution?

    • It has no constitutional implications because devolved bodies have only advisory functions
    • It raises questions about the balance between national unity
    • It has made the UK a federal state with an entrenched written constitution since 1999
    • It has fully resolved every question of national unity, so no further debate is needed

  16. Which statement about devolution in Northern Ireland is most accurate?

    • Its institutions are controlled by a single party, which has the power to override any cross-community agreement
    • Its institutions depend on a national vote held in England before each Assembly sitting
    • Its institutions depend on power-sharing between the main communities, reflecting the 1998 Good Friday Agreement
    • Its institutions were created by a Scottish Parliament statute and have no link to the 1998 agreement

  17. Which description best matches the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive?

    • Devolved institutions that depend on power-sharing between the main communities
    • A single body that combines the Scottish and Welsh governments in one legislature
    • A national body that replaces all local councils across Northern Ireland with a single authority
    • Devolved institutions that were established by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and never reformed

  18. Which statement about the Scottish Parliament's powers is most accurate?

    • It can legislate on all matters, including defence and foreign policy, without limit
    • It cannot legislate at all, because its powers are exercised only by the Scottish Government
    • It can legislate only on matters that the UK Parliament has already approved for each year
    • It can legislate on devolved matters, such as health and education, within its competence

  19. What is the Sewel convention?

    • A court ruling that allows the Northern Ireland Executive to repeal UK Acts
    • A convention that the UK Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature
    • A statute that gives the Scottish Parliament the power to override the UK Parliament
    • A rule that requires the Welsh Senedd to approve all UK-wide taxes before they are set

  20. Which claim best reflects the debate about devolution in England?

    • England is not affected by devolution at all, because it is governed only by the European Union
    • England has been fully devolved since 1999, with its own parliament in London
    • Most people in England have already voted to abolish all devolution and return to a unitary state
    • Some argue for English devolution or regional government, while others see the current arrangement as unfair to England

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