Duties and rights

The House of Representatives has two main duties: making laws and scrutinising the work of the government. The main task of the Senate is considering bills approved by the House of Representatives. The Senate makes only limited use of its right to scrutinize the work of the government. Both chambers together constitute the States-General (the parliament). The government is obliged to provide both chambers with the necessary information, so as to enable parliament to scrutinise the work of the government properly. This obligation is laid down in the Constitution.

The Constitution also attributes a set of specific rights to the States General, so as to enable them to execute their tasks properly:

• The right to approve or reject the government’s budget;
• The right of inquiry.

Members of both chambers have:

• The right to question the cabinet, for instance during the question hour;
• The right to propose motions.

Moreover, the House of Representatives has certain exclusive rights for the execution of its tasks:

• The right to amend bills;
• The right of initiative, i.e. the right to propose bills.