In reality the parliamentary control over the executive is more theoretical than practical. The following factors are responsible for this:
- The administration has grown in volume and the Parliament has neither the time nor the expertise to control it.
- Parliamentarians are usually laymen who face difficulty in understanding the demands for grants which is technical in nature.
- The Executive enjoys legislative leadership owing to majority support. Consequently, it plays a significant role in formulating policies and minimises the possibility of effective criticism.
- The public expenditure is examined by the committees after it has been incurred not before it.
- The scope of financial control has also been reduced due to increased recourse to ‘guillotine’.
- The expansion of ‘delegated legislation’ has increased the powers of the bureaucracy and reduced the law making powers of the parliament.