The MP's role: scrutiny

It's been easy to overlook in recent weeks, but Members of Parliament do rather more with their time than JUST claim expenses.

In the next two weeks we'll be looking at two of their most important roles, inside and outside Parliament.

Tonight we begin by examining how MPs ensure that legislation proposed by government ministers is turned into the law of the land.

In the past politicians have often been accused of performing this task poorly and the result is that too much legislation has become bad law.

Stephen Low has been finding out how MPs are now trying to make a better job of scrutinising legislation.