• In Focus

    UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement: House of Lords International Agreements Committee report

    The UK signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine in January 2025, setting out commitments to cooperate on defence and security, as well as in other policy fields. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee supported the rationale behind the agreement, but said it lacked detail and a plan for implementation. It recommended the agreement should be reviewed in the event Russia and Ukraine reach a peace settlement.

  • In Focus

    Local elections in England: House of Lords debate on certain elections being postponed to 2026

    The government postponed elections in nine local authority areas in England from May 2025 to May 2026 to help with planning for local government devolution and creating unitary authorities in two-tier local government areas. There has been opposition to postponing the elections from other political parties, some councils and some members of the public. The House of Lords is due to debate motions to annul the legislation that delays the elections.

  • In Focus

    Open access operators and government plans for rail reform

    Open access operators are independent train operators that run passenger rail services on the national network, often in competition with services provided by franchised operators. The government is currently reforming the railway, bringing train operations into public ownership and planning to establish a single body, Great British Railways, to manage the network and deliver passenger services. Concerns have been raised about what this might mean for open access operators.

  • In Focus

    Ukraine: A wake-up call—Lords committee report debate

    Looking at lessons from the war in Ukraine, the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee found the UK is “under-prepared” to meet the growing threat from Russia. The committee called on the government to commit to increasing and better targeting its defence spending and to leveraging the UK’s alliances. The government’s strategic defence review is due to report in spring 2025.

  • In Focus

    Creative industries: Growth, jobs and productivity

    The government has identified the creative industries as one of eight “growth driving” sectors it will prioritise in its industrial strategy. The strategy is due to be published later this year, along with a creative industries sector plan. The creative industries have called on barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and access to funding, to be addressed in the sector plan.

  • In Focus

    Climate change: Supporting farmers and growers

    Extreme rainfall and flooding in 2023 and 2024 impacted farmers and affected the supply of some domestically grown food. It is predicted that future climatic changes could impact agriculture and domestic food production, presenting both risks and opportunities. This briefing examines how the government is supporting farmers and growers to adapt to climate change.

  • Research Briefing

    Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 54 of 2024–25

    The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill is a government bill scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 8 January 2025. It is intended to make it easier for local transport authorities to franchise bus services in their area. It also includes measures on bus data, enforcement powers, accessibility of bus stops, safeguarding checks and training for bus drivers and zero-emissions buses.

  • In Focus

    Grenfell Tower Inquiry: House of Lords debate

    The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report in September 2024. It found the fire was the “culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry”. It also concluded there had been “systematic dishonesty” from the manufacturers of certain cladding panels and insulation about their products. This briefing covers the inquiry’s recommendations and responses from different stakeholders ahead of a debate in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    Hospices: State funding

    The hospice sector has reported it is under financial pressure, with an estimated shortfall of £60mn in the current financial year. Hospices in the UK receive around a third of their funding from government, with the rest (over £1bn a year) raised by hospices themselves. There have been calls for this funding model to be reviewed.

  • In Focus

    Northern Ireland retail movement scheme and ‘rest of the world’ goods

    The government has recently changed the entry requirements for certain non-EU goods being imported into Great Britain to enable them to move onwards under the Northern Ireland retail movement scheme. The House of Lords is due to consider a motion to annul the regulations that made these changes. This comes in the context of wider debates about the impact of the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland.

  • Research Briefing

    Crown Estate Bill [HL]: HL Bill 5 of 2024–25

    The Crown Estate Bill [HL] is a government bill to widen the borrowing and investment powers of the Crown Estate. The government intends this will help speed up the development of offshore wind projects in seabed areas managed by the Crown Estate and deliver long-term financial returns to the taxpayer. It announced a partnership between the Crown Estate and Great British Energy on the same day it introduced the bill.

  • In Focus

    Education for 11 to 16-year-olds: House of Lords committee report

    The House of Lords Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee argued in a report published in 2023 that “urgent change” was needed in 11–16 education, including revising the curriculum, reducing the volume of exams at 16 and reforming school performance measures. The House of Lords is due to debate the report on 26 July 2024. The Labour government has launched a review of the curriculum and the assessment system, due to report in 2025.

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