In Focus
The UK assesses China as a priority country for tackling human rights issues. The UK believes there is compelling evidence of widespread and systematic abuses of the human rights of the Uyghur minority in China’s Xinjiang province. The House of Commons passed a resolution describing this as genocide, but the UK government’s position is that only the courts can make such a determination.
In Focus
Volatility in the financial markets can have impacts throughout the financial system. This article looks at the role of the Bank of England in maintaining financial stability and its recent intervention to prevent “dysfunction” in the gilt market from causing “contagion” to credit conditions for UK households and businesses. In particular, the article looks at how recent financial market volatility may have affected pensions, mortgages and the rental market.
In Focus
A person is eligible to apply for a British passport if they have British nationality. This includes a person who has British citizenship. Discussions have increased recently about how Irish citizens who were not born in Northern Ireland, but who are now resident there, can obtain British passports without cost. This article considers the eligibility criteria for a British passport, the citizenship process, and recent parliamentary scrutiny of the issue.
In Focus
Imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences were indeterminate sentences given to serious offenders who posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public. Although the IPP sentence was abolished in 2012, thousands of people subject to such a sentence are still in prison. The House of Commons Justice Committee recently called on the government to address what it said was a “unique injustice” caused by the continued operation of IPP sentences.
Research Briefing
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 11 October 2022. It would exclude some provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol from applying in domestic law. The government says this is justified by necessity and consistent with international law, but others have disagreed. The bill’s wide use of delegated powers has also been criticised.
In Focus
The regulatory landscape is evolving to try to keep pace with the emergence of new technologies and online activities. The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee advocates the creation of a statutory body to coordinate digital regulation and prevent gaps between the responsibilities of different regulators. The government rejects this suggestion but is legislating to give some existing regulators new duties on digital regulation and cooperation with each other.
Research Briefing
The Seafarers’ Wages Bill [HL] is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 20 July 2022. The bill seeks to ensure that seafarers working on ships that regularly use UK ports are paid a rate at least equivalent to the UK national minimum wage for work they do while in UK waters, where they are not already entitled to the national minimum wage.
Research Briefing
The Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 15 July 2022.
In Focus
The UK’s union continues to evolve. Recent developments include the repatriation of powers from the EU post-Brexit and reviews of intergovernmental relations between central government and the devolved administrations, but there are also calls for further constitutional review and reform. The Scottish government’s plans for a second independence referendum and disagreements about the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol are particular issues that highlight current stresses on the union.
In Focus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that causes mostly mild respiratory symptoms. However, for higher-risk groups such as very young children and older adults with chronic diseases RSV infection can be serious or even fatal. Measures introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus also changed the typical seasonal pattern of RSV infection in 2020 and 2021, leading the NHS to adapt its response.
In Focus
The Government is planning to make significant changes to the legal status of retained EU law and the post-Brexit regulatory landscape. This would be through a ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ and standalone legislation in areas such as procurement and data protection. There is also speculation the Government may introduce a bill to override parts of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
In Focus
The House of Lords made several changes to its procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic. This included the use of virtual sittings and sittings which featured both physical and remote participation. This article provides a chronology of these developments.
In Focus
Amid ongoing objections to the protocol from unionist parties, Northern Ireland’s First Minister recently resigned. This followed an attempt by the Minister for Agriculture, currently subject to legal challenge, to halt checks required by the protocol on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain. This article considers the Government’s assessment of the protocol’s impact on recent political developments in Northern Ireland ahead of a debate in the House of Lords.
In Focus
The Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Bill is a private member’s bill that would create a statutory framework for drugs testing in approved premises, including testing for psychoactive substances and the abuse of prescription and pharmacy medicines. The bill received cross-party support in the House of Commons.
Research Briefing
Energy bills in the UK are predicted to rise considerably over the next year. This is due to issues that have increased wholesale energy costs and have subsequently put a number of energy suppliers out of business. This briefing outlines these issues and considers the potential impact of increasing energy bills on UK households and how the consumer protection regulatory regime has responded.
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