• Research Briefing

    Digital Economy Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages

    The Digital Economy Bill is scheduled to receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2016. The Bill aims to enable access to fast digital communication services for citizens and businesses; to enable investment in digital communications infrastructure; to shape the emerging digital world to the benefit of children, consumers and businesses; and to support the digital transformation of government, enabling the delivery of better public services, world leading research and better statistics. This House of Lords Library briefing gives an overview of the provisions of the Bill. It focuses measures concerning the introduction of a broadband universal service obligation; protection for children from online pornography; public sector data sharing; the BBC and public service broadcasters. It outlines the policy background in those areas, and a summary of some of the key amendments made to the Bill during committee and report stages in the House of Commons.

  • Research Briefing

    International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December 2016

    The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, on 2 December 2016, marks the date of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. The Convention was approved by resolution of the General Assembly on 2 December 1949. The focus of the day is on “eradicating contemporary forms of slavery”, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the “worst” forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. This House of Lords briefing provides background information on modern slavery internationally, and outlines legislation which has been introduced in the UK to address this issue

  • Research Briefing

    Armed Forces: Legal Challenges and Derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights

    On 24 November 2016, the House of Lords will debate the case for limiting the number and nature of claims against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and UK armed services personnel arising out of future armed conflict abroad. On 4 October 2016, the Government announced that it would introduce a presumption to derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in future conflicts in order to protect the armed forces from “persistent legal claims”. This briefing will focus on the Government’s recent proposals to derogate from the ECHR. It provides an overview of the legal framework for military operations, summarises some of the key legal claims that have been made against the armed forces, and outlines the work of the Iraq Historic Investigations Team (IHAT).

  • Research Briefing

    Pension Schemes Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages

    On 1 November 2016, the Pension Schemes Bill is scheduled to have its second reading. The Bill seeks to “[protect] savers and [maintain] confidence in pensions savings” by increasing the regulation of master trust schemes and providing members of occupational pension schemes with a “level of protection equivalent to that of members of personal protection schemes”. Part one focuses on the introduction of an authorisation and supervisory regime for master trust schemes, and part two seeks to implement the Government’s intention to introduce a cap on early exit charges and ban member-borne commission charges in certain occupational pension schemes. This Library briefing provides an overview of the policy background to the provisions of the Bill and outlines a number of its clauses.

  • Research Briefing

    Leaving the European Union: Environment and Climate Change

    On 20 October 2016, the House of Lords will debate the future of environmental and climate change policy in the light of the EU referendum. This House of Lords Library briefing provides an overview of a selection of European legislation which relates to the environment and climate change, and outlines how it has been implemented in the UK. The briefing also briefly discusses the EU’s international commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This briefing does not provide an analysis of the potential impacts of the UK leaving the EU. However, it does include a selection of recent statements made by the Government on these issues.

  • Research Briefing

    UK-Commonwealth Trade

    This House of Lords Library briefing examines the trade relationship between the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. It provides a brief overview of UK trade, including information on its largest export market and largest source of imports. It then discusses Commonwealth trade, focussing on intra-Commonwealth trade. Finally it examines UK-Commonwealth trade relations and summarises a range of recent statements and commentary pertaining to the future of those trade relationships in the context of the European Union referendum result.

  • Research Briefing

    Lobbying and Political Campaigning: Charities and Trade Unions

    This House of Lords Library briefing sets out the legislation that regulates the statutory register of lobbyists, and outlines the rules governing the ability of charities and trade unions to engage in political activity and to campaign in relation to elections. This briefing has been written in preparation for the debate in the House of Lords on 8 September 2016 on the role that charities, trade unions and civil society groupings play in a democracy and the case for regulating lobbying activities.

  • Research Briefing

    Policing and Crime Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages

    This House of Lords Library briefing provides an overview of the provisions of the Policing and Crime Bill. It focuses on the provisions of the Bill which concern the emergency services; the police complaints and disciplinary systems; the police workforce; police powers; and the protection of children and vulnerable adults. It outlines the policy background in those areas, and a summary of some of the key amendments made to the Bill during committee and report stages in the House of Commons.

  • Research Briefing

    Battle of Jutland: 100 Years Anniversary

    This House of Lords briefing provides an overview of the Battle of Jutland, the only major naval battle of the First World War. The battle started on the afternoon of 31 May 1916, and lasted until the early hours of 1 June 1916. It was the only time that the German High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet confronted each other. The briefing has been prepared to mark the centenary of the battle, and also provides information on the series of commemorative events that have been planned.

  • Research Briefing

    Royal Charters and Parliamentary Scrutiny

    This Library briefing provides information on royal charters, outlining the Sovereign’s prerogative power to grant them, and briefly describing their function. It also provides an overview of two examples of royal charters—the self-regulation of the press and the BBC—and discusses Parliament’s role in their scrutiny.

  • Research Briefing

    Bombing of the Houses of Parliament: 75th Anniversary

    This House of Lords briefing provides an overview of the events of 10–11 May 1941, when the German Air Force launched an air raid on London, and dropped bombs on the Palace of Westminster, destroying the House of Commons Chamber and damaging the House of Lords Chamber, Westminster Hall and the Clock Tower. It also briefly describes the arrangements made after the attack for the rebuilding of a new House of Commons Chamber. The briefing has been prepared to mark the 75th anniversary of the bombing.

  • Research Briefing

    Battle of the Somme: 100 Years Anniversary

    This House of Lords Library briefing provides an overview of the history of the battle of the Somme, which took place in the First World War, between 1 July 1916 and 18 November 1916, and was a joint Anglo-French operation in the region of the river of the Somme. It briefly describes the planning of the offensive, the events of the battle, and the role of Commonwealth troops in the conflict. It then provides an overview of the commemorative programme of events to mark the centenary of the battle, which are being organised by the UK Government. The briefing has been prepared to mark the centenary of the start of the battle, on 1 July 2016, and to support the question for short debate on marking the centenary of the battle of the Somme, scheduled to take place in the House of Lords on 14 March 2016.

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