The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill seeks to make a number of changes to the banking and financial services sector. The Bill builds on the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking (the Vickers Commission) and the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and follows a series of Acts passed since the financial crisis of 2008, such as the Financial Services Act 2012.
Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill (352KB PDF)
The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill seeks to make a number of changes to the banking and financial services sector. The Bill builds on the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking (the Vickers Commission) and the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and follows a series of Acts passed since the financial crisis of 2008, such as the Financial Services Act 2012. The Bill sets out a new structure for banking with a central element being the ‘ring-fencing’ of banks which separates retail deposit and lending from investment banking operations. This Library Note provides a précis of the report stage and third reading of the Bill in the House of Commons. The Note should be read in conjunction with two House of Commons Library Research Papers: Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill (28 February 2013, RP 13/15), which contains more detailed information on the background to the Bill, and Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill: Committee Stage Report (25 June 2013, RP 13/40), which summarises the second reading and committee stage in the House of Commons. House of Commons Library Standard Note, LIBOR, Public Inquiries & FSA Disciplinary Powers (2 May 2013, SN/BT/6376), also offers useful background commentary relevant to the Bill.
Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill (352KB PDF)
Concerns have been raised about levels of welfare spending in the UK and increasing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. This briefing sets out statistics, government policy and commentary on welfare and youth employment. This includes the government’s youth guarantee, its ‘Get Britain working’ policies and the interim report by Alan Milburn on young people and work.
Rural areas contribute a significant proportion of England’s economic output. The government has announced several policies intended to support growth in the rural economy, including farming. However, it has faced criticism for the delay in outlining its overall strategy for the agricultural sector. This briefing provides data on the rural economy and summarises government policy and stakeholder reaction
The Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] is a government bill that would make reforms to several areas of financial regulation, including reforms to the Financial Ombudsman Service, abolishing the Payment Systems Regulator, introducing a ‘provisional licences’ authorisation scheme, and making reforms to the UK’s bank ring-fencing regime. Its second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 8 June 2026.
![Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL]: HL Bill 5 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/tadas-petrokas-G7nWQwb6AP4-unsplash-568x320.jpg)