The centenary of the start of the First World War will be marked in 2014. Britain entered the conflict in August 1914 and remained at war until November 1918.
Britain and the First World War: Parliament, Empire and Commemoration (587KB PDF)
The centenary of the start of the First World War will be marked in 2014. Britain entered the conflict in August 1914 and remained at war until November 1918.
This Library Note provides background reading on several aspects of the First World War. It discusses the activity of the British Parliament during the war: briefly describing a number of debates and statements which took place in August 1914 regarding the outbreak of war and Britain’s entry into the conflict; and summarising a small selection of legislation that was enacted by Parliament during the war. The Note then looks at a number of countries from the British Empire and the British Dominions who sent troops overseas to fight in the war. Finally, it provides information on the British Government’s programme to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
Britain and the First World War: Parliament, Empire and Commemoration (587KB PDF)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
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The British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party). The bill would restrict any cession or transfer of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) unless certain requirements were met, including the consent of the Chagossian people and an act of parliament. It would also see the UK remain sovereign over the military base on Diego Garcia.
![British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 15 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Defence-VIGs-568x426.jpg)
The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
