This Library Note provides background reading for Members in advance of the debate to be held on 5 March 2015 on 'Women’s Economic Empowerment both Nationally and Internationally'.
Women’s Economic Empowerment (493KB PDF)
This Library Note provides background reading for Members in advance of the debate to be held on 5 March 2015 on ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment both Nationally and Internationally’.
UN Women has suggested that to invest in women’s economic empowerment is to set “a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth” (Economic Empowerment of Women, November 2013). This Library Note provides a snapshot of recent statistics relating to women’s economic status, both in the UK and internationally, with regard to employment and pay; boards and senior positions; and education.
Women’s Economic Empowerment (493KB PDF)
The Sovereign Grant Bill is a government bill which would amend how the sovereign grant is set. This is a grant paid to the King to support the work of the sovereign. The bill would enable the size of the sovereign grant to be reduced following the completion of a 10-year works project on Buckingham Palace. The bill received cross-party support and was not amended in the House of Commons.
The Commercial Payments Bill [HL] seeks to tackle late payments to small businesses. It would impose minimum payment periods for invoices, prohibit the use of retentions in construction contracts and provide the small business commissioner with greater powers. The bill received an unopposed second reading in the House of Lords on 9 June 2026. 30 government amendments were made to the bill at committee stage.
![Commercial Payments Bill [HL]: Progress in the Lords](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Business-VIGs-568x426.jpg)
The Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL] is a wide-ranging bill that aims to reform the way the UK financial services sector is regulated. This briefing provides a summary of the bill’s second reading and committee stage in the House of Lords ahead of its further consideration at report.
![Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL]: Progress in the Lords](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Economy-568x426.png)