This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day which is scheduled to take place in the House of Lords on 4 June 2019.
D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: 75th Anniversary (144KB PDF)
This year will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day: the landings of Allied forces on the Normandy coast during the Second World War. On 6 June 1944, the Allies launched a combined naval, air and land attack on Nazi-occupied France. Codenamed Operation ‘Overlord’, the landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a “long and costly campaign” to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation. On the morning of D-Day, airborne forces parachuted into drop zones across northern France and ground troops landed across five assault beaches. Naval vessels escorted and landed ground troops, carried out bombardments on German coastal defences and provided artillery support for the invading troops. By the end of the day, the Allies had established a foothold along the coast and began their advance into France. By the end of August 1944, the “Germans were in full retreat out of France”.
To mark the 75th anniversary, the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Royal British Legion and Portsmouth City Council have planned a series of events to take place in Portsmouth and Normandy in June. This will include a specially-chartered ship, which will carry 300 D-Day veterans.
D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: 75th Anniversary (144KB PDF)
The UK is a signatory to the convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine. The commission would assess claims for compensation for damage and losses caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has broadly welcomed the convention, but also raised concerns about the scope and efficacy of the commission.
The National Security (State Threats) Bill would create new powers for the home secretary to designate bodies engaged in state threat activity, equivalent to the proscription of terrorist organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000. The bill would create three new offences associated with designation of supporting, assisting, or receiving material benefit from a designated body. These offences would carry sentences of up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
Recent tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have raised concerns about stability and security in the country, particularly due to reports of external influence and recent secessionist rhetoric in Republika Srpska. This briefing outlines recent developments, international responses and the UK government’s position on Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of a House of Lords debate on the subject.
