The Shark Fins Bill is a private member’s bill that would ban the import and export of detached shark fins and shark fin-containing products in Great Britain, with routes available for conservation-related exemptions. It would also extend an existing prohibition on shark finning in place for UK fishing vessels to all fishing vessels operating in UK waters. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill on 24 March 2023.
Shark Fins Bill: HL Bill 93 of 2022-23 (169KB PDF)
The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the Shark Fins Bill at second reading on 24 March 2023. The bill is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour), a former shadow spokesperson for environment, food and rural affairs-related matters in the House of Lords. The bill has passed the House of Commons, where it was sponsored by Christina Rees. Ms Rees was elected as a Labour MP for Neath but currently sits as an independent MP.
The bill would ban the import and export of detached shark fins and shark fin-containing products in Great Britain, with routes available for conservation-related exemptions. It would also extend an existing prohibition on the removal, retention on board, transhipment and/or landing of shark fins applying to UK fishing vessels, wherever they may fish, to all fishing vessels operating in UK waters.
The bill would not ban the sale of shark fins or shark fin products in the UK, provided they had been sustainably sourced from unprotected shark species either landed or imported with fins still attached.
The government supports the bill and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supplied explanatory notes, a regulatory triage assessment, a delegated powers memorandum and a human rights memorandum for the version of the bill introduced in the House of Commons. The bill was subject to one technical amendment in the Commons before it passed with cross-party support.
Shark Fins Bill: HL Bill 93 of 2022-23 (169KB PDF)
The Nature’s Rights Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party). The bill would recognise nature as a legal subject, granting it specific rights for protection and restoration. The bill would set out a legal framework for how this would operate, including an integrated rights framework and mechanisms for how nature’s rights would be implemented and enforced.
![Nature’s Rights Bill [HL]: HL Bill 7 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Environment-568x426.png)
The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill is a government bill intended to strengthen the cyber security of organisations in the UK that provide essential services, such as healthcare, drinking water and energy. It would amend the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018 to include additional sectors and update incident reporting duties. It would also confer powers on the secretary of state to amend the legislation and issue directions to organisations when necessary for national security. The bill is scheduled for its second reading in the House of Lords on 14 July 2026.
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
