• Research Briefing

    Mental Health Bill [HL]: HL Bill 47 of 2024–25

    The Mental Health Bill [HL] is a government bill that would amend the Mental Health Act 1983. The 1983 act is the current legislation that regulates the compulsory detention and treatment of those with a mental disorder in England and Wales. There have long been calls to update the legislation, and in 2017 there was an independent review of the Mental Health Act. In 2022 the previous Conservative government published a draft Mental Health Bill. The current bill is similar (but not identical) to the draft bill and it would implement many of the recommendations of the 2017 independent review. Changes proposed in the bill include tightening the detention criteria in the 1983 act and providing for more frequents reviews; limiting the period that people with autism or a learning disability can be detained; and removing prisons and police stations as “places of safety” in the act. This briefing provides a summary of the background to the bill, the bill’s provisions, and the differences from the 2022 draft bill.

  • In Focus

    Large language models and generative AI: House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report

    In February 2024 the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published a report on large language models and generative AI. It highlighted the opportunities and risks this technology offers, and recommended actions the government should take to support the market while mitigating risks. The new government has said it will legislate to address safety risks arising from generative AI.

  • In Focus

    Grenfell Tower Inquiry: House of Lords debate

    The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report in September 2024. It found the fire was the “culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry”. It also concluded there had been “systematic dishonesty” from the manufacturers of certain cladding panels and insulation about their products. This briefing covers the inquiry’s recommendations and responses from different stakeholders ahead of a debate in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    UK-EU relationship and the war in Ukraine: Lords committee report

    The House of Lords European Affairs Committee welcomed the EU and UK response to the war in Ukraine “in general terms”. In its January 2024 report, the committee said some areas of UK-EU cooperation had been broadly effective. The committee said the report’s aim was to consider a longer-term approach and make recommendations to strengthen the UK-EU response. It called for more formal arrangements in several security and foreign policy areas.

  • In Focus

    Rule of law: Principles, challenges and government commitments

    Current and recent governments agree that the rule of law is a fundamental British value. However, the House of Lords Constitution Committee and legal sector organisations have raised concerns that the rule of law has been eroded. Law officers in the Labour government have committed to uphold and promote the rule of law.

  • In Focus

    Budget 2024: Impact on the cultural sector

    On 30 October 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget which included the details of the settlement for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It also contained more general measures which relate to the cultural sector. This briefing gives an overview of how the cultural sector is currently funded, what was said in the budget in this area and what the sector has said in reaction to the announcements.

  • Research Briefing

    Listed Investment Companies (Classification etc) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 23 of 2024–25

    The Listed Investment Companies (Classification etc) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill which would address the classification of investment trusts and issues around the disclosure of costs associated with listed closed-ended investment companies (LCICs). The bill would require the Financial Conduct Authority to take note of the characteristics of LCICs. It would also amend assimilated EU law so that LCICs and advisers investing in them would not be required to aggregate investment companies’ disclosed costs in their own fee disclosures to client.

  • In Focus

    Renewable energy: Costs

    Labour has committed to decarbonising the UK’s electricity system by 2030, saying this would help the UK achieve its 2050 net zero target. This briefing discusses how much renewable energy contributes to Great Britain’s electricity currently, how much it costs to generate electricity from renewable energy sources and estimates for the total cost of transitioning to a zero-carbon power system, and issues around the need to invest in supporting infrastructure such as storage technologies and grid upgrades.

  • Research Briefing

    Great British Energy Bill: HL Bill 43 of 2024–25

    The Great British Energy Bill is a government bill which would establish Great British Energy, a new government-owned clean energy company. The government has said the new company will support the creation of new jobs by investing in the clean energy sector. It has also asserted that, by reducing the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels, it would help drive down the UK’s energy costs and ensure the country’s long-term energy security.

  • In Focus

    Future of the university sector: Report from Universities UK

    Universities UK has put forward proposals to reform the higher education sector to ensure that it is able to “deliver for the nation into the 2030s”. In a report published in September 2024, it called for five big shifts: expand opportunity; improve collaboration; generate local growth; secure future strength; and establish a global strategy. The government has said it would set out its plans for reform in the coming months.

  • In Focus

    House of Lords reform: Government policy and recent developments

    Labour’s manifesto committed the party to several House of Lords reforms ahead of a longer-term ambition to replace the House with an alternative second chamber. The Labour government has since introduced a bill to remove hereditary peers from the House’s membership as a first step in its reform programme. Further measures, for example around introducing a mandatory retirement age and a participation requirement, are expected to follow later in the parliament.

  • Research Briefing

    Women, Peace and Security Bill [HL]: HL Bill 20 of 2024–25

    The Women, Peace and Security Bill [HL] is a short private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative). The bill would require the secretary of state to have regard to the UK’s national action plan on women, peace and security (NAP) when formulating and implementing policy on foreign affairs, defence or related matters. The bill includes provisions requiring the government to report to Parliament annually on the progress made in implementing the NAP. It also requires considerations the government must have regard to when participating in multi-national organisations such as the United Nations. The bill was introduced on 4 September 2024 and is scheduled to have its second reading on 15 November 2024. The bill would extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It would come into force on the day the legislation was passed.

  • In Focus

    Autumn budget 2024: Key announcements and analysis

    The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, used her first budget to announce a significant increase in public spending, financed by a combination of tax rises and higher borrowing. Commentators noted that the extra day-to-day spending would mean better funded public services and that more spending on public investment could support the economy’s long-run growth potential. However, they also anticipated a squeeze in household income growth and highlighted the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast that there would be no medium-term boost to GDP from the measures.

  • Research Briefing

    Home School Education Registration and Support Bill [HL]: HL Bill 22 of 2024–25

    Currently, there is no mandatory system of registration for children who are not in school. The Home School Education Registration and Support Bill [HL] would require local authorities to maintain a register of children in its area who are of compulsory school age but are not in school. It would also require the parents of such children to provide certain information to their local authority in relation to the register.

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