Research Briefing
This Library briefing provides information on royal charters, outlining the Sovereign’s prerogative power to grant them, and briefly describing their function. It also provides an overview of two examples of royal charters—the self-regulation of the press and the BBC—and discusses Parliament’s role in their scrutiny.
Research Briefing
The House of Lords is due to debate the Queen’s Speech over four days between 19 and 25 May 2016. This briefing is one of four prepared by the House of Lords Library to cover the themes of each day of debate.
Research Briefing
This Lords Library briefing provides information on ministerial collective responsibility in the light of the 2016 EU referendum.
Research Briefing
On 9 September 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning sovereign in British history. This House of Lords Library briefing focuses on the Sovereign as part of the constitution of Parliament. It captures key aspects of the role of the Sovereign as it relates, in practice, to Parliament today, with an emphasis on the House of Lords. It does this through addressing a selection of the ceremonial and formal roles of the Sovereign: the State Opening of Parliament and its prorogation and dissolution; the calling of a new Parliament, in light of the Fixed-term Parliament Act 2011; Royal Commissions and royal assent; and Queen’s consent. The briefing also addresses a number of aspects of the Sovereign’s communications and relationship with Parliament more broadly, through Addresses and messages and the Palace of Westminster itself. It provides facts and figures relating to Queen Elizabeth II including: the number of Acts that have received Royal Assent during her reign, Addresses given by the Queen to both Houses in Westminster Hall, and the wording of Queen Elizabeth II’s first message to Parliament on her accession to the throne in 1952.
Research Briefing
This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material relevant to the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on funding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the light of its foreign policy interests.
Research Briefing
This House of Lords Library briefing provides an overview of the work of the five ad hoc Lords Select Committees which reported in the 2013–14 session.
Research Briefing
This In Focus article provides material in support of the Question for Short Debate in the House of Lords on the Government's Official History Programme.
Research Briefing
This briefing provides information in support of the House of Lords consideration of the Scotland Bill.
Research Briefing
This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material which may be of assistance in preparing for the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on the Chilcot Inquiry.
Research Briefing
This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material relevant to the forthcoming debate on the Constitution Committee Report on the Office of Lord Chancellor
Research Briefing
This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material relevant to the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on the United Kingdom’s role in addressing global challenges posed by terrorism, conflict, climate change and mass migration.
Research Briefing
Following the publication of the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List, this In Focus note examines the workings of the honours system and proposals for its reform.
Research Briefing
This Briefing Pack contains a selection of material which may be of assistance in preparing for the debate on ‘the role played by civil society, in the light of the pastoral letter from the Church of England’s House of Bishops Who is my Neighbour’.
Research Briefing
This Briefing provides background information on the issues of Foreign Affairs, Defence, EU and International Development, prepared in advance of the first day of debate on the Queen’s Speech on 28 May 2015. This briefing has been prepared in advance of the Queen’s Speech based on commitments contained in the Conservative party’s manifesto and speculative reports about what legislative proposals may be included; it does not constitute official information about the Government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced. This pack is one of five, prepared to cover each day of debate on the Queen’s Speech in the House of Lords.
Research Briefing
The Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill would introduce time limited provisions to enable female diocesan bishops to be fast-tracked into the House of Lords as members of the Lords Spiritual. This Library Note provides a brief summary of the process by which English diocesan bishops are appointed to the House of Lords. It then discusses the provisions of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill and the Bill’s House of Commons Stages.
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