Research Briefing
The bill would implement aspects of the January 2020 New Decade, New Approach deal that require primary legislation in Westminster. The deal was agreed by the five main political parties in Northern Ireland, following talks in 2018 and 2019 to restore the Northern Ireland executive.
Research Briefing
The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill is a Government bill which would repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011. It also would revive the prerogative power to dissolve Parliament and call a new Parliament. Second reading of the bill in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 24 November 2021.
In Focus
Planning and land use policies cover a wide range of considerations. These range from controlling the built environment to achieving environmental aims such as reducing emissions, as well as agricultural and economic objectives. Some groups have argued for the need for an overarching ‘land use framework’ to draw these together to ensure all policy aims can be met. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate this issue on 28 October 2021.
In Focus
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) published the command paper ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’ on 22 March 2021, setting out how the UK’s defence capabilities will support the Government’s integrated review of security, defence, development, and foreign policy. The command paper contained a range of measures, including how the UK will respond to current and future threats. This article summarises those provisions ahead of a forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on these issues.
In Focus
The Electoral Commission recently reported the highest level of public confidence in the way elections are run in the UK. Since the Pickles report in 2016, the Government has committed to increasing the security of the UK’s elections. The Elections Bill, currently in committee stage in the House of Commons, contains a range of measures intended to fulfil this ambition. One proposal, to introduce voter ID, has been widely criticised.
Research Briefing
The House of Lords is due to debate inequalities of region and place on 14 October 2021. This briefing has been prepared ahead of that debate, providing analytical measures of inequality and summarising the Government’s response as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda.
Research Briefing
The bill aims to: clarify circumstances in which the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic can and cannot be considered when deciding on the rateable value of a property on the 2017 rating list; and make it easier to investigate the conduct of directors of companies that have been dissolved. The Government states that the bill will allow it to “plug the legal loophole that exists in the insolvency enforcement landscape”.
In Focus
Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK now has power to make decisions which used to be made at EU level. Several of these powers relate to policy areas that the devolved nations are individually responsible for. The UK and devolved governments have been developing common frameworks to ensure regulatory consistency in these policy areas.
In Focus
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020 the Government announced an uplift to universal credit and working tax credits worth £20 a week. Initially planned to last for a year, the policy was extended by six months in the March 2021 budget. In July 2021, the Government confirmed that it would not be extended further. This announcement has been met with widespread criticism.
Research Briefing
This proposed law seeks to reform pensions across the public sector. It would also make other changes to the rules related to judicial offices. The pension reforms partly respond to a finding of unlawful discrimination in existing schemes and are partly aimed at improving the operation of public sector pensions. The changes relating to judicial offices are intended to improve recruitment and retention in the judiciary.
Research Briefing
The House of Lords is due to debate two committee reports on the Northern Ireland Protocol on 13 September 2021. This briefing summarises the reports and recent developments relating to the protocol, including the Government’s July 2021 command paper that argued for discussions with the EU to find a “new balance” in the protocol.
Research Briefing
This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared ahead of the following debate in the House on 9 September 2021: Lord Blunkett to move that this House takes note of standards in public life.
In Focus
The House of Lords Appointments Commission vets nominations to the House and recommends non-party political members. However, it is not a statutory body and the Prime Minister can disregard its advice. Recently, its advice about the appointment of Lord Cruddas was not followed by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. On 6 September 2021, the House of Lords will debate whether the commission should be reformed and placed on a statutory basis.
In Focus
The Government has outlined an ambition to improve the professional skills held by both ministers and senior civil servants. This follows numerous reports and programmes aimed at improving government performance and effectiveness generally, most recently leading to the creation of a National Leadership Centre. This article provides an overview of developments relating to the training of government leaders ahead of a forthcoming debate on the subject.
In Focus
Between 2013 and 2020, the UK met an international target to spend 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on overseas aid. A 2015 act enshrined this in legislation. In response to the economic impact of coronavirus, the Government has said that aid spending will temporarily reduce to 0.5% of GNI from 2021. Some commentators have argued this requires further primary legislation. The Government has announced the tests that must be met to restore spending to 0.7%.
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