In Focus
Cyber security is becoming an increasingly salient issue as society becomes more dependent on digital services and the capabilities of malicious actors evolve. The government is a significant target for cyber attacks, particularly those aiming to disrupt public services or conduct espionage. This briefing provides an introduction to cyber security and recent plans to strengthen government cyber security.
In Focus
The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has published a report on treaty scrutiny in Westminster. The committee described the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010’s framework for treaty scrutiny as a “weak and insufficient mechanism for securing meaningful accountability to Parliament” and called for it to be reformed. The government said it saw some difficulties in the committee’s proposals, but it was also “keen to work with the committee to help to mitigate or resolve, so far as possible, the issues which the committee has raised”.
In Focus
The House of Lords will hold a debate marking International Women’s Day on 6 March 2026. This briefing looks at progress internationally towards meeting the UN’s sustainable development goal on gender equality. It also examines the impact on women and girls of reductions in UK and other developed-country international aid.
In Focus
The Labour Party pledged to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties in its manifesto. The government subsequently published a “strategy for modern and secure elections” in July 2025. An independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics is currently examining the issue and is expected to report by the end of March 2026. The review’s recommendations are expected to inform a future elections bill.
In Focus
It has been suggested that the Parliament Acts could be used to pass the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill if it does not complete all its House of Lords stages before the end of the 2024–26 parliamentary session. This briefing considers how the Parliament Acts apply to private members’ bills.
In Focus
In recent years, both the hospitality and retail sectors have experienced a number of challenges, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has announced various policies which have affected these sectors, most recently in the 2025 budget. This briefing provides an overview of both the retail and hospitality sectors, recent government policy that has impacted them and industry reaction to the government’s measures.
In Focus
As the number of names on the speakers’ list for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill rose, hitting over 200, there were calls for more than the usual one day of second reading debate. The House held two days of second reading on 12 and 19 September 2025. This briefing considers the precedent for this.
In Focus
The Senate of Canada shares many similarities with the House of Lords, notably regarding its appointed membership. Historically, Canadian prime ministers made Senate appointments to the benefit of their party, but in 2015 the Liberal government established a new Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments to assist with identifying suitable candidates. The board’s work helped inform 100 appointments in the 105-seat chamber, but it is unclear whether the process will continue. This briefing summarises developments.
Research Briefing
The government states the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is a “landmark” piece of legislation. Arguing that England is one of the most centralised developed countries, it says the bill would transfer power to England’s regions, “fix the foundations” of local government, empower communities and “drive growth”. However, some opposition members argue the measures would instead centralise decision making and have criticised the lack of accountability measures for mayors.
In Focus
The lord speaker chairs the business of the House of Lords, along with deputies, and has other procedural, ceremonial and ambassadorial roles. As a result of the resignation of the current lord speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, an election for a new lord speaker will be held in January 2026.
In Focus
Ministers are needed in the House of Lords to take legislation through the House and answer for the government during questions and debates. Some cabinet ministers are appointed from the Lords. For example, the leader of the House of Lords is always a member of the Lords. This briefing looks at the role of ministers in the House of Lords and how they are scrutinised.
In Focus
On 30 October 2025, King Charles III signed a royal warrant directing the Duke of York to be removed from the roll of the peerage with immediate effect. As a result, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is no longer legally recognised as a peer in official documents. This briefing looks at what peerages are, and how they can be removed.
In Focus
The government has committed to introducing a ‘Hillsborough Law’, placing a legal duty of candour on public servants and providing legal aid for victims of state related deaths and disasters. In September 2025 the government introduced the Public Office (Accountability) Bill in the House of Commons. This follows calls for legislation to avoid repeating the long process that families and others affected went through to get information about the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
Research Briefing
The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill would provide for the implementation of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos archipelago in UK domestic law ahead of the government ratifying the treaty. In particular it would end UK sovereignty over the archipelago and make certain consequential changes to nationality law, while also providing for the continued administration of the existing joint UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia.
In Focus
At the turn of the twentieth century, debate about the UK’s fiscal policy centred on the issue of tariffs. In July 1904, the House of Lords debated the government’s fiscal policy, and whether the then Conservative government supported the introduction of tariffs as some leading political proponents thought. Moving away from ‘free’ trade to what some considered ‘fair’ trade proved to be both a controversial and divisive policy idea. This briefing looks back to the Lords debate and identifies the key contributions made.
Total results (page 3 of 48)