• In Focus

    Fire safety regulations: Reform for furniture and buildings in England

    The government has proposed changes to how fire safety standards for furniture and furnishings are regulated in England. Scientists and the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee have raised concerns that current regulations incentivise the use of flame-retardant chemicals, which have environmental and health impacts. The regulatory framework for fire safety in buildings in England has also been reformed following the Grenfell Tower fire and the Building Safety Act 2022.

  • Research Briefing

    Arbitration Bill [HL]

    Arbitration is a form of dispute resolution that enables opposing parties to resolve a disagreement privately through a third party rather than going to court. The Arbitration Bill [HL] would amend the Arbitration Act 1996, the principal legislation governing arbitrations in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. The changes provided for in the bill would implement recommendations from the Law Commission following consultation with the sector.

  • Research Briefing

    Automated Vehicles Bill [HL]: HL Bill 1 of 2023–24

    The Automated Vehicles Bill would put into place measures announced in the 2023 King’s Speech to set up a legal framework to enable self-driving cars in the UK. It would establish a regulatory regime for authorising the vehicles, deal with criminal liability and marketing restrictions and allow for automated passenger services, among other things.

  • In Focus

    King’s Speech 2023: Economic affairs, business and trade

    This briefing considers the current economic situation ahead of the 2023 King’s Speech. It also covers other economy, business and trade-related measures that the government has indicated it may pursue. Such measures include regulatory reform, reforming the way in which building societies can fund themselves, and legislation to implement specific areas of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in UK domestic law.

  • In Focus

    ‘Investing in energy: Price, security, and the transition to net zero’: Economic Affairs Committee report

    In February 2022, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee launched an inquiry into how the government could support investment in UK energy in order to achieve greater security of supply, improve affordability and meet the UK’s net zero targets. This article summarises the committee’s conclusions and the then government’s response to its recommendations. It also provides an overview of subsequent developments in the government’s energy policies.

  • In Focus

    Value added tax (VAT) at 50

    The 50th anniversary of the UK’s value added tax (VAT) occurred on 1 April 2023. VAT was introduced in anticipation of the UK’s entry to the European Economic Community and has since become one of the government’s largest revenue raisers. This article examines the history of VAT and the debate about how it has developed.

  • In Focus

    Private parking code of practice: Latest developments

    The government “temporarily” withdrew the private parking code of practice in June 2022. This statutory guidance included a cap on the level of parking charges operators of private parking facilities could issue to motorists, as well as the removal of additional fees they could impose at the debt recovery stage. The government has since published a draft impact assessment and launched a call for evidence to review the impact of these provisions on operators.

  • In Focus

    Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework: Reports by the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub-Committee

    A House of Lords committee found in July 2022 that the Northern Ireland Protocol was affecting Northern Ireland businesses differently depending on whether they traded mostly with Great Britain or with Ireland and the EU. A year later, the same committee found the Windsor Framework, which amended the protocol in February 2023, was an improvement on the protocol as originally negotiated, but has not solved all the problems associated with it.

  • Research Briefing

    Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Bill: HL Bill 128 of 2022–23

    The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Bill is a private member’s bill that would allow ministers to lower to 18 the age threshold at which qualifying workers are automatically enrolled into workplace pensions. It would also allow ministers to amend qualifying earnings limits so that pension contributions are calculated from the first pound earned. Ministers would have to obtain Parliament’s approval for any changes after first consulting on any proposals and reporting to Parliament on the consultations held.

  • In Focus

    Tackling fraud: Lords committee report

    In 2022, the House of Lords Fraud Act 2006 and Digital Fraud Committee held an inquiry on a wide range of issues relating to fraud. It found that fraud was the most experienced crime in England and Wales and has brought significant financial and emotional costs to millions of victims. However, the committee also found that successive governments had failed to prioritise the issue, with the response from law enforcement and the private sector also lacking. To address these issues, the committee made 65 recommendations.

  • Research Briefing

    Non-Domestic Rating Bill: HL Bill 140 of 2022–23

    The Non-Domestic Rating Bill is a government bill that would make changes to business rates. It would reduce the time between property revaluations, impose a duty on businesses to notify the Valuation Office Agency of changes that could affect a property’s rateable value, and introduce rates reliefs for improvements to property and heat networks. It was introduced in the House of Commons on 29 March 2023 and its second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 19 June 2023.

  • In Focus

    Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2023 and the Stormont brake

    On 29 March 2023, the House of Lords is due to debate regulations that would implement the Stormont brake in domestic law. These regulations were approved by the House of Commons on 22 March 2023. The Stormont brake is a key part of the Windsor Framework agreed between the UK and the EU. This briefing explains the background to the brake and how it would work, and includes reaction from political parties.

  • In Focus

    Cryptoassets: What does the future hold? 

    Cryptoassets, such as digital currencies like bitcoin, have become a significant part of the world of finance, with a global value estimated at $0.8tn. Volatility in the markets for these products, along with high-profile business failures, has led to calls for cryptoassets to be regulated. This article discusses what cryptoassets are, as well as recent developments and the government’s policy intentions in this area.

  • Research Briefing

    Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: HL Bill 89 of 2022–23

    The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 6 February 2023. The bill would automatically revoke, or ‘sunset’, most retained EU law at the end of 2023. However it would also give ministers powers to exempt some retained EU law from the sunset and to restate, reproduce, replace or update retained EU law by statutory instrument.

  • Research Briefing

    Online Safety Bill: HL Bill 87 of 2022–23

    The Online Safety Bill is a government bill that would establish a regulatory framework for certain online service providers. It would also create several new offences relating to online harms including offences of false communications, threatening communications, sending or showing flashing images electronically (‘epilepsy trolling’) and sending photographs or films of genitals (‘cyberflashing’). The government has said it will bring forward several amendments to the bill in the House of Lords including new offences relating to intimate images and promoting self-harm, criminal sanctions for senior managers of non-compliant providers, and promotion of small boat crossings.

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