Co-operatives, Mutuals and Friendly Societies Bill: HL Bill 106 of 2022–23

The Co-operatives, Mutuals and Friendly Societies Bill is a private member’s bill that would allow cooperatives, mutual insurers and friendly societies to choose to adopt legal restrictions on the use of their assets. Community benefit societies, a type of cooperative, already have the option to implement such statutory ‘asset locks’ to ensure a society’s assets cannot later be used for the private benefit of members. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill on 24 March 2023.

Co-operatives, Mutuals and Friendly Societies Bill: HL Bill 106 of 2022–23

OFCOM (Duty regarding Prevention of Serious Self-harm and Suicide) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 18 of 2022–23

The OFCOM (Duty regarding Prevention of Serious Self-harm and Suicide) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill that has been introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench). Amongst its provisions, the bill would require Ofcom to establish a unit to advise the government on the extent of content on social media platforms which could be seen to encourage self-harm or suicide.

OFCOM (Duty regarding Prevention of Serious Self-harm and Suicide) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 18 of 2022–23

  • 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

    Northern Ireland Budget Bill: HL Bill 94 of 2022–23

    In the absence of functioning devolved institutions the UK government has intervened to set Northern Ireland’s budget. The Northern Ireland Budget Bill provides the relevant authorisations and appropriations for the full 2022/23 financial year and includes provisions to allow public spending to continue into the early months of the 2023/24 financial year. The bill passed has been fast-tracked through the House of Commons and its second reading in the House of Lords is due to take place on 7 February 2022.

  • 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.

  • Research Briefing

    Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Bill: HL Bill 72 of 2022–23

    The Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Bill is a short private member's bill which would change the inflationary measure used during annual pitch fee reviews for mobile homes from the retail prices index (RPI) to the consumer prices index (CPI). CPI is generally lower than RPI, which proponents of the bill say will provide a cost saving to mobile home owners. The bill is sponsored by Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative). It completed its passage in the House of Commons with no amendment or debate. The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 21 November 2022 and is scheduled to have its second reading on 3 February 2022. Housing policy is a devolved matter. The bill extends to England and Wales but would only apply to England. It would come into force two months after royal assent.

  • In Focus

    Mortality rates among men and women: impact of austerity

    Improvements in life expectancy have slowed in the UK since the early 2010s. A recent study argued there have been over 300,000 excess deaths during this period, when comparing trends in life expectancy with those from before 2011. The authors of the study argue this is a result of austerity policies pursued by the government. The subject is due to be debated in the House of Lords on 12 January 2023.

  • Research Briefing

    Financial Services and Markets Bill: HL Bill 80 of 2022–23

    The Financial Services and Markets Bill is a government bill that would make wide-ranging changes to the regulation of financial services in the UK. It would implement the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework review by repealing retained EU law relating to financial services. It would transfer responsibility for these areas of regulation to the financial services regulators. Among other things, the bill contains provisions to enable the establishment of a regime to regulate stablecoins, a type of cryptoasset, and to protect access to cash.

  • In Focus

    Governmental efficiency and savings reviews

    The government announced in November 2022 that it would undertake a new efficiency and savings review, with savings reinvested in priority areas. This follows an earlier review, completed in 2021, from which the government said it had saved 5% against day-to-day central departmental budgets in 2024/25. Some parliamentarians have previously cautioned that efficiency savings should be balanced against potential side effects. The government aims to report on the latest review's progress in spring 2023.

  • In Focus

    Cost of living: Impact of rising costs on disabled people

    Disabled individuals and their households have, on average, lower incomes than their non-disabled counterparts. They often incur additional costs related to the treatment and mitigation of their disability. Furthermore, they typically spend a greater share of their income on food and energy, the commodities driving the current surge in inflation. In recognition of Disability History Month—running from 16 November to 16 December this year—this article considers how disabled individuals and their households are impacted by the rising cost of living.

  • In Focus

    ‘Fit for the future? Rethinking the public services workforce’: Public Services Committee report

    In July 2022, the House of Lords Public Services Committee published a report on the future of the public services workforce. It argued that public sector staffing was “facing a crisis” due to a “vicious circle” of increasing demand, staff shortages, low morale and recruitment issues. The committee observed that these problems were not unsolvable, but said current efforts were at “far too small a scale”. It made recommendations which it argued, if implemented, would make a “substantial difference” and “secure a more sustainable public services workforce for the future”.

  • Research Briefing

    Finance Bill 2022-23

    The Finance Bill is a government bill intended to give lasting statutory effect to the tax measures announced in the November 2022 autumn statement. The bill completed its passage through the House of Commons, unamended, on 30 November 2022 and was introduced in the House of Lords on 1 December 2022. A second reading debate is due to take place in the House of Lords on 20 December 2022.

  • In Focus

    UK aid spending: Statistics and recent developments

    UK aid spending reduced by £3bn, or 21%, from 2020 to 2021. This article looks at statistics on aid spending and how it is being spent. It also includes a summary of the government’s current international development strategy and commentary on some of the issues affecting UK aid spending. The House of Lords will hold a debate on the subject on 15 December 2022.

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