• In Focus

    How have cuts to overseas aid affected the control of malaria and other diseases?

    Promoting international health security is a priority area for UK overseas aid. This includes efforts to combat malaria and neglected tropical diseases, working both bilaterally with affected countries and through multilateral organisations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Reductions in the UK aid budget, along with changes to how it is spent, have led to concerns that funding for such projects will be cut.

  • Research Briefing

    Social Security (Additional Payments) Bill: HL Bill 34 of 2022-23

    On 27 June 2022, the second reading and all remaining stages of the Social Security (Additional Payments) Bill are scheduled to take place in the House of Lords. The bill gives effect to the cost of living support measures for benefits claimants announced as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s statement to the House of Commons on 26 May 2022.

  • Research Briefing

    Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill: HL Bill 16 of 2022-23

    The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill is government legislation intended to introduce security requirements for smart devices and to assist the rollout of telecoms infrastructure for emerging technologies, including 5G and gigabit capable internet. This briefing examines the legislation ahead of its consideration in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    Cost of living, economic resilience and government policy

    The cost of living has been increasing for households across the UK since early 2021. This is due to a variety of factors, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affecting food and energy prices. At the same time, tax and benefit changes have added pressure to the capacity of household incomes to absorb rising prices. The government has announced successive packages of measures aimed at supporting households as they face rising living costs.

  • Research Briefing

    Procurement Bill [HL]

    The Procurement Bill is a government bill that has been introduced in the House of Lords. The bill would reform the current rules on public procurement in the UK, much of which are derived from EU law.

  • In Focus

    Liaison Committee follow-up report: Tackling financial exclusion

    On 25 May 2022, the grand committee of the House of Lords is due to debate the House of Lords Liaison Committee’s report ‘Tackling financial exclusion: A country that works for everyone? Follow-up report’. This report examines the progress made by the government and key stakeholders in implementing the recommendations made in the original 2017 select committee report on financial exclusion. It found that “four years on, financial exclusion is still highly prevalent in the UK”.

  • In Focus

    House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report: Catapults

    In November 2020, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published the ‘Catapults: Bridging the gap between research and industry’ report. This considered the role technology and innovation catapults have played in encouraging investment and collaborations in UK innovation. The committee made several recommendations, including making certain changes to the catapult funding framework. The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the report and recent developments on 19 May 2022.

  • In Focus

    Queen’s Speech 2022: Energy and climate change

    The Government has committed to reduce UK carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and improve the security of the UK’s energy supply. It has said it intends to improve strategic planning in the UK’s electricity and gas infrastructure through the establishment of an independent future system operator. It has also said it will introduce measures intended to increase the use of hydrogen gas and carbon capture technology in the UK energy sector.

  • In Focus

    Finance Bill Sub-Committee report: off-payroll working

    In April 2020, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee published the ‘Off-Payroll Working: Treating People Fairly’ report. This made several recommendations to the Government, including considering alternative options to the off-payroll working rules. The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the report and recent developments on 27 April 2022.

  • In Focus

    Levelling up: plans for the South West of England

    Research has shown that the UK is one of the most geographically unequal countries in the developed world. Addressing these inequalities by ‘levelling up’ is a priority for the Government. This article examines inequalities in the south-west of England, the Government’s strategy to address them and the reaction to these plans.

  • In Focus

    Unpaid taxes: the ‘tax gap’

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) produces estimates of the tax gap—the tax revenue HMRC should receive but does not. Its most recent estimate for 2019/20 is £35 billion, or approximately 5% of total tax liabilities. As a percentage of total taxes, the gap has been declining in recent years. The Government’s tax strategy includes measures to reduce it further. However, some commentators have argued these need more careful consideration.

  • In Focus

    National Insurance Contributions (Increase of Thresholds) Bill

    The National Insurance Contributions (Increase of Thresholds) Bill is being fast tracked through Parliament to implement increases to national insurance thresholds announced in the March 2022 spring statement. There was broad cross-party support for the bill when it completed all its House of Commons stages on 24 March 2022. However, opposition MPs criticised the spring statement for not providing enough targeted support to those on low incomes affected by the rising cost of living.

  • In Focus

    Spring statement 2022: key announcements and analysis

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, presented the 2022 spring statement to the House of Commons on 23 March 2022. He said the measures in the statement would support the British people in dealing with rising costs of living. He announced some changes to the tax system and new spending commitments. Alongside the statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published revised forecasts for the economy and the public finances.

  • In Focus

    Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Bill

    The Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Bill is a private member’s bill introduced into the House of Commons by Margaret Ferrier (Independent MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West). It aims to clarify how occupational pension schemes can convert historic rights to certain pension entitlements into current scheme benefits. In the House of Commons stages both the Government and the Opposition supported the bill.

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