In Focus
Mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis are diseases primarily affecting industrial and construction workers. Sufferers are eligible for government compensation schemes if they cannot claim civil damages against their employers. Two sets of regulations would increase the amounts payable by 0.5 percent from 1 April 2021, in line with inflation and the uprating being applied to other disability benefits.
In Focus
The House of Lords will soon debate a report by the former Intergenerational Fairness and Provision Committee. Now dissolved, this special inquiry committee published a report on tackling intergenerational unfairness in April 2019. It alleged that the “action and inaction” of successive governments had risked undermining fairness between generations and called for improvements in six areas to tackle this: accounting for policies and data; housing; education; work; communities; and tax and benefits.
Research Briefing
This bill proposes changes to the financial services regulatory regime.
In Focus
Since 1 January 2021, the UK has been operating a new points-based immigration system. Critics suggest that human trafficking and human smuggling could increase under this system. This article explores two of these concerns.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on economics articles you may have missed from September and October 2020. This month we look at household savings during the Covid-19 pandemic, and whether the furlough scheme is discriminatory.
In Focus
The marketing of construction products in the UK is regulated by EU law. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ensures that EU-derived domestic legislation and directly applicable EU law will continue to have effect after the end of the transition period. In 2019, regulations were introduced to ensure that UK legislation in this area could function effectively after the transition period. However, Northern Ireland will now remain subject to relevant EU laws as a result of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol. This article looks at the draft statutory instrument that would amend the 2019 regulations and enable Northern Ireland to continue to meet EU law.
In Focus
The High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill would provide approval for phase 2a of the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line. Phase 2a would run between the West Midlands, where it would link with phase 1 of HS2, and Crewe. The bill is scheduled to begin its committee stage in the House of Lords on 9 November 2020.
In Focus
On 9 October 2020, the House of Lords will debate the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolution) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2020. These regulations provide for new arrangements on moratoriums for charitable organisations to facilitate their rescue from financial difficulty.
In Focus
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits, which includes some people working but on low incomes, increased by over 100 percent between March and August 2020. There is also some evidence that people on low incomes saw a higher than average drop in income at the onset of the pandemic. This article provides information on selected government support schemes and when some are due to expire.
In Focus
In August 2020, Northampton saw an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases. A large number of these transmissions were traced back to the Greencore factory in Northampton. On 21 August 2020, workers and their households were told to self-isolate for 14 days to limit the risk of further spread of the disease in the community, and to avoid a local lockdown. This article looks at the regulations introduced to enforce the restrictions.
In Focus
The UK’s arts and entertainment sector has been one of the areas worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The decline in revenues and the number of workers furloughed over the past few months is second only to the accommodation and food sector. This article examines the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s cultural industry and the Government’s recently announced support package worth £1.57 billion aimed at helping the sector recover.
In Focus
The Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013 (Remedial) Order 2019 makes changes to the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013. These changes are the result of decisions made in the courts on the act’s compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. This article looks at the court cases which led to the remedial order, ahead of its debate in the House of Lords on 3 September 2020.
In Focus
A range of data is available to measure child poverty. This article looks at official statistics on children in low income households with someone in work. It then considers Government policy in the area, and also discusses the possible impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Child poverty in working households is the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 15 July 2020.
Research Briefing
The Government’s Business and Planning Bill is intended to help the economy recovery from the effects the Covid-19 outbreak.
In Focus
While Covid-19 is expected to have a negative impact on UK tourism overall, the number of domestic tourists in the UK is expected to rise. This briefing considers the debate regarding the potential impact of increases in domestic tourism on seaside resorts.
Total results (page 8 of 16)