• In Focus

    Rising energy costs: the impact on households, pensioners and those on low incomes

    Energy bills in the UK are predicted to rise considerably over the next year. This is due to issues that have increased wholesale energy costs and have subsequently put a number of energy suppliers out of business. This article outlines these issues and considers the potential impact of increasing energy bills on UK households, particularly on pensioners and those on lower incomes.

  • In Focus

    Full steam ahead: a century of railway governance

    This year marks 100 years since the Railways Act 1921, also known as the ‘Grouping Act’, came into force. The act reorganised ownership of the railways, merging 120 railway companies into four regional groups. These groups became known as the ‘big four’. Fast forward 100 years, and the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail is set to change the organisation and ownership of the railways once more. This article explores these changes.

  • In Focus

    Jet Zero and sustainable aviation

    In July 2021, the Government launched a consultation on ‘Jet Zero’: its plans for decarbonising the UK aviation sector. Noting that while aviation currently contributes 2–3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the consultation observed that it is forecast to become the second highest residual emitter in 2050 as other sectors reduce their emissions. The consultation has now closed. The Government is currently analysing the responses and intends to launch its Jet Zero strategy in 2022, revealing how aviation will contribute towards ensuring the UK reaches net zero. This article looks at recent developments.

  • In Focus

    Coronavirus: business loans and the public finances

    The Government has provided over £200 billion of loans, guarantees and insurance cover to private sector firms during the coronavirus pandemic. These affect government borrowing and debt in different ways, depending on the design of the schemes. This article explores how each scheme is treated in the public finances and how much they are expected to cost.

  • In Focus

    The Integrated Rail Plan

    On 16 December 2021, the House of Lords is scheduled to hold a short debate on a motion tabled by Lord Berkeley (Labour). He will ask the Government “how the Integrated Rail Plan will deliver the (1) capacity, and (2) regional connectivity, sought for the Northern Powerhouse area”. This article provides background information on the plan, a brief overview of the plan itself and a survey of the reaction it has received.

  • Research Briefing

    International Development Strategy

    On 16 December 2021, the House of Lords is due to debate a motion moved by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour) that “this House takes note of the plans by Her Majesty’s Government to announce a new international development strategy for the United Kingdom in 2022”.

  • In Focus

    Extraordinary funding for Transport for London

    In response to a revenue shortfall attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government and the Mayor of London agreed three consecutive short-term funding packages for Transport for London worth more than £4 billion. The latest of those agreements expires on 11 December 2021. Concerns have been raised that without further funding, London’s transport infrastructure could see a “managed decline”, with the possibility of cancelled bus routes and tube lines closed.

  • In Focus

    Motion to annul temporary relaxation of HGV driving time limits and rest patterns

    Between 12 July and 31 October 2021, the Government temporarily relaxed the enforcement of retained EU law that sets the driving time limits and rest patterns of heavy goods vehicle drivers. This was in response to disruption caused by the HGV driver shortage and the Covid-19 pandemic, amongst other things. The Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs (Temporary Exceptions) (No. 4) Regulations 2021 extends this temporary relaxation from 1 November 2021 until 11.59pm on 9 January 2022. On 6 December 2021, the House of Lords will debate a motion to annul this instrument.

  • In Focus

    Trade and institutional frameworks after Brexit

    What institutions and arrangements will govern the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU? And what will be the implications of Brexit for UK-EU trade in services and trade in goods? This article summarises the findings of three reports from a House of Lords committee that addressed these questions, as well as the Government’s responses. The House of Lords is due to debate the reports on 6 December 2021.

  • In Focus

    Second National Infrastructure Assessment: Baseline Report

    In November 2021, the National Infrastructure Commission published the baseline report from its forthcoming second National Infrastructure Assessment. The baseline report evaluates the current state of the UK’s economic infrastructure and identifies key challenges for the coming decades, informing recommendations in the full assessment in 2023. The baseline report found that there has been significant progress in some areas such as gigabit broadband since the last Assessment in 2018. However, it added much more was required, particularly in areas such as electricity emissions and water pollution.

  • Research Briefing

    BBC: Value to the UK and wider global audiences

    This briefing has been prepared in advance of a House of Lords debate on 2 December 2021 on the value of the BBC to its audiences. The briefing provides information on the BBC’s remit, its services, and their economic value to the UK. It also summarises issues such as the negotiations between the BBC and the Government over the licence fee settlement from 2022, and the forthcoming mid-term review of the BBC’s royal charter.

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