• In Focus

    Strengthening family life in England: Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households

    In April 2023, the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households published a report entitled ‘Love matters’. The commission examined how families and households in England could best flourish and called on the government and other institutions to put families at the centre of their thinking. In addition to proposals for Church of England action, the report included 29 recommendations for the government. These included supporting family hubs and developing high-quality marriage preparation.

  • Current Affairs Digest

    Current Affairs Digest: Home Affairs (September 2023)

    Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) experienced two data breaches in July and August 2023. In the first breach, a laptop and documents were stolen from a private vehicle, exposing the names of over 200 officers and staff. In the second breach, the police service accidentally published the personal details of 10,000 officers and staff online. This article examines the ramifications of the data breaches and discusses the political reaction to them.

  • In Focus

    Housing in rural and coastal communities

    Issues such as the growth in short-term lettings and second homes disproportionately impact housing issues in rural and coastal areas. This exacerbates an already complex housing situation nationally. Charities and campaign groups have called for government intervention, arguing that the negative impacts, such as a shortage of affordable housing, are hollowing out rural and coastal areas.

  • In Focus

    75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush generation

    22 June 2023 was the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the passengers of the Empire Windrush in the UK. The day celebrates the contribution and achievements of the Windrush generation and their descendants. This briefing provides background information for a debate in the House of Lords on marking this anniversary.

  • In Focus

    Emergency healthcare in crisis: Public Services Committee report

    In September 2022, the House of Lords Public Services Committee found that “emergency access to healthcare is in crisis”. The committee outlined an action plan which it said set out how the government could address some immediate challenges in the short term and begin developing a new model for emergency health services which are fit for purpose in the long term.

  • Research Briefing

    Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill: HL Bill 122 of 2022–23

    The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill would prohibit the sale, offering for sale, or advertisement in England and Northern Ireland of low-welfare animal activities which take place abroad. The activity types covered would be set out in regulations, but would include those where animals are subject to unnecessary suffering or are kept in confinement.

  • Research Briefing

    Public Advocate Bill [HL]: HL Bill 25 of 2022–23

    This private member’s bill seeks to establish a public advocate who would advise representatives of the deceased after major incidents, and who would establish a panel similar to the Hillsborough Independent Panel if a majority of representatives of the deceased requested it.

  • In Focus

    Liaison Committee: Citizenship and civic engagement

    During the 2017–19 session, the House of Lords appointed a committee to examine citizenship and civic engagement in the UK. In 2022, the House of Lords Liaison Committee held a follow-up to this inquiry, considering issues including citizenship education in schools, the ‘life in the UK’ test, and whether the government’s policies in this area are coordinated effectively. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate its report on 17 April 2023.

  • In Focus

    Pride in the UK: From its roots to today

    On 1 July 1972 the UK’s first Pride march was held in London. This date was chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the riots, or uprising, at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, where LGBT+ patrons had been targeted by the New York Police Department. Liberation organisations were inspired to action, and Pride marches have since become annual events throughout the UK and around the world. This LGBT+ history month, this article explores 50 years of Pride.

  • Research Briefing

    Education (Non-religious Philosophical Convictions) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 29 of 2022–23

    The Education (Non-religious Philosophical Convictions) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat). It would introduce an explicit requirement for schools in England to include non-religious worldviews such as humanism in religious education (RE). The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading on 3 February 2023.

  • In Focus

    Commission on Young Lives: National plan for vulnerable young people

    The Commission on Young Lives was an independent group formed to design a new national system to prevent crisis in vulnerable young people and to boost their life chances and educational prospects. The commission published a report in November 2022 which made recommendations to government, local authorities, police and others to tackle the “deep-rooted” problems facing vulnerable youths. The commission’s “centrepiece recommendation” was for a “sure start plus for teenagers” network of intervention and support.

  • In Focus

    Arrival of the Empire Windrush: Celebrating the 75th anniversary

    National Windrush Day on 22 June 2023 will mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the passengers of the Empire Windrush to the UK. The day celebrates the contribution and achievements of the Windrush generation and their descendants. This briefing provides background information for a debate in the House of Lords on the government’s plans to mark this celebration.

  • In Focus

    International Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

    Friday 27 January 2023 is International Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland on the same day in 1945. On this annual day of commemoration, the United Nations urges every member state to honour the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism, and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

  • In Focus

    Arts Council England: Funding and regional distribution

    The government announced plans in February 2022 to redistribute Arts Council England (ACE) funding across regions in England to “level up” access to the arts. ACE published its latest funding allocations for 2023–26 in November 2022. It said 21.8% more investment would be given to regions outside of London when compared to 2018/19. Some arts organisations and parliamentarians have raised concerns about ACE’s funding distribution and the impact on leading cultural institutions.

  • In Focus

    Review of the London Fire Brigade: Findings and reaction

    In November 2022, an independent cultural review of the London Fire Brigade raised several concerns about the service. This included the finding that it was “institutionally misogynist and racist”. Responding, London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe apologised for the harm caused and set out several measures aimed at addressing the core problems. This article gives an overview of the findings and sets out the reaction to the review from various groups and individuals.

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