In Focus
Fewer than 90 peerages can be inherited by a female heir thereby limiting the number of women eligible to stand and be elected to the House of Lords as hereditary peers. This article examines proposals put forward by campaign groups, and some parliamentarians, to change the rules that prevent women inheriting peerages.
In Focus
The National Heritage Act 1983 established select museums as non-departmental bodies, governed by a board of trustees. In addition to outlining the boards of trustees’ general functions, the act restricted them from disposing of objects from their collections. With growing calls for some of these museums to return cultural objects in their collections to their countries of origin, some museums and organisations have called for the act to be amended or replaced.
In Focus
The government has published an updated plan for music education. It emphasises aspects such as early years music; cooperation between schools and other organisations, for example music hubs; and providing a variety of ways to progress in music. Commentators have welcomed the plan but called for more funding. Some observers have also argued that the structure of testing in schools from age 14 skews the curriculum against music.
In Focus
On 4 August 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin gave his country’s Asian population 90 days in which to leave the country. Almost 40,000 Ugandan Asians would come to the UK over the months that followed to start new lives, leaving behind homes and businesses in the country of their birth. A national commemorative event will take place in London on 18 September 2022, 50 years after the first evacuation flight landed at Stansted airport.
Research Briefing
This private member’s bill seeks to establish a new regulatory regime for private burial grounds and cemeteries in England and Wales.
Research Briefing
The Women, Peace and Security Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative). The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.
Research Briefing
The Coroners (Determination of Suicide) Bill [HL] would require a coroner, at the conclusion of an inquest, to record an opinion on relevant factors causative to a death by suicide.
In Focus
The regulatory landscape is evolving to try to keep pace with the emergence of new technologies and online activities. The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee advocates the creation of a statutory body to coordinate digital regulation and prevent gaps between the responsibilities of different regulators. The government rejects this suggestion but is legislating to give some existing regulators new duties on digital regulation and cooperation with each other.
In Focus
In April 2022, the UK government announced a scheme to relocate certain asylum seekers to Rwanda for asylum claims processing and potential resettlement. Concerns have since been raised about the risk of unaccompanied children being mistaken for adults and subsequently removed from the UK to Rwanda. This article considers this issue and also what the government is doing to improve age assessment procedures in the UK’s immigration system.
Research Briefing
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill 2022–23 is intended to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles by establishing a new independent commission for reconciliation and information recovery, limiting criminal investigations and legal proceedings, and providing for a new oral history initiative and memorialisation strategy.
Research Briefing
On 15 July 2022, the Ballot Secrecy Bill [HL] is due to receive second reading in the House of Lords. This private member’s bill would amend section 60 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 to create new offences for individuals who accompany a voter to a polling booth or position themselves nearby with the intention of influencing a voter.
In Focus
On 6 July 2022, the British and US intelligence services jointly said China would pose the biggest security threat facing the West over the next decade. Relations between China and the UK have deteriorated in recent years and experts have expressed concern over Chinese ambitions in several areas. This article provides a brief overview of recent UK-China relations and those security threats.
Research Briefing
The Heritage Railways and Tramways (Voluntary Work) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour). The bill seeks to remove statutory restrictions on young people volunteering to work on heritage railways or tramways.
In Focus
The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) provides the statutory basis in UK law for the protection of human rights and freedoms. The government recently published plans to replace the act with a UK bill of rights. This article looks at what the HRA does, why the government wants to reform it, and what the reaction has been to the proposed bill of rights and other reform plans.
In Focus
This article examines the status of women and girls in the UK since 2010. This includes a focus on their economic wellbeing, such as employment rates, earnings and the gender pay gap. It also considers the welfare and safety of women and girls, as well as examining opportunities in higher education.
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