• In Focus

    Roles of the lord chancellor and the law officers: Lords committee report

    In January 2023, the House of Lords Constitution Committee published a report on the roles of the lord chancellor and the law officers. It concluded the office holders must have the character, authority, intellect and independence to defend the rule of law. In response, the government said it had no plans to review the roles but would continue to reflect on the committee’s report. This article summarises the committee’s findings, as well as the government’s response.

  • In Focus

    Tackling fraud: Lords committee report

    In 2022, the House of Lords Fraud Act 2006 and Digital Fraud Committee held an inquiry on a wide range of issues relating to fraud. It found that fraud was the most experienced crime in England and Wales and has brought significant financial and emotional costs to millions of victims. However, the committee also found that successive governments had failed to prioritise the issue, with the response from law enforcement and the private sector also lacking. To address these issues, the committee made 65 recommendations.

  • In Focus

    New life peerages in 2023: Boris Johnson’s resignation list

    Seven new life peerages were announced on 9 June 2023 as part of Boris Johnson’s resignation honours. It was reported that Mr Johnson’s original list had included a further eight names, but concerns were raised about these by the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC). This article includes information on how new life peerages are recommended and approved. It also contains statistics on recent appointments to the House of Lords and resignation honours.

  • In Focus

    UK defence policy: International Relations and Defence Committee report

    In January 2023, the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee published a report examining UK defence policy. The committee found that both the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the changing domestic economic environment had presented serious challenges to the scope and extent of defence policy. This briefing has been prepared ahead of a debate on the report in the House of Lords on 30 June 2023.

  • In Focus

    Draft Public Order Act 1986 (Serious Disruption to the Life of the Community) Regulations 2023: ‘Fatal’ and ‘regret’ motions

    In response to protests by groups such as Just Stop Oil, the government has introduced secondary legislation which would lower the threshold for what kind of protests are classed as “serious disruption” in England and Wales. The regulations are controversial because the government previously tried to introduce the same changes during parliamentary consideration of the Public Order Act 2023. The House of Lords rejected the proposed measures at that time. The House is now set to debate the regulations and motions to ‘regret’ or reject them.

  • In Focus

    Freelancers in the arts and creative sectors

    The creative industries sector is a significant contributor to the UK economy and freelancers comprise a large proportion of its workforce. While many freelancers can benefit from the flexibility of self-employment, they can also lose entitlements to a range of workplace rights. Concerns have been raised about the impact on creative freelancers of the UK’s post-Covid recovery. Some organisations in the creative sector have called for the appointment of a freelancers’ commissioner to advocate for the rights of freelancers.

  • In Focus

    NHS in England: Current performance and innovation

    The NHS in England has not been able to meet many of its pledges on maximum waiting times for patients in recent years. Challenges facing the health service include increasing demand, funding constraints, additional pressures arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, workforce shortages and industrial action among other issues. This article surveys recent summaries of NHS performance in England and selected commentary on innovation in the health service ahead of a debate on the subject in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    Local government and local democracy in England

    The government has committed to continue the devolution of power from central government to local government in England. However, the process by which local devolution has been implemented has been criticised as complex and opaque. This briefing provides an overview of local government in England, the government’s policies on devolution and the criticisms made of the government’s approach ahead of a debate on local democracy in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    Behaviour change for achieving climate and environment goals: Environment and Climate Change Committee report

    In October 2021, the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee published a report which examined the government’s approach to encouraging behaviour change to achieve its climate and environmental goals. The report found that the government’s approach at the time was “inadequate to meet the scale of the challenge”. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the report on 7 June 2023. This article examines the report and the government’s response.

  • In Focus

    Science and Technology Committee report: ‘‘Science and technology superpower’: More than a slogan?’

    In 2022, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee conducted an inquiry into the government’s stated ambition to make the UK a “science and technology superpower” by 2030. This briefing provides a summary of the committee’s findings and the government’s response, ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on 7 June 2023.

  • In Focus

    Woodland cover and grey squirrels

    The government has committed to halting nature decline in the UK and improving natural habitats. Grey squirrels, which are a non-native species to the UK, cause damage to natural habitats by stripping bark from trees in order to eat the sap beneath. This In Focus article looks at the government’s policies on supporting woodlands and controlling the grey squirrel population.

  • In Focus

    Assistive technology in education and employment

    Assistive technology can support individuals with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to improve or maintain their daily quality of life. This includes in the areas of education and employment. This article looks at the challenges those with SEND face in these areas as well as the potential solutions assistive technology can offer. It also considers the government’s policy in these areas.

  • In Focus

    Sentences of imprisonment for public protection: Updated action plan

    Imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences were indeterminate sentences given to serious offenders who posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public. Although the IPP sentence was abolished in 2012, thousands of people subject to such a sentence are still in prison. In February 2023, the government rejected a recommendation from the House of Commons Justice Committee to conduct a resentencing exercise. It says its recently updated IPP action plan will support those serving an IPP sentence to progress towards release.

  • In Focus

    UK’s relationship with its overseas territories

    The UK government has a complex relationship with its overseas territories spanning constitutional, security and financial aspects. The territories operate with differing levels of self-governance, balancing local decision-making with UK responsibilities. The government collaborates closely with the territories on security and defence. It also engages in financial cooperation, providing support to the territories for their economic development and financial stability.

  • In Focus

    Women in the House of Lords: 65 years on

    This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Life Peerages Act 1958, which first allowed women to sit in the House of Lords. Since the act’s passing the proportion of female members in the House has progressively increased over time. However, women still only make up less than a third of the House’s membership. This piece contains statistics on women in the House of Lords since 1958.

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