In Focus
On 28 October 2021, Lord Bowness (non-affiliated) is due to ask the Government “what assessment they have made of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and whether they have any proposals to improve that organisation”.
In Focus
As the Covid-19 pandemic progressed in March 2020, the Coronavirus Act 2020 came into force. This provided UK public bodies with a suite of powers to respond to the situation. Most provisions within the act are temporary and set to expire automatically in March 2022. The act requires these provisions to be scrutinised by Parliament periodically. This article considers what the act does, how it is scrutinised, and the UK and devolved governments’ Covid-19 plans for autumn/winter 2021–22.
In Focus
The UK, alongside other countries, is currently experiencing a shortage of HGV drivers. This has caused some UK supply chain issues, including the fuel shortage at the start of October 2021. The Government has laid out several actions to address the shortage, which have been met with mixed responses.
In Focus
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) published the command paper ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’ on 22 March 2021, setting out how the UK’s defence capabilities will support the Government’s integrated review of security, defence, development, and foreign policy. The command paper contained a range of measures, including how the UK will respond to current and future threats. This article summarises those provisions ahead of a forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on these issues.
In Focus
The Electoral Commission recently reported the highest level of public confidence in the way elections are run in the UK. Since the Pickles report in 2016, the Government has committed to increasing the security of the UK’s elections. The Elections Bill, currently in committee stage in the House of Commons, contains a range of measures intended to fulfil this ambition. One proposal, to introduce voter ID, has been widely criticised.
In Focus
Latin America accounts for over a fifth of all cases and almost a third of all deaths from Covid-19 worldwide. Vaccine rollouts are progressing across the region, but rates remain uneven. The economic toll of the pandemic has been severe, with recovery expected to take some time in many countries. This article provides a short summary of developments in the region arising from the pandemic ahead of a House of Lords debate on the subject.
In Focus
Successive MPs for the Isle of Wight have argued that ferry services between the island and the mainland are not competitive enough. A statutory instrument introduced in response to Covid-19 suspended some elements of competition law in relation to ferry services across the Solent. A motion due to be moved in the House of Lords expresses regret that the order revoking this suspension does not address competition issues.
In Focus
The Government has estimated that there are 400,000 ‘problem gamblers’ in England, with a further 2 million people at risk of developing a problem. In its recent report, Public Health England has called for gambling-related harm to be considered as a public health issue. The Government is undertaking a review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has invested in services for those affected by this issue in the NHS Long Term Plan.
In Focus
In January 2021, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published a report arguing action is required to increase healthy life expectancy. The Government plans to address disparities in life expectancy as part of its levelling up agenda. The House of Lords is due to debate the report on 20 October 2021.
In Focus
This private member’s bill would create a legal framework to allow a terminally ill patient to end their life, provided they have the consent of two medical practitioners. The High Court would also have to provide consent. The form of death would be prescribed, self-administered life-ending drugs. The bill is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 22 October 2021.
In Focus
On 14 October 2021, the House of Lords is due to consider the free trade agreement between the UK and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. This article examines the details of the agreement, as well as the parliamentary scrutiny it has received to date.
In Focus
In November 2020, the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published a report on the future of UK journalism. It made several recommendations, including that the Government should improve regulation of the online advertising market. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the report on 13 October 2021.
In Focus
Covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) have been used for decades to prevent or secure prosecutions for serious crimes, such as terrorism and human trafficking. The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 provided statutory powers to organisations, such as the intelligence agencies and law enforcement bodies, to authorise criminal activity by CHIS. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Criminal Conduct Authorisations) (Amendment) Order 2021 makes some necessary changes to existing legislation.
In Focus
Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK now has power to make decisions which used to be made at EU level. Several of these powers relate to policy areas that the devolved nations are individually responsible for. The UK and devolved governments have been developing common frameworks to ensure regulatory consistency in these policy areas.
In Focus
Unlike the gender pay gap, there is no legal requirement for companies to publish their ethnicity pay gap. A recent report by the Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities recommended that the practice remain voluntary due to a lack of diversity in some parts of the country. A coalition of workers’ groups have called for ethnicity pay gap reporting to be made mandatory so employers can better address pay disparities.
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