This House of Lords Library briefing provides background information in advance of the second reading of the Public Advocate Bill [HL] in the House of Lords on 29 January 2016.
Public Advocate Bill [HL] (125 KB , PDF)
The Public Advocate Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Wills (Labour). The Bill received its first reading in the House of Lords on 3 June 2015 and is scheduled to receive its second reading on 29 January 2016.
The Public Advocate Bill [HL] aims to provide representation for the bereaved during investigations following public disasters, and to provide for the establishment of an independent panel to review documentation relating to the disaster. As was the case for the Hillsborough Independent Panel, this panel would be registered as a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 and would therefore have access to documents it would not otherwise be able to view. Lord Wills and Maria Eagle MP, the Bill’s sponsors, have stated that the system provided for in the Public Advocate Bill [HL] “is based on learning the lessons of Hillsborough which showed the benefits of the panel review system”, and would provide new protection and support for families bereaved in public disasters.
Public Advocate Bill [HL] (125 KB , PDF)
Advances in science and medicine led to rising life expectancy in the UK throughout the 20th century, but increases have slowed. Are we nearing the ceiling of life expectancy or will a new wave of research change everything? This briefing explores the science and policy implications of life extension.
The rural economy in the UK is made up of a variety of different industries, including agriculture and tourism. Rural areas contribute a significant proportion of the UK’s economic output. However, figures for England indicate productivity in rural areas is lower when compared with urban areas. This briefing provides a summary of statistics on the rural economy and outlines some of the challenges for achieving economic growth.
The importance of social cohesion and strong communities has often been discussed in the context of international events which have increased tensions between groups in the UK. This briefing examines what is meant by social cohesion, provides an overview of recent reports on social cohesion and communities, and sets out recent government statements on its policies to address concerns about social cohesion.
