This Library Note examines what developments have occurred since the Government’s response to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises was published in May 2013.
Debate on 6 May: Actions Taken Following the Publication in 2013 of the Report of the Select Committee on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (325 KB , PDF)
This Library Note briefly describes the background to the establishment of the House of Lords Select Committee on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). It then discusses the Committee’s recommendations alongside the Government’s responses and examines what developments have occurred since the Government’s response was published in May 2013. The Note concludes with a brief statistical digest of SMEs.
Debate on 6 May: Actions Taken Following the Publication in 2013 of the Report of the Select Committee on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (325 KB , PDF)
In October 2024, a report from the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee concluded that poor-quality diets were contributing to an obesity crisis in England. It said that successive governments had failed to tackle the issue, and more regulation was now needed. This briefing summarises the committee’s recommendations, the government’s response in January 2025, and reaction to both reports.
In the UK, human body parts can legally be held in museums and private collections, as well as offered for sale. Many items were collected in colonial contexts, without the consent of communities. Indigenous groups are campaigning for the return of their ancestors’ remains. This briefing sets out the relevant background and law on this issue in the UK.
The Post Office introduced the Horizon computer system into branches from 1999. The system, used for accounting and stock-taking, inaccurately recorded losses and money missing in branches. The Post Office has identified 700 convictions in cases it prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 in which Horizon evidence may have featured. Compensation schemes have been established by the Post Office and the Department for Business and Trade. However, progress in making payments has been criticised for being too slow.
