This briefing provides information in support of the House of Lords consideration of the Scotland Bill.
Scotland Bill (HL Bill 73 of 2015-16) (423 KB , PDF)
The Scotland Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 May 2015 by the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, and completed its Commons stages on 9 November 2015. During its passage through the Commons, the Bill was subject to four days of committee proceedings on the floor of the House and received a number of substantive amendments by the Government at report stage. The amended Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 10 November 2015, and is due to receive its second reading on 24 November 2015. The Explanatory Notes to the Bill state:
The Scotland Bill will deliver the Smith Commission Agreement, which was published in November 2014 having been agreed by all the political parties in Scotland.
The Bill is intended to be an enabling Bill and the majority of the provisions in the Bill set out the powers that are being transferred to the Scottish Parliament and or the Scottish Ministers. In particular the Scotland Bill amends the Scotland Act 1998 and rebalances the devolved and reserved responsibilities between the administrations. The Bill also includes provisions which set out the constitutional relationship of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government within the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements. It does not amend this relationship.
The Bill, as amended, includes provisions that would:
This Library Note provides an overview of the key provisions currently contained in the Bill following its amendment at report stage. More detail is then provided through a brief timeline of events leading up to report stage in the House of Commons, and through coverage of the report stage and third reading debates.
Scotland Bill (HL Bill 73 of 2015-16) (423 KB , PDF)
The government recently announced an independent review of physician and anaesthesia associates to be led by Professor Gillian Leng. This announcement followed a debate about the use of the roles in the NHS and concerns raised by some stakeholders about patient safety. The review has been widely welcomed by stakeholders as a way to move the debate forward.
The idea of civil service impartiality, defined as the ability to serve the government of the day without fear or favour, is one of the core values promoted by the civil service code. Several recent events have led to debate on whether the civil service has become more politicised and the extent to which that is desirable. This briefing examines that history, and the arguments for and against a more politicised civil service, ahead of a forthcoming debate in the House of Lords.
In the autumn budget the chancellor announced changes to inheritance tax reliefs. From April 2026, taxes would apply to agricultural assets over £1mn (or up to £3mn in certain circumstances). The government has said this will just affect the wealthiest landowners and disincentivise buying agricultural land to avoid tax. Farming groups have argued the policy is a threat to the future of family farming.
