This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Bill on 18 January 2019.
Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Bill: Brefing for Lords Stages (246 KB , PDF)
The Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Bill is a private member’s bill consisting of six clauses. The bill would facilitate the move from a paper-based system of marriage registration towards a partially electronic system (allowing several connected changes to how marriages are registered) and would grant opposite-sex couples the right to form civil partnerships (currently, only same-sex couples can form civil partnerships). It would also require the Government to publish reports on whether the law should be changed to allow the registration of pregnancy losses which occur before 24 weeks gestation and on whether coroners should be allowed or required to investigate still-births.
It is due to receive second reading in the House of Lords on 18 January 2019, having completed its Commons stages, with cross-party and Government support, on 26 October 2018. It is sponsored in the House of Lords by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative).
Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Bill: Brefing for Lords Stages (246 KB , PDF)
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.
Reported retail crime has increased significantly in recent years. This criminal activity, encompassing offences such as shoplifting and assaults on retail workers, has impacted businesses, their employees and local economies. The government has outlined plans to tackle retail crime in response to this issue. This includes legislating to create a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker and to remove the threshold on so-called “low-value” shoplifting offences.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report in September 2024. It found the fire was the “culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry”. It also concluded there had been “systematic dishonesty” from the manufacturers of certain cladding panels and insulation about their products. This briefing covers the inquiry’s recommendations and responses from different stakeholders ahead of a debate in the House of Lords.
