Arbitration is a form of dispute resolution that enables opposing parties to resolve a disagreement privately through a third party rather than going to court. The Arbitration Bill [HL] would amend the Arbitration Act 1996, the principal legislation governing arbitrations in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. The changes provided for in the bill would implement recommendations from the Law Commission following consultation with the sector.
Arbitration Bill [HL]: HL Bill 7 of 2023–24 (357 KB , PDF)
The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the Arbitration Bill [HL] in a second reading committee on 19 December 2023. The government has published explanatory notes and a delegated powers memorandum to accompany the bill. It has also published an impact assessment, a human rights memorandum and a factsheet setting out more detail on the bill’s aims and expected impact.
The Arbitration Act 1996 regulates arbitration in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. The bill would amend the act as it applies in England and Wales—and in Northern Ireland subject to devolved consent—following recommendations by the Law Commission. The government agreed with all of the Law Commission’s recommendations and the bill would bring these into effect.
Law Commission bills may be subject to special procedures in the House of Lords, including being committed to a second reading committee and a special public bill committee for further scrutiny. On 4 December 2023 the House agreed to commit the bill to a second reading committee. The committee, in which all members eligible to sit may participate, will function like a grand committee. The committee is expected to debate the bill on 19 December 2023 and the debate will have no formal time limit. The second reading motion is then expected to be taken without debate in the chamber at a later date, before a special public bill committee undertakes further scrutiny and reports back to the House as a whole.
Arbitration Bill [HL]: HL Bill 7 of 2023–24 (357 KB , PDF)
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 would 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 and the UK's food security.
An estimated 2.3 million people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024. Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs has raised concerns about inconsistent support for victims and survivors and has called for urgent reform. The government has recently announced several policies aimed at enhancing this support, including a pilot of ‘domestic abuse protection notices’ and ‘domestic abuse protection orders’.
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.
