The Great British Energy Bill is a government bill which would establish Great British Energy, a new government-owned clean energy company. The government has said the new company will support the creation of new jobs by investing in the clean energy sector. It has also asserted that, by reducing the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels, it would help drive down the UK’s energy costs and ensure the country’s long-term energy security.
Great British Energy Bill (382 KB , PDF)
The bill would:
Opposition parties have criticised some aspects of the bill, arguing that it does not provide sufficient independent oversight about how this new company would operate. Similarly, criticism has been levelled at the government for not explaining sufficiently how the new company would help to reduce household energy costs or create new jobs.
The bill passed its Commons stages unamended. Second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 18 November 2024.
Great British Energy Bill (382 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.
The Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill [HL] aims to regulate the usage of algorithmic and automated decision-making systems across the public sector, making the use of such systems more transparent and fair, and mitigating against the risks arising from such technologies such as bias and discrimination. It is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat). It is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2024.
![Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill [HL]: HL Bill 27 of 2024–25](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Government-VIGS-568x426.jpg)
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.
