Home affairs by topic
Home affairs includes the following topic areas. Please click the links to access lists of publications by topic:
Communities
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Levelling up, housing and communities
Ahead of the Queen’s Speech on 10 May 2022, this article examines the Government’s policy commitments on levelling up, housing and communities. This includes the measures found in the levelling up white paper, which aimed to reduce geographical inequalities across the UK. It also discusses the Government’s plans to bring forward legislation on social housing, the rental market and leaseholds.
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Current Affairs Digest: Home Affairs (April 2022)
In recent years, policing has been subject to a series of controversies and new pressures. These have led to widespread debate about the state of policing and calls for reform. This article looks at how policing could be changed to address current issues and tackle modern challenges.
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Ukrainian refugees
Over 4 million refugees have left Ukraine since 24 February 2022, when Russia launched its current invasion of the country. At least a further 6.5 million people are displaced within Ukraine. The UK Government has launched family and sponsorship schemes to allow Ukrainians to seek refuge in the UK. However, critics have alleged that the processes involved are slow and causing frustration for both Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors.
Crime
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Justice
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 10 May 2022. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This article provides a summary of legislative and policy proposals for justice, including a draft victims bill and parole system reform.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Home affairs
The Queen’s Speech is due to take place on 10 May 2022. The Government will use the speech to outline its plans for the new parliamentary session. This article considers what home affairs related announcements the Government might make, including plans for new legislation relating to counter-state threats and economic crime, and amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
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Current Affairs Digest: Home Affairs (April 2022)
In recent years, policing has been subject to a series of controversies and new pressures. These have led to widespread debate about the state of policing and calls for reform. This article looks at how policing could be changed to address current issues and tackle modern challenges.
Culture, media and sport
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Political opinion polls: Should there be greater oversight?
The House of Lords Liaison Committee has updated the findings of an earlier ad hoc Lords committee on the issues arising for UK politics from political opinion polling. The Liaison Committee welcomed recent advances in polling techniques and information prepared by the polling industry on how to interpret polls. However, it concluded that the case for greater oversight of polling remained a matter for debate.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Digital, culture, media and sport
This article considers some of the legislation that may be announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May 2022 relating to digital, culture, media and sport. For example, this could include legislative reforms to broadcasting and digital regulation. The article also sets out information on the bills being carried over to the new session.
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How should gambling regulation change to reduce gambling harm?
A House of Lords committee on the gambling industry has called for a series of regulatory reforms to reduce the harm caused by ‘problem gambling’. Since the committee’s report, the Government has launched a wide-ranging review of gambling oversight and is due to publish its conclusions shortly. In the meantime, aspects of gambling regulation continue to evolve.
Family and civil law
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Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill
On 1 April 2022, the House of Lords is due to debate the second reading of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill. The private member’s bill would raise the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales to 18. It would also expand the scope of legislation dealing with forced marriage to include any conduct to facilitate the marriage of someone under the age of 18.
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Constitution Committee report: Covid-19 and the courts
In March 2021, the House of Lords Constitution Committee published the ‘Covid-19 and the Courts’ report. This made several recommendations to the Government, including for continued investment in remote hearing technology. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the report on 23 March 2022.
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Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill
The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill is a government bill that is being fast-tracked through Parliament. It completed its second reading and remaining stages in the House of Commons on 7 March 2022. The bill would make provision in three areas: part 1 would introduce a register of the beneficial owners of overseas entities that owned land in the UK; part 2 would make changes to strengthen unexplained wealth orders; and part 3 would make changes to sanctions legislation to help deter and prevent breaches of financial sanctions.
Immigration
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Home affairs
The Queen’s Speech is due to take place on 10 May 2022. The Government will use the speech to outline its plans for the new parliamentary session. This article considers what home affairs related announcements the Government might make, including plans for new legislation relating to counter-state threats and economic crime, and amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
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The use of Napier Barracks to house asylum seekers: regret motion
Napier Barracks in Kent has been used since 2020 as contingency or temporary accommodation for those seeking asylum. In September 2021, an order was laid before Parliament extending the use of the site for such purposes for another five years. This move came despite significant criticism of facilities at the site, including a judgment from the High Court declaring them inadequate and the Home Office guilty of employing unlawful practices.
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Ukrainian refugees
Over 4 million refugees have left Ukraine since 24 February 2022, when Russia launched its current invasion of the country. At least a further 6.5 million people are displaced within Ukraine. The UK Government has launched family and sponsorship schemes to allow Ukrainians to seek refuge in the UK. However, critics have alleged that the processes involved are slow and causing frustration for both Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors.
Justice
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Brexit—Retained EU law and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland
The Government is planning to make significant changes to the legal status of retained EU law and the post-Brexit regulatory landscape. This would be through a ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ and standalone legislation in areas such as procurement and data protection. There is also speculation the Government may introduce a bill to override parts of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Justice
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 10 May 2022. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This article provides a summary of legislative and policy proposals for justice, including a draft victims bill and parole system reform.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Constitution
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 10 May 2022. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This briefing provides a summary of legislative proposals concerning the constitution and other announcements that may be included in the speech.
Security
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Impact of the conflict in Ukraine: UK defence and the integrated review
Since the beginning of the 2022 Russian attack on Ukraine, there have been calls for the government to reconsider the policies outlined in its 2021 integrated review of security, defence, development and foreign policy. On 9 June 2022, the House of Lords will debate the impact of the conflict in Ukraine, including its effect on the UK’s defence and foreign policy. This briefing looks at what the implications of the conflict might be on the UK’s strategic priorities as set out in the integrated review.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Justice
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 10 May 2022. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This article provides a summary of legislative and policy proposals for justice, including a draft victims bill and parole system reform.
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Queen’s Speech 2022: Home affairs
The Queen’s Speech is due to take place on 10 May 2022. The Government will use the speech to outline its plans for the new parliamentary session. This article considers what home affairs related announcements the Government might make, including plans for new legislation relating to counter-state threats and economic crime, and amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
