In 2020, the Commonwealth postponed its 26th Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has since announced that the meeting will take place in June 2021.
Catch up on parliamentary and constitutional developments with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month look at control of business and time in the House of Commons, and the future role of referendums in the UK.
Following the election in 2019, the highest number of female MPs were elected to Parliament. This In Focus looks at the current levels of women in politics in the UK, including in the devolved administrations and local government. It then outlines some potential barriers to increased female participation and details some developments that have been made in this area in the last couple of years.
Research Briefing
The bill would create a discretionary power to enable ministers and certain Opposition office holders to take six months paid maternity leave subject to certain conditions. This briefing considers: the background to the bill; what it would do; what happened during its passage through the House of Commons; and the wider reaction to the bill.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on the latest research on British political and constitutional issues with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month take a look at the EU's role in shaping devolution in the UK, and proposals for reform of the Supreme Court.
In Focus
The House of Lords is due to consider the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 on 8 February 2021. The regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2021, are a consequence of a change in policy and drafting approach to sanctions licences issued by British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. This article examines what the regulations do and why they have been made.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on articles about British politics and the constitution you may have missed from October and November 2020. This month we take a look at civil service relocation, and the importance of parliamentary research services.
In Focus
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 will be 100 years old in December 2020. The act created the institutions for home rule in Ireland, including two devolved parliaments: one in the north and one in the south. Historian and member of the House of Lords Lord Lexden argues the act was a “vital staging post on the road” to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. This article reviews the system of government created by the 1920 act.
In Focus
Public health information has been a central tool in the Government’s fight against Covid-19. However, the public’s ability to obtain, process and understand health information is variable, with 61% of adults in one observational study struggling to understand health information that included both text and numbers. This article examines some of the barriers to understanding public health information, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. It also looks at what the Government is doing to improve levels of health literacy.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on articles about British politics and the constitution you may have missed from September and October 2020. This month we take a look at the role of modern monarchies, and how UK political parties operate abroad.
In Focus
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public a right of access to information held by public authorities. This article discusses the act’s history, purpose, and how its provisions have been received over the past 20 years.
In Focus
The draft Flags (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 would make changes to regulations governing the flying of flags on government buildings in Northern Ireland. They would remove one building from the list of sites where the Union flag must be flown and add two others. They would also add the birthdays of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and of the Duchess of Cornwall, to the dates on which the Union flag must be flown.
In Focus
On 2 March 2020, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, confirmed that his department would investigate alleged breaches of the ministerial code by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel. As at 29 October 2020, the results of that investigation are unclear. The issue of when a report may be published will be the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 2 November 2020.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on articles about British politics and the constitution you may have missed. This month we take a look at Welsh independence, and whether the British state is more centralised than ever before.
In Focus
In recent months there has been a renewed focus on the future of hydrogen as a low carbon energy carrier for the UK. This had led to calls from a variety of individuals and organisations for the Government and the newly formed Hydrogen Advisory Council to publish a hydrogen strategy. This issue is due to be the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 17 September 2020.
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