In Focus
In December 2021, the Government published proposed changes to the Highway Code which it said would improve safety for vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists, pedestrians, and horse riders. On 27 January 2022, the House of Lords is due to debate a regret motion on the proposals. The motion expresses concern that the Government has failed to sufficiently educate the public about them.
In Focus
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimated that at the end of 2020 more than 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. This briefing considers the UNHCR’s findings and what action the UK Government has taken in relation to the issue of forcibly displaced people.
In Focus
Several Lords committees have expressed concern about the increasing use of skeleton bills. These set out the principles for a policy but leave the detail to be filled in later by ministers through delegated powers. Because these powers are subject to less rigorous scrutiny than bills, there have been calls for the use of skeleton bills to be restricted alongside a broader reset in the balance of power between Parliament and government.
In Focus
On 16 December 2021, the House of Lords is scheduled to hold a short debate on a motion tabled by Lord Berkeley (Labour). He will ask the Government “how the Integrated Rail Plan will deliver the (1) capacity, and (2) regional connectivity, sought for the Northern Powerhouse area”. This article provides background information on the plan, a brief overview of the plan itself and a survey of the reaction it has received.
Research Briefing
This briefing has been prepared in advance of a House of Lords debate on 16 December 2021 on Bosnia-Herzegovina and upholding the Dayton agreement. The briefing provides information on recent developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina, focusing on warning from the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina that the Serb member of Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, Milorad Dodik, was pursuing tacitly secessionist policies. It also summarises the international reaction to these developments.
In Focus
In response to a revenue shortfall attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government and the Mayor of London agreed three consecutive short-term funding packages for Transport for London worth more than £4 billion. The latest of those agreements expires on 11 December 2021. Concerns have been raised that without further funding, London’s transport infrastructure could see a “managed decline”, with the possibility of cancelled bus routes and tube lines closed.
In Focus
What institutions and arrangements will govern the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU? And what will be the implications of Brexit for UK-EU trade in services and trade in goods? This article summarises the findings of three reports from a House of Lords committee that addressed these questions, as well as the Government’s responses. The House of Lords is due to debate the reports on 6 December 2021.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on developments in economics this month. We take a look at a report by the Centre for Social Justice on how public procurement could help with levelling up, and demystify current debates around inflation and whether the Bank of England should raise interest rates.
In Focus
Since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, the Government has made 83 appointments to the House of Lords. The Government has argued these appointments have been necessary to refresh the House. However, concerns have been expressed about the number of new appointments and the increase in the number of Conservative members. On 18 November 2021, the House of Lords will debate whether the process by which appointments are made should be reviewed.
In Focus
Quantitative easing (QE) is a form of monetary policy first used in the UK during the financial crisis. In July 2021, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee published a report on the policy. It concluded that QE had succeeded in stabilising the economy in crisis conditions, but that it remains poorly understood and has led to perceptions that the Bank of England has become politicised.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on the latest developments from Government and constitutional studies with a selection of articles you may have missed. This month we take a look at metro mayors in the north of England, and representation in Parliament.
Research Briefing
The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill is a Government bill which would repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011. It also would revive the prerogative power to dissolve Parliament and call a new Parliament. Second reading of the bill in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 24 November 2021.
Research Briefing
The House of Lords is due to debate inequalities of region and place on 14 October 2021. This briefing has been prepared ahead of that debate, providing analytical measures of inequality and summarising the Government’s response as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda.
In Focus
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020 the Government announced an uplift to universal credit and working tax credits worth £20 a week. Initially planned to last for a year, the policy was extended by six months in the March 2021 budget. In July 2021, the Government confirmed that it would not be extended further. This announcement has been met with widespread criticism.
Research Briefing
This proposed law seeks to reform pensions across the public sector. It would also make other changes to the rules related to judicial offices. The pension reforms partly respond to a finding of unlawful discrimination in existing schemes and are partly aimed at improving the operation of public sector pensions. The changes relating to judicial offices are intended to improve recruitment and retention in the judiciary.
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