Research Briefing
Standards in Public Life
This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared ahead of the following debate in the House on 9 September 2021: Lord Blunkett to move that this House takes note of standards in public life.
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In Focus
Reforming the House of Lords Appointments Commission
The House of Lords Appointments Commission vets nominations to the House and recommends non-party political members. However, it is not a statutory body and the Prime Minister can disregard its advice. Recently, its advice about the appointment of Lord Cruddas was not followed by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. On 6 September 2021, the House of Lords will debate whether the commission should be reformed and placed on a statutory basis.
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In Focus
Leadership training for ministers and senior civil servants
The Government has outlined an ambition to improve the professional skills held by both ministers and senior civil servants. This follows numerous reports and programmes aimed at improving government performance and effectiveness generally, most recently leading to the creation of a National Leadership Centre. This article provides an overview of developments relating to the training of government leaders ahead of a forthcoming debate on the subject.
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In Focus
Devolution and government relations
Two reports published in March 2021 concern UK ‘intergovernmental relations’ (IGR), the mechanisms through which the UK and devolved governments interact. First, the Dunlop Review made recommendations on how the UK Government should restructure to enhance its capabilities on matters affecting the union. Second, an update on a review of IGR being undertaken jointly by the four governments described progress in negotiations. The reports are being debated together on 1 July 2021.
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In Focus
Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill [HL]
The Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Bird (Crossbench), inspired by legislation passed in Wales in 2015. It aims to ensure UK policymaking accounts for the interests of future generations. The House of Lords has debated the subject twice in recent years. The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 25 June 2021.
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In Focus
New powers for HMRC
The Government has proposed new powers for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to address tax avoidance, enhance information gathering, and improve tax compliance. These measures were the subject of a report from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill subcommittee, which found that some of these powers were both disproportionate and poorly targeted.
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In Focus
Genocide: bringing perpetrators to justice
The global community has made commitments to combat and prevent crimes of genocide for several years. This article looks at what genocide is, international agreements to prevent genocide that the UK is signed up to, and recent parliamentary discussion during the Trade Bill.
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Current Affairs Digest
Current Affairs Digest: Constitution (May 2021)
Catch up on parliamentary and constitutional developments with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month look at the politics of the campaign trial, and mark ten years since the referendum on the alternative vote electoral system.
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In Focus
Queen’s Speech 2021: justice
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 11 May 2021. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This article provides a summary of legislative proposals for justice and other announcements that may be included in the speech.
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In Focus
Queen’s Speech 2021: digital, culture, media and sport
The Queen’s Speech is taking place on 11 May 2021. This will set out the Government’s legislative and policy programme for the new parliamentary session. This article provides a summary of the Government’s proposals for digital, culture, media and sport that may be included in the speech.
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In Focus
Queen’s Speech 2021: devolved affairs
The Government has pledged to introduce reforms to foster a “culture of collaboration and cooperation” between the UK Government and the devolved administrations. It has stated its “steadfast commitment” to the union and to shaping its “common future”. This article discusses some of the key issues in devolved affairs that may be addressed in the forthcoming parliamentary session.
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In Focus
Queen’s Speech 2021: constitution
The Government has stated its intention to introduce several measures relating to the constitution. These include a review of the constitution, repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 and legislation to improve the integrity of elections.
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Current Affairs Digest
Current Affairs Digest: Constitution (March 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.
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In Focus
Women in elected office 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.
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Research Briefing
Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages
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.
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