• Research Briefing

    Elections Bill

    The Elections Bill is a government bill which completed all its stages in the House of Commons on 17 January 2022. It would make changes to election laws, including to the rules for absentee voting and overseas voters. The bill would also introduce new voter ID requirements and make changes that will affect oversight of the Electoral Commission. The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 18 January 2022. The bill is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 23 February 2022.

  • In Focus

    Democracy under threat: a case for co-ordinated action?

    An ongoing decline in the global state of democracy has been identified by a number of recent reports, with restrictions introduced to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbating the issue. In December 2021, the United States held the ‘summit for democracy’ aimed at bolstering democracy. In the same month Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, called for democratic nations to form a “network of liberty” that spans the world.

  • In Focus

    Changes to the Highway Code: regret motion

    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

    Representation of the People (Young People’s Enfranchisement) Bill [HL]

    The Representation of the People (Young People’s Enfranchisement) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Adonis (Labour). The bill would reduce the voting age to 16 for UK parliamentary elections and all local elections in England. There have been several discussions in Parliament about extending the right to vote in UK Parliamentary elections and local elections to include 16 and 17 year-olds. In Scotland and Wales, 16 and 17 year-olds can vote in local and devolved elections, but not UK Parliamentary elections.

  • Research Briefing

    Subsidy Control Bill

    The bill would establish a new domestic subsidy control regime following the UK’s departure from the EU. It sets out principles and other requirements for public authorities to comply with when giving subsidies, as well as oversight and enforcement mechanisms. The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 19 January 2022.

  • In Focus

    Forcibly displaced people

    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

    Skeleton bills and delegated powers

    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

    The Integrated Rail Plan

    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

    Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton agreement

    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

    Extraordinary funding for Transport for London

    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

    Trade and institutional frameworks after Brexit

    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.

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