Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill [HL]: HL Bill 9 of 2026–27

The Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill is a private member’s bill introduced in the House of Lords. It would make it an offence for a person deployed as a covert human intelligence source (CHIS) to engage in an intimate sexual relationship with any person they have been deployed to target, who is a member of the group they have been deployed to target, or whom they encounter during their deployment.

Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill [HL]: HL Bill 9 of 2026–27

Homelessness and rough sleeping among released prisoners

In 2024/25, around 1,000 prisoners a month were released from prison homeless and went on to rough sleep in England and Wales. This briefing summarises the statistics on homelessness among those released from prison, the early prison release schemes, and the statutory duties on prisons to refer those at risk of homelessness to local authority housing services.

Homelessness and rough sleeping among released prisoners

Genocide Determination Bill [HL]: HL Bill 13 of 2026–27

The bill would enable the High Court in England and Wales, the Court of Session in Scotland and the High Court in Northern Ireland, to make preliminary determinations on whether a genocide is occurring overseas, or if there is deemed to be a serious risk of one occurring. The bill would require the government to refer the preliminary determination to international bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

Genocide Determination Bill [HL]: HL Bill 13 of 2026–27

  • In Focus

    Proposed legislation on defence readiness and national resilience

    The 2025 strategic defence review recommended the government bring forward a defence readiness bill to provide for powers to mobilise reserves and industry should crisis escalate into conflict. Amid criticism that such a measure was not included in the May 2026 King’s Speech, the government has indicated it will introduce a bill later in the current parliament. There have been calls for the bill to cover national resilience matters more broadly when it is introduced.

  • In Focus

    Rule of law: Lords Constitution Committee report

    The House of Lords Constitution Committee published its report on the rule of law in November 2025. This followed concerns of a reported decline in adherence to the rule of law globally and domestically. The committee examined different understandings of the rule of law in the UK and its operation within government, Parliament and the judiciary. The committee made several recommendations, which the government responded to in February 2026.

  • In Focus

    Freedom of expression in the arts

    The organisation Freedom in the Arts published a report in 2026 detailing its concerns about cancellations and boycotts in the arts sector. The report set out a number of findings and recommendations on the issue. This briefing summarises the report and provides government and Arts Council England statements on freedom of expression in the arts ahead of a House of Lords debate.

  • In Focus

    Cultural and economic contribution of live music in the UK

    The UK’s music industry has been described as “a cultural and economic powerhouse”. The live music sector in particular has been labelled a “significant contributor” to this success, generating £6.68bn in consumer spending and supporting over 230,000 jobs in 2024. However, stakeholders have argued the sector is facing challenges, particularly at the grassroots level. This briefing explores these issues and provides an overview of the government’s policies in this area.

  • Research Briefing

    Local Plans (Burial Space) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 8 of session 2026–27

    The Local Plans (Burial Space) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Mohammed of Tinsley (Liberal Democrat). The bill would establish a duty for local planning authorities in England to ensure adequate burial ground space is provided in their local area. It would also require them to set out plans for how they intend to address any shortfall in burial ground capacity.

  • Research Briefing

    Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill: HL Bill 32 of 2026–27

    The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill is a government bill intended to strengthen the cyber security of organisations in the UK that provide essential services, such as healthcare, drinking water and energy. It would amend the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018 to include additional sectors and update incident reporting duties. It would also confer powers on the secretary of state to amend the legislation and issue directions to organisations when necessary for national security. The bill is scheduled for its second reading in the House of Lords on 14 July 2026.

  • In Focus

    Funding for listed places of worship: Recent changes

    In January 2026, the government announced a new scheme to support urgent repairs and essential improvements to listed places of worship. Called the ‘Places of worship renewal fund for England’, it replaced the ‘Listed places of worship grant scheme’ which had run since 2001. This briefing provides an overview of both schemes, the government’s reasoning for the change and the reaction of stakeholders.

  • Research Briefing

    National Security (State Threats) Bill: HL Bill 35 of 2026–27

    The National Security (State Threats) Bill would create new powers for the home secretary to designate bodies engaged in state threat activity, equivalent to the proscription of terrorist organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000. The bill would create three new offences associated with designation of supporting, assisting, or receiving material benefit from a designated body. These offences would carry sentences of up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

  • In Focus

    Acute, primary and community healthcare

    There have been big differences in expenditure across different forms of healthcare for a number of years. In 2024/25, spending on acute care was £74.7bn, compared to £14.5bn on primary care and £13.8bn on community services. Both the 2024 Labour Party manifesto and the subsequent 10 year health plan for England contained an emphasis on shifting towards more care being delivered in local communities rather than in acute settings, dubbed a ‘neighbourhood health service’.

  • In Focus

    Threats to UK democracy: Disinformation, foreign interference and declining public trust

    Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.

  • In Focus

    Recommendations of the Jo Cox Civility Commission

    Concerns about abuse and intimidation towards elected representatives have increased in recent years. The Jo Cox Civility Commission made a number of recommendations in a 2024 report to address this because of concerns that this activity would dissuade people from standing in elections and encourage existing representatives to stand down. The government has instigated a number of policies to tackle the abuse and intimidation of elected representatives.

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