• Research Briefing

    Water Bill

    The Water Bill would introduce greater competition in the water sector by allowing non-household customers to switch their water and sewerage supplier (retail competition) and by allowing new entrants to the water market to provide new sources of water or sewerage treatment services (upstream competition).

  • Research Briefing

    Energy Bill (HL Bill 30 of 2013-14)

    The Energy Bill is intended to establish a framework for delivering secure, affordable and low-carbon energy. This Library Note provides background information for the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 18 June 2013.

  • Research Briefing

    Debate on 21st January: prospects for nuclear disarmament and strengthening non-proliferation. LLN 2010/002

    Debate on 21st January: Prospects for Nuclear Disarmament and Strengthening Non-Proliferation. This Library Note aims to provide background reading for the Debate to be held on Thursday 21st January: “To call attention to the prospects for multi-lateral nuclear disarmament and for strengthening nuclear non-proliferation” The Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference will take place in May 2010. This Note summarises the main issues addressed in the Foreign Office information paper Lifting the Nuclear Shadow: Creating the Conditions for Abolishing Nuclear Weapons and the Government’s agenda for the Review Conference, as laid out in the Cabinet Office paper The Road to 2010: Addressing the Nuclear Question in the Twenty First Century. The Note also chronicles the main developments in the international community since the publication of these papers and summarises some of the contributions to the nuclear debate from a variety of sources, including the views of the UN Secretary General and the former Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  • Research Briefing

    Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. LLN 2010/001

    Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. This Library Note aims to provide background reading for the debate to be held on Thursday 14th January: “To call attention to the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change” The UN Conference on Climate Change took place in Copenhagen from 7th–19th December 2009. This Note explains the significance of the Conference in the context of previous international agreements on climate change, sets out the major disagreements that marred the negotiating process in Copenhagen and summarises the key elements contained in the final Copenhagen Accord. It considers analysis of the Accord’s achievements and shortcomings, and summarises the reactions of key nations and interest groups.