In Focus
The government is introducing a fast-track bill to extend the deadline for forming a new Northern Ireland executive until 8 February 2024. The bill is expected to complete all its parliamentary stages on 24 January 2024.
In Focus
There has been a decline in the number of bank branches in operation in the UK over the last three decades. This has reportedly impacted many people, including those with disabilities, older people and those living in rural areas. In recent years, the government has sought to mitigate the impact of branch closures by introducing legislation containing provisions to protect access to cash services and publishing a policy statement outlining its minimum expectations to banks regarding services being removed or changed.
In Focus
The government has described the NHS as one of the safest places in the world to give birth. However, multiple reports and independent investigations have highlighted ongoing problems in maternity care in England. This article summarises recent findings on the performance of NHS maternity services in England, as well as recent government and NHS policies aimed at improving the quality of maternity care.
In Focus
The government is part way through the implementation of the environmental land management scheme in England. This replaces the system of financial support established during the UK’s membership of the EU common agricultural policy. This briefing considers how this scheme has been implemented, including recently announced changes. It also considers how support for biodiversity and the control of certain invasive species is provided through the environmental land management scheme.
In Focus
The war in Ukraine continues against a backdrop of escalating Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure and population centres. Fighting remains intense on the front lines, though neither side has been able to achieve a strategically significant breakthrough. There are fears that Russia may be willing to sustain a long and protracted conflict, not least in the hope that international support for Ukraine will decline. The UK has remained one of Ukraine’s most prominent backers and has recently pledged further military aid.
In Focus
The UK government signed a treaty with Rwanda in December 2023 in response to a Supreme Court judgment that its proposed Rwanda asylum policy was unlawful. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has recommended that the government does not ratify the treaty until Parliament is satisfied that the protections it provides have been fully implemented, in the context of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill asking Parliament to make a judgement that Rwanda is safe.
In Focus
The UK grants successful asylum applicants refugee status, enabling them to stay in the UK, access the labour market and claim benefits. Some refugees also arrive in the UK through settlement schemes. However, not all of those who are offered protection in the UK are refugees. Concerns have been raised recently about difficulties faced by refugees in moving on from asylum accommodation once they receive their grant of refugee status.
In Focus
At the 2015 UN climate change conference, the international community agreed to make efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels. Since then, global temperatures have continued to rise, with record-breaking temperatures in 2023. The UK’s Met Office has projected that 2024 could be even warmer, with the 1.5-degree threshold temporarily exceeded. This briefing summarises the background to the 1.5-degree threshold, and what actions the UK government is taking to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
In Focus
Operation Conifer was the codename used for an investigation led by Wiltshire Police into historic accusations of sexual offences by former prime minister Sir Edward Heath. The investigation closed in 2017, leaving the accusations unproven and unresolved. A number of people, including members of the House of Lords, have criticised the investigation and those involved in running it. There have also been repeated calls for an independent inquiry to review the unresolved allegations.
In Focus
Members of the House of Lords will ask Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton a series of oral questions on 16 January 2024. These include what steps the UK government is taking to address the Rohingya refugee crisis; what progress has been made towards securing a ceasefire in Gaza; how the government is promoting implementation of the UN sustainable development goals; and how the UK is championing a rules-based international order.
In Focus
Growing numbers of people in the UK suffer from dementia. Because dementia costs are often associated with social care needs, as opposed to medical treatment, those with dementia are often required to fund the cost of their own care. This has led to calls for more parity between health and social care where dementia is concerned. The government has committed to significant reform of the funding thresholds for social care in England, but these are now not expected until 2025.
In Focus
This briefing considers the impact of factors such as globalisation and climate change on the prevalence of various infectious diseases in the UK affecting humans, animals and plants. The briefing also summarises the government’s ‘Biological security strategy’ (June 2023), which provides the overarching framework for mitigating biological risks among other area-focused strategies. The government has also said that import controls are an important element of the UK’s biosecurity regime.
In Focus
Intergovernmental relations (IGR) within the UK refers to engagement between the UK government and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2022, following a review, a new three-tier IGR structure was introduced. However, its full implementation has been impacted by the absence of a Northern Ireland executive since February 2022. The Scottish and Welsh governments have welcomed improvements brought about by the new structure but have also criticised the UK government’s attitude towards engagement with the devolved administrations at times.
In Focus
The House of Lords contains 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops known as the ‘lords spiritual’. Their automatic right to sit and vote in the House has been established by ancient usage and by statute. Criticism of the lords spiritual’s automatic representation in the House has led to calls for their removal. This briefing considers their role and participation in the House, as well as recent calls for reform.
In Focus
The NHS national immunisation programme in England offers vaccinations against a range of illnesses. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends additions to the programme. The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has noted that the pace of adopting new vaccines can be affected by several factors, including product availability. The government’s new vaccination strategy seeks to address some of these concerns, as well as focusing on increasing vaccine uptake.
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