In Focus
On 2 December 2021, the House of Lords is scheduled to hold a short debate on a motion tabled by Lord Sharkey (Liberal Democrat). He will ask the Government what steps it is taking to protect vulnerable people from financial fraud. This article provides information about the various types of fraud committed and the scale of the problem; which groups are more vulnerable to fraud; and what is being done to tackle the crime.
In Focus
NHS Resolution manages a number of clinical negligence schemes for the NHS in England. Concern has been expressed about the high cost of dealing with negligence claims. For example, the Government has said that payment costs were the equivalent of 1.5% of the NHS budget and these costs were forecast to continue rising. The Department of Health and Social Care is looking at the issue and the Government has said it will publish a consultation on its next steps in 2021.
In Focus
This private member’s bill would seek to place a requirement on tobacco manufacturers to print health warnings on individual cigarette sticks and cigarette rolling papers. It is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 3 December 2021.
In Focus
In November 2021, the National Infrastructure Commission published the baseline report from its forthcoming second National Infrastructure Assessment. The baseline report evaluates the current state of the UK’s economic infrastructure and identifies key challenges for the coming decades, informing recommendations in the full assessment in 2023. The baseline report found that there has been significant progress in some areas such as gigabit broadband since the last Assessment in 2018. However, it added much more was required, particularly in areas such as electricity emissions and water pollution.
In Focus
Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the country is on the brink of a humanitarian and economic crisis. United Nations agencies report that significant proportions of the population are at risk from malnutrition, particularly young children, and as much as 97% of the population could fall below the poverty line. At the same time, many Afghans continue to seek to leave Afghanistan and the UK is engaged in efforts to resettle those who qualify to come to the country via several schemes. However, the key Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is yet to commence operations.
In Focus
British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Iran since 2016. The UK Government has called her detention arbitrary and has lobbied the Iranian Government for her release. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and her MP, Tulip Siddiq, have called on the Government to do more to secure her freedom.
In Focus
This private member's bill seeks to amend the House of Lords Act 1999 to remove the system of by-elections currently used to fill vacancies caused by the death, resignation or expulsion of individuals who are Members of the House of Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage.
In Focus
‘Hate crime’ is used to describe a range of criminal behaviour that a victim or other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person’s disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity. These aspects of a person’s identity are referred to as ‘protected characteristics’. There have been recent calls to extend the protected characteristics to cover sex and gender. This would see misogyny become a hate crime.
In Focus
Discussions regarding freedom of speech in universities have become increasingly prominent in recent years. A Government bill which seeks to “strengthen freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education” is currently in the House of Commons. Critics of the bill have suggested that there is little evidence to suggest freedom of speech in universities is under threat; an opposition amendment seeking to prevent the bill’s passage was defeated at second reading.
In Focus
3 December 2021 is the International Day of People with Disabilities. Edward Scott explores the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people with disabilities in the UK, including issues concerning access to services and the economic impact of the pandemic. This article also summarises the Government’s recent proposals for reform to benefits and employment support for people with disabilities.
In Focus
The number of undocumented migrants arriving in the UK by boat has been increasing since 2018. The Government has described such journeys as unsafe and unacceptable. The Nationality and Borders Bill includes measures aimed at deterring crossings. Critics such as the Refugee Council have alleged the bill will ‘unjustly’ subject refugees arriving without leave to differential treatment compared with those who arrive by other means.
In Focus
Concerns have been raised about modern slavery and forced labour in the supply chains of UK businesses. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 places duties on companies to report on the steps they are taking to eradicate slavery from their business. This article analyses the impact of the reporting requirements and the progress the Government has made in meeting its commitments to strengthen the act’s provisions.
In Focus
Haiti is recovering from a series of crises, notably the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, on 7 July 2021, and an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 in south-western Haiti on 14 August 2021. The earthquake killed more than 2,240 people and injured some 12,700 others. This article examines some of the challenges faced by Haiti in the wake of these two crises.
In Focus
Over 165,000 people in the UK have died due to coronavirus or in cases where it was a contributing factor. Many of these people will have left behind partners. This In Focus looks at the support available to coronavirus widows and widowers in advance of a proposed future debate in the House of Lords.
In Focus
Since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, the Government has made 83 appointments to the House of Lords. The Government has argued these appointments have been necessary to refresh the House. However, concerns have been expressed about the number of new appointments and the increase in the number of Conservative members. On 18 November 2021, the House of Lords will debate whether the process by which appointments are made should be reviewed.
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