In Focus
National Infrastructure Commission: Updated renewables target
A government advisory body has updated its recommendations on how much of the UK’s electricity should be generated from renewables. What sparked the change?
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In Focus
Free school meals in the holidays: A permanent change?
Children whose parents or guardians get certain benefits, and all children up to year 2, are entitled to a free school meal during term time. During the Covid-19 pandemic the Government introduced supermarket vouchers to cover the cost of a meal while the schools were closed. This scheme was extended into the Easter, May half term and summer school holidays. On 14 September 2020, Baroness D’Souza is due to ask the Government what assessment they have made of extending a programme of free meals and activities into all future school holidays.
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In Focus
Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013 (Remedial) Order 2019
The Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013 (Remedial) Order 2019 makes changes to the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013. These changes are the result of decisions made in the courts on the act’s compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. This article looks at the court cases which led to the remedial order, ahead of its debate in the House of Lords on 3 September 2020.
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In Focus
Tackling childhood obesity: What is the strategy?
Concerns about levels of obesity led the Government to publish a new obesity strategy recently. How to tackle childhood obesity is the subject of a forthcoming oral question in the House of Lords.
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In Focus
Funding science research in universities
Scientific research in universities is funded through a mix of public money, EU funding and other sources. This article considers the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on the pressures on science research funding in universities, including proposals in the Augar Review to lower the existing cap on tuition fees and the potential impact of Brexit. The committee’s report is due to debated in the House of Lords on 9 September 2020.
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In Focus
Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties: Debate on committee reports
This article summarises the conclusions of three House of Lords committee reports on the powers of Parliament to scrutinise treaties. In the context of Brexit, there have been calls for Parliament’s powers of scrutiny of treaties and trade agreements to be strengthened. The committee reports are due to be debated in the House of Lords on 7 September 2020.
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In Focus
Covid-19 regulations: Face coverings in shops
On 23 July 2020 the Government laid regulations requiring people to wear face coverings in shops and some other indoor venues. The House of Lords is due to debate these regulations in September 2020. This article provides an overview of the regulations and the background to their introduction.
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In Focus
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) Regulations 2020
In July 2020, Leicester became subject to the UK’s first local lockdown due to an increase in cases of Covid-19. This article discusses the regulations that provide for this localised lockdown.
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In Focus
Retirement from the House of Lords
There is no formal retirement age for members of the House of Lords. However, members can voluntarily retire under the provisions of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. This article explains how these provisions came into force and details how many members have retired under this legislation so far.
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In Focus
Coronavirus lockdown: Costs and benefits
The coronavirus lockdown was introduced to reduce the spread of the disease. However, it also gave rise to substantial costs, both to the economy and in areas such as health, education, domestic violence and inequality. This article considers one analysis of these costs and how they compare to the benefits of the lockdown. This is the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 28 July 2020.
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In Focus
The jury’s out: Covid-19 impact on jury trials
Jury trials in England and Wales were suspended temporarily on 23 March 2020. This was due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This article discusses the impact that this suspension has had on the justice system, in addition to the Government’s plans for recovery.
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In Focus
UK Census 2021, Covid-19 and possible implications
The next UK-wide census was due to take place in March 2021. However, the Scottish Government has recently announced that the census in Scotland will be delayed until 2022. This article, marking the centenary of the Census Act 1920, considers the implications of the Scottish announcement and also other policy developments relating to the forthcoming census.
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In Focus
Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam: Three wartime conferences that shaped Europe and the world
This year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of two of the three allied tripartite heads of government conferences held during the second world war. What happened at these summits, and how was the UK Parliament kept updated on these key milestones 75 years ago?
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In Focus
Terezin Declaration: The restitution of property
The Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues is a legally non-binding document outlining several measures towards property restitution belonging to the victims of Nazi persecution. This article provides a background to the Declaration and discusses recent UK legislation on property restitution. The Declaration and the restitution of property is due to be the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 20 July 2020.
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In Focus
Covid-19: Reopening church buildings and the financial impact of closure
The outbreak of Covid-19 in the UK saw the closure of places of worship, including churches, as part of measures to limit transmission of the virus. Churches were gradually reopened in June and July 2020. This article considers the ways in which churches and congregations were affected by this closure and the gradual reopening. It also summarises the discussion between the Government and religious bodies during this process.
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