• Research Briefing

    Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages

    The Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on 7 December 2016 and is due to receive its second reading on 21 December 2016. The Bill seeks to amend and extend the provisions of the National Health Service Act 2006 which relate to the control of the cost of both health service medicines and other medical supplies.

  • Research Briefing

    Digital Economy Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages

    The Digital Economy Bill is scheduled to receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2016. The Bill aims to enable access to fast digital communication services for citizens and businesses; to enable investment in digital communications infrastructure; to shape the emerging digital world to the benefit of children, consumers and businesses; and to support the digital transformation of government, enabling the delivery of better public services, world leading research and better statistics. This House of Lords Library briefing gives an overview of the provisions of the Bill. It focuses measures concerning the introduction of a broadband universal service obligation; protection for children from online pornography; public sector data sharing; the BBC and public service broadcasters. It outlines the policy background in those areas, and a summary of some of the key amendments made to the Bill during committee and report stages in the House of Commons.

  • Research Briefing

    Leaving the European Union: UK Armed Forces and Diplomatic Service

    This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared ahead of the debate on the impact of the withdrawal from the European Union on the United Kingdom’s armed forces and diplomatic service, to be held in the House of Lords on 8 December. The briefing examines current defence capabilities and cooperation between the UK and the EU. It then explores the possible future prospects for UK defence, particularly the role of the armed forces. The latter part of this briefing examines the UK’s diplomatic service, highlighting some of the issues that have arisen about the UK’s diplomatic relationship with the EU and its global role following the UK’s withdrawal. For reasons of brevity, this briefing does not examine the implications of the UK’s withdrawal on wider external relations, such as the UK’s future trade relationships with other countries in and outside the EU, or the impact on overseas development policy. Further reading on these subjects is identified in section 3.

  • Research Briefing

    International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December 2016

    The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, on 2 December 2016, marks the date of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. The Convention was approved by resolution of the General Assembly on 2 December 1949. The focus of the day is on “eradicating contemporary forms of slavery”, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the “worst” forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. This House of Lords briefing provides background information on modern slavery internationally, and outlines legislation which has been introduced in the UK to address this issue

  • Research Briefing

    Armed Forces: Legal Challenges and Derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights

    On 24 November 2016, the House of Lords will debate the case for limiting the number and nature of claims against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and UK armed services personnel arising out of future armed conflict abroad. On 4 October 2016, the Government announced that it would introduce a presumption to derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in future conflicts in order to protect the armed forces from “persistent legal claims”. This briefing will focus on the Government’s recent proposals to derogate from the ECHR. It provides an overview of the legal framework for military operations, summarises some of the key legal claims that have been made against the armed forces, and outlines the work of the Iraq Historic Investigations Team (IHAT).

  • Research Briefing

    International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) (Amendment) Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages

    This House of Lords Library briefing provides background information in advance of the second reading of the International Development (Official Assistance Target) (Amendment) Bill [HL] in the House of Lords on Friday 18 November 2016. It provides background information on the international development official assistance (ODA) target along with further details on the UK’s performance in meeting the annual ODA target since 2013. The briefing also explores the annual management of the ODA target.