Research Briefing
This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Amendment) Bill and has been prepared for the Report and Third Reading of the Bill, scheduled for 8 September 2011. It supplements Research Paper 11/34, prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill in the Commons on 28 April 2011.
Research Briefing
This Bill makes a small number of technical amendments to the advertising and trading, ticket touting and traffic management provisions of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006. These amendments cover the seizure of articles which contravene advertising and trading regulations; the parliamentary procedure and notice periods required when new advertising and trading regulations are introduced; the penalty for unauthorised sales of Olympic tickets; and traffic regulation and enforcement during the Games.
Research Briefing
This briefing on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons. It specifically looks at areas covering police and arrest warrants; licensing; protests around parliament and the misuse of drugs.
Research Briefing
The Bill attempts to strengthen the social enterprise business sector and make the concept of ‘social value’ more relevant and important in the placement and provision of public services. New duties will be placed upon central and local government authorities to publish explicit strategies for supporting these values and the public procurement process will need to reflect and measure them. This Paper was completed before a final version of the Bill was published.
Research Briefing
This note describes how constituency boundaries are redrawn in a number of other countries: Canada, Australia, the USA and France. Much of the material in the note is taken from a key text on the subject, Redistributing in comparative perspective edited by Lisa Handley and Bernard Grofman.
Research Briefing
This note provides background to the use of CCTV before outlining some of the main research studies.
Research Briefing
This Briefing Paper provides a brief summary of the financial crisis, or credit crunch, of 2008 followed by a lengthy timeline of individual events.
Research Briefing
Home Office legislation since the 1997 general election. By John Woodhouse. SN/HA/3352.
Research Briefing
Report on the House of Commons second reading and Bill committee stages of the Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill (HL) 2008-09. It complements Research Paper 09/78 prepared for Commons second reading. The Bill received cross-party support in Second Reading Committee and there was no debate in Public Bill Committee.
Research Briefing
The Bill is the first to be considered under a new House of Lords procedure for Law Commission bills and would implement, with minor modifications, the recommendations of a 1998 Law Commission report on the rule against perpetuities and the rule against excessive accumulations. The rule against perpetuities sets a time limit, known as the perpetuity period, within which dealings with property which are to take effect in the future (such as a gift to a child who is not yet born) must occur. The Law Commission report considered that the application of the rule is now too wide: it applies, for example, to many commercial dealings which have nothing to do with the family settlements that the rule was designed to control. Moreover, it found that the existence of multiple methods for calculating the perpetuity period is complex and confusing. The Bill defines the circumstances in which the rule would apply. In general terms, it would only apply to rights under trusts. Other property rights would no longer be subject to the rule. Where the rule does apply, the perpetuity period would be 125 years. This period would generally apply prospectively only. The rule against excessive accumulations applies where a disposition carries a duty or a power to accumulate income. The rule places restrictions on the period of time during which income may be accumulated. The Law Commission found that there was no longer a sound policy basis for restricting settlors’ ability to direct or allow for the accumulation of income, except in the case of charitable trusts. The Bill would therefore abolish the current rule for all non-charitable trusts. Charitable trusts would, however, be subject to a limit of either a 21 year period or the life of the settlor.
Research Briefing
This Bill includes measures on police accountability and effectiveness, prostitution and certain orders relating to sex offences, regulation of lap dancing clubs, licensing conditions, police powers relating to alcohol, proceeds of crime, extradition, airport security, criminal records, importation restrictions on offensive weapons and football banning orders.
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