-
-
Research Briefing
London Underground PPP: background
This note looks at contemporary assessments of the investment needed to upgrade the London Underground, some of the proposals consequently put forward to bring this about and the Labour Government’s final decision to fund future development with a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
-
Research Briefing
Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill [Bill 17 of 2009-10]
The Bill seeks to limit the amount that can be recovered by any commercial creditor of those countries designated as having unsustainable external debts. The legislation would restrict the activities of so-called 'vulture funds', which buy developing countries' sovereign debt at discounted prices, then seek to recover its value in full through the courts. It would limit successful claims to an internationally agreed level and apply equally to all commercial creditors. It would cover the 40 countries in the IMF/World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Debts incurred after the Bill's entry into force would be excluded.
-
Research Briefing
Shipping: EU policy
This note sets out European policy on shipping since the 1980s and the UK Government's views on it.
-
Research Briefing
Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill [Bill 21 of 2009-10]
The Bill seeks to amend the 2007 Act by setting a deadline for the Secretary of State to initiate the next round of proposals for enhancing the sustainability of local communities from local authorities under the Act. It provides for regulations to be made specifying the rules for this process. These are also to cover parish council involvement and the role of local petitioning. There is also provision for greater flexibility in decision-making on proposals.
-
Research Briefing
Shipping: UK policy
This note gives a brief history of the british merchant fleet and outlines the policies of the Labour Government, including training and employment for seafarers.
-
Research Briefing
Mortgage Repossessions (Protection of Tenants Etc.) Bill: Committee Stage Report
This paper summarises the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Bill. In July 2009 the Government announced that it would legislate to ensure that tenants are given adequate notice to vacate their property if their landlord defaults on their mortgage. Over the summer of 2009, the Government consulted on legislative options to achieve this. On 3 December 2009, Dr Brian Iddon announced that he would introduce a Private Members' Bill to protect private tenants whose landlords default on their mortgage. The Bill has Government support.
-
Research Briefing
Shipping: tonnage tax
This note explains what the tonnage tax is and how it works.
-
Research Briefing
Unemployment by constituency, January 2010
This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in January 2010, together with comparisons with the levels in January 2009 and January 1997. Residence-based unemployment rates are given for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom. It includes unemployment rates by constituency maps and an annual percentage change map, as well as a summary of the latest labour market data.
-
Research Briefing
Equality Bill 2008-09: sexual orientation and religious employment
Changes proposed in the Equality Bill regarding the circumstamces under which religious organisations are allowed to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation in employment.
-
Research Briefing
Economic indicators, February 2010
This Research Paper series summarises the main economic indicators currently available for the UK, along with comparisons with other major countries. [Article: 'Average Earnings and Pay Prospects in 2010']
-
-
Research Briefing
Co-operative & Community Benefit Societies and Credit Unions Bill [HL] Bill No. 50
The Bill requires new industrial and provident societies (other than credit unions) to be registered as co-operative or community benefit societies, re-names the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, and applies the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 to industrial and provident societies. The Bill also gives the Treasury powers to apply company law on the investigation of companies, company names and dissolution and restoration to the register, to industrial and provident societies, and to make provisions for credit unions corresponding to any provisions applying to building societies.
-
Research Briefing
Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill [Bill 19 of 2009-10]
The Bill seeks to create a duty on sunbed businesses to prevent use of sunbeds by under-18s, to provide for local authority enforcement of this duty, and to give Ministers powers to make regulations imposing further conditions on commercial sunbed use.
-
Research Briefing
Mortgage Repossessions (Protection of Tenants Etc.) Bill Bill 15 of 2009/10
The main purpose of the Bill is to offer protection to tenants of rental properties whose landlord has both defaulted on his mortgage and not notified his lender that the property was being let (an 'unauthorised tenancy'). The Bill gives courts power to postpone the delivery of a possession order, and to stay or suspend the execution of an existing possession order. It also ensures the tenant is given notice of a possession order before its execution.
Total results (page 185 of 221)