• Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, December 2009

    This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in December 2009, together with comparisons with the levels in December 2008 and December 1997. The paper also presents residence-based unemployment rates for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom. It includes maps of unemployment rates by constituency and an annual percentage change map.

  • Research Briefing

    Financial Services Bill : Committee Stage Report

    This is a report on the Committee Stage of the Bill. The Bill creates a Council for Financial Stability to co-ordinate the responsibilities and action of the Bank of England, Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Treasury with respect to financial stability. It also provides for collective consumer legal action to be taken in cases of multiple claimants against financial companies. The key debate at Committee Stage was on the structure of the regulatory system and the establishment of the Council for Financial Stability. One Government amendment was made to the Bill, which emphasised that the Bill had no retrospective impact upon executive remuneration contracts.

  • Research Briefing

    Competition and the banking crisis

    This note sets out to: provide information on state aid rules and assistance to the financial sector; explain some of the competition concerns relating to the banking crisis; and set out briefly the powers of the competition authorities to address such concerns.

  • Research Briefing

    Dismissals for long term sickness absence

    Members are often approached by constituents who have been dismissed from their jobs because they have been off sick for a long time. The legality of such dismissals would be judged on the individual merits of each case, but this note provides an indication of the factors which might be taken in to account.

  • Research Briefing

    Fiscal Responsibility Bill (Bill 13 of 2009-10)

    The Bill imposes a number of obligations on the Treasury to reduce government borrowing and debt. It allows the Treasury to impose further duties by order and requires that such an order be made for the period after 2015/16. The Bill requires the Treasury to report on progress towards, and compliance with, these obligations in future Budgets and Pre-Budget Reports.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, November 2009

    This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in November 2009, together with comparisons with the levels in November 2008 and November 1997. Residence-based unemployment rates are given for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom. A summary of the latest labour market data is given, along with a selection of other relevant constituency-level indicators.

  • Research Briefing

    Flood and Water Management Bill. Bill 9 2009-10.

    There has been growing pressure to introduce legislation to address the threat of flooding and water scarcity—both are predicted to increase with climate change. The Government published a draft Flood and Water Management Bill in April 2009, and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee undertook pre-legislative scrutiny of the document. The Committee welcomed a number of the proposals, but it was concerned that a lack of parliamentary time would undermine the introduction of a comprehensive Bill. The Government introduced a slimmed-down version of the Bill on 19 November 2009. Key features include measures to: require the Environment Agency to create a National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy, which a number of organisations will have to follow; require lead local flood authorities to create Local Flood Risk Management Strategies; enable the Environment Agency and local authorities more easily to carry out flood risk management works; introduce a more risk-based approach to reservoir management; change the arrangements that would apply should a water company go into administration; enable water companies more easily to control non-essential uses of water, such as the use of hosepipes; enable water companies to offer concessions to community groups for surface water drainage charges; require the use of sustainable drainage systems in certain new developments; and, introduce a mandatory build standard for sewers.

Total results (page 186 of 221)