Devolution Archives

Research Briefing

Flags: the Union Flag and Flags of the United Kingdom

Tuesday, 01 June, 2021

Flags, national and other, have an ongoing cultural significance. The Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Flying of flags is not the subject of statute law in England, Wales or Scotland. Advice is issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on flying of flags on government buildings, apart from those which are the responsibility of a devolved administration. This was recently updated so that the Union flag will normally be flown every day. In Northern Ireland there is legislation on flag flying.
Research Briefing

Scottish Parliament Elections: 2021

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

The SNP won the most seats in the Scottish Parliament in the elections on 6 May 2021. This paper provides data on voting trends and electoral turnout for constituencies, electoral regions, and for Scotland as a whole.
Insight

DUP leadership election and appointing a First Minister

Wednesday, 12 May, 2021

Arlene Foster has announced her intention to resign as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and First Minister of Northern Ireland.
Debate Pack

Welsh Affairs – annual debate on 25 February 2021

Monday, 22 February, 2021

A general debate on Welsh Affairs is held each year in the Commons Chamber on, or around, St. David's Day. Since 2010, the Backbench Committee has allocated time for the annual debate from its 35 allotted days.
- Debate Pack
- Devolution
Research Briefing

Reading list of UK and devolved Parliament and Assembly publications on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and UK-EU future relations

Wednesday, 10 February, 2021

This is a reading list of publications on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and future UK-EU relations from library, research services and committees of the UK and devolved parliaments and assemblies.
Research Briefing

Brexit timeline: events leading to the UK’s exit from the European Union

Wednesday, 06 January, 2021

This paper provides a timeline of the major events leading up to the EU referendum and subsequent dates of note, including Brexit Day itself.
Research Briefing

UK Internal Market Bill: Lords amendments explained

Friday, 04 December, 2020

The House of Commons considered Lords amendments to the UK Internal Market Bill 2019-21 on 7 December 2020. This briefing explains the House of Lords amendments to the Bill.
Research Briefing

Social security powers in the UK

Monday, 09 November, 2020

This House of Commons Library briefing paper provides a high-level overview of recent changes to social security provision in Northern Ireland and Scotland, including the devolution of significant welfare powers, and analyses how this has affected the structure of the UK social security system as a whole.
Research Briefing

UK subsidy policy: first steps

Monday, 19 October, 2020

Having left the EU, the government is setting up for an independent UK state aid or ‘subsidy control’ regime, based on WTO rules and its international commitments. This briefing sets out the background of the new approach and the negotiations on state aid with the EU.
Insight

Coronavirus: Parliamentary scrutiny and lockdown regulations

Tuesday, 06 October, 2020

This Insight looks at how Covid-19 public health restrictions are put in place by the Government, and Parliament’s role in scrutinising those decisions.
- Insight
- Communities
- Devolution
- Diseases
- Government
- Parliament
- Covid-19
Insight

Internal Market Bill: Reactions from Scottish and Welsh Governments

Thursday, 01 October, 2020

This Insight looks at the Scottish and Welsh Governments' position after publishing ‘Legislative Consent Memorandums’ (LCM) regarding the UK Internal Market Bill.
- Insight
- Devolution
- Government
- Brexit
Insight

Update: Can the UK Government spend in areas devolved to Scotland?

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020

This Insight looks at whether anything in the Scotland Act 1998 (the 1998 Act) prevents the UK Government from spending in policy areas devolved to Scotland and the proposed new spending powers in the UK Internal Market Bill.
Research Briefing

United Kingdom Internal Market Bill 2019-21

Monday, 14 September, 2020

This briefing paper sets out the background to the UK Internal Market Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 9 September 2020.
Research Briefing

Catalan independence

Thursday, 30 July, 2020

The independence movement in the Spanish region of Catalonia provoked a dramatic constitutional crisis in Spain and changed Spain's political scene...
Insight

EU powers after Brexit: ‘Power grab’ or ‘power surge’?

Wednesday, 29 July, 2020

From 1 January 2021, hundreds of powers previously exercised by the European Union will flow back to the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.

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