• Research Briefing

    UK Government opt-in decisions in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

    The creation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is based on the Tampere (1999-04), Hague (2004-09) and Stockholm (2010-14) programmes. It derives from the pre-Lisbon Title IV TEC (Visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons) and Title VI TEU (Provisions on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters) and is now Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the “Area of freedom, security and justice” (AFSJ). The AFSJ therefore comprises policies relating to border controls, asylum and immigration; judicial cooperation in civil matters; judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation.

  • Research Briefing

    Nominations to Select Committees

    This note outlines the background to various proposals that have been made for changes to the way in which the members of select committees are nominated. It includes details of the proposals made by the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, which was established in July 2009 to advise on reforms to, inter alia, make select committee processes more democratic; and details of the recommendations adopted by the House. It also includes details of the initial operation of the new system of elected select committee chairs, and nominations, from June 2010 onwards.

  • Research Briefing

    The Separation of Powers

    This Standard Note considers the extent to which 1) the executive and legislature; 2) the executive and judiciary; and 3) the judiciary and legislature now overlap and interact.

  • Research Briefing

    Sovereign Grant Bill

    The Sovereign Grant Bill concerns the way in which the monarchy is funded. It seeks to replace the Civil List and other grants that support the Queen’s official duties with a new Sovereign Grant, based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate. The new grant is designed to deliver at first a broadly similar level of finance in cash terms to what is available at present. There are mechanisms for adjusting the level in future, and for using any significant surplus as a means to reduce the grant. The Sovereign Grant is intended to be a typical government grant that will lead to the royal finances being audited by the National Audit Office, and subjected to full parliamentary scrutiny.

  • Research Briefing

    Thresholds in Referendums

    Referendums have become an established mechanism for validating constitutional initiatives in the UK. The possibility of using an appropriate minimum turnout, or a special majority to ensure that the outcome of such a poll is seen as legitimate is sometimes raised. This note looks at the debate in the UK so far and briefly looks at the use of referendum thresholds in states outside the UK.

  • Research Briefing

    Reform of the House of Lords: the Coalition Agreement and further developments

    This note outlines the proposals for House of Lords reform contained in the Coalition Agreement, including those for the preparation of a draft Bill to create a fully or mainly elected House. Initial announcements stated that the draft Bill would be published in December 2010 but more recent statements have indicated that it will not be published until the New Year.

  • Research Briefing

    Parliamentary privilege and qualified privilege

    This Note examines the concept of privilege as it applies to Members, staff, and publications of the House, press reports of Parliament, and members of public authorities. It compares qualified privilege with the absolute nature of parliamentary privilege, by examining a number of areas where privilege may be applicable. Apart from quoting the statutory authorities, it does not seek to deal with the wider question of media publications on matters of public interest, which may involve a different kind of qualified privilege

  • Research Briefing

    Income tax and Members’ expenses

    This note sets out the background to and extent of the provisions that applied to Members’ allowances administered by the House. It gives details of the changes proposed in the Budget, and enacted in the Finance (No 2) Act 2010.

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