Research Briefing
The UK and EU agreed a revised Political Declaration on the framework for the future UK-EU relationship on 17 October. This Briefing provides an outline of the contents of the Declaration and the key changes in the revised text
Research Briefing
Boris Johnson's Government negotiated a new 'deal' with the European Union, formed of a Political Declaration and a Withdrawal Agreement. This paper focuses on the Withdrawal Agreement and how it compares to the one negotiated by Theresa May's Government.
Insight
UK farmers receive around €4 billion per year under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). What arrangements are in place to cover these payments in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit?
Research Briefing
The No-deal Brexit: A guide to Commons Library research is an annotated bibliography of sources published by the House of Commons Library on a potential no-deal Brexit. It will be updated regularly. Links to the papers included in the resource are available on this page, the downloadable version includes additional comment on some of the selected papers.
Debate Pack
MPs will debate e-petition 266638 relating to deforestation in the Amazon on 7 October in Westminster Hall. This House of Commons Library debate pack provides some background information and press and parliamentary coverage of the issue.
Research Briefing
This briefing has now been superseded by the constituency casework article, Household waste collection in England and Wales: FAQs.
Research Briefing
There is ongoing debate about trophy hunting, its contribution to wildlife conservation and links to wildlife trafficking. Those opposed to trophy hunting are calling for a ban on imports of hunting trophies into the UK.
Debate Pack
A debate on the UN climate summit 2020: UK priorities and preparations was scheduled to be held in Westminster Hall on 10 September 2019 at 2:30pm, led by Caroline Lucas MP. Following prorogation of Parliament on 9 September, this debate will no longer go ahead.
Research Briefing
Live animals are exported to EU countries from the UK for breeding, fattening, and slaughter. EU rules to protect the welfare of live animals during transport and related operations were agreed in 2004, and implemented in the UK in 2007. However, there are a number of ongoing campaigns calling for a ban on live exports for slaughter, on welfare grounds. Brexit has prompted renewed calls for such a ban. There are also concerns amongst farmers about the impact of Brexit on their ability to export live animals, including between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Research Briefing
UK farmers receive around €4 billion per year under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Under any Brexit scenario, the UK will leave the CAP when it leaves the EU. A new policy framework and legislative basis will be needed. Work is in progress to develop this: the four UK nations are developing their own plans for farm support and an Agriculture Bill is currently awaiting further consideration in the Commons. But what happens to farm payments in the event of a no deal Brexit? This briefing sets out the Government's plans to continue to pay farmers after exit day and the legal measures to enable this to happen.
Research Briefing
The UK is party to hundreds of international treaties with third states or organisations, many of them on trade, by virtue of its EU membership. To continue to benefit from the advantages of these agreements, the Government has been seeking to replace them in a UK bilateral context. The Government has prioritised trade agreements, but has also agreed replacement agreements covering aviation services and safety, and road transport, for example. But Parliament is not happy about the way the Government is carrying out this 'treaty continuity programme' and Committees in both Houses have called for a greater scrutiny role for Parliament in treaty-making processes. This paper looks at what has been going on and what Parliamentary Committees in both Houses have asked for. It includes a table showing where we are with scrutiny of these treaties and what sort of scrutiny they have undergone, both in their precursor form as EU treaties and currently as replacement treaties.
Research Briefing
A House of Commons Library Briefing Paper on the UK Carbon Budgets, including information on the Climate Change Act 2008, the Committee on Climate Change's proposals for the fifth carbon budget, the Government's Clean Growth Strategy and progress against carbon budgets. Information on the Paris Agreement and possible impact of Brexit is also included.
Research Briefing
There has been a long running campaign to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. The Wild Animals in Circuses (No2) Bill will introduce a ban in England. A ban already exists in Scotland and there are proposals for a ban in Wales.
Research Briefing
This briefing looks in detail at the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the EU and UK and finalised on 14 November 2018. It was endorsed by EU Member State leaders at a special European Council summit on 25 November and the UK Prime Minister promoted it in the UK Parliament and around the country. The Agreement was debated at length in Parliament on several occasions and has been voted on three times. But the House of Commons has not endorsed it. A second extension of Article 50 took exit day to 31 October 2019, but once again the UK is faced with the possibility of leaving the EU without an agreement if this agreement or another one is not ratified by the UK and the EU.
Research Briefing
The Government is reviewing the recognition of animal sentience and the need for UK legislation after Brexit. It has also announced it will legislate to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences.
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