Research Briefing
Water Bill: Committee Stage Report
This briefing describes key areas of debate during the Water Bill’s Committee Stage. The briefing does not cover all amendments or discussions.
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Research Briefing
Germany’s 2013 election: shaping the future?
Where is Germany – the most influential country in Europe – heading, under its new grand coalition government?
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Research Briefing
Water Bill
This briefing is prepared for MPs and their staff to aid in their scrutiny of the Water Bill 2013 at its Second Reading on 25 November 2013. It provides briefing on key issues; additional briefing is available to MPs and their staff upon request.
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Research Briefing
CAP reform 2014-2020: EU Agreement and Implementation in the UK and in Ireland
A new CAP refrorm package has been agreed for 2014-2020. This paper sets out the reactions and emerging implementation decisions of the four countries of the UK, and also of Ireland.
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Research Briefing
Cold Weather Payments for winter 2013/2014
Cold Weather Payments are made from the Social Fund to certain recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Pension Credit during periods of very cold weather.
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Research Briefing
Nuclear power
On 21 October the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change announced that agreement had been reached with EDF to build the UK's first new nuclear power station since Sizewell B was commissioned in 1995.
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Research Briefing
The Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Bill: Debate in Parliament
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill (Bill 7 of 2013-14) is due to have its report stage on 14 and 15 October 2013. This note sets out the debate so far.
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Research Briefing
Nuclear energy statistics
The UK had the first civilian nuclear power station in the world and increased its nuclear output for most of the latter half of the twentieth century. The last nuclear power station to be built in the UK started operating in 1995. Since then output has fallen as some older power stations have been decommissioned. The UK now has among the lowest share of generation from nuclear of all countries with nuclear power. Some aging nuclear power stations have had their operating life extended, but the majority are due to close over the next decade. No new nuclear capacity is due to come online until around 2020. One consequence of being a pioneer of civil nuclear power is large ongoing financial liability for decommissioning old power stations and managing nuclear waste.
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Research Briefing
Warm Front Scheme
The Warm Front scheme in England was a programme designed to help vulnerable households, including those in fuel poverty, to benefit from energy efficiency improvements such as home heating and loft insulation measures. It has now been replaced by the Green Deal.
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Research Briefing
Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP)
The Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) is a three-year obligation on major energy suppliers and generators to offer free or low cost energy efficiency measures to communities in certain low income areas. It ran from 1 September 2009 to December 2012.
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Research Briefing
Simplifying Energy Tariffs
The energy regulator Ofgem has finalised its proposals for simplifying energy tariffs, while retaining competition in the GB energy supply market. The Government is also taking 'backstop' powers in the current Energy Bill on tariffs.
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Research Briefing
CAP Reform 2014-2020: Reaching Agreement
Political agreement was reached on the major elements of the reform of the Common Agriculural Policy for 2014-2020 on 26 June 2013. This note sets out the main elements of the agreement with stakeholder comment. Some issues are still being discussed at European level following overall EU budget agreements and the flexibility of the reform deal means that key implmenentation decisions are to follow in the UK.
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Research Briefing
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT)
The Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) placed a five year obligation on gas and electricity suppliers to reduce carbon emissions in the household sector through energy efficiency improvements. It ran from April 2008 - December 2012.
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Research Briefing
Thorium energy
Thorium is an element which, with the right technology, can be used as a fuel for nuclear power. It is claimed to have a range of advantages over uranium including greater abundance, lower radiotoxicity waste, safer operation and weapons proliferation resistance – although some of these are disputed.
Total results (page 64 of 80)