Research Briefing
New Psychoactive Substances
This briefing paper has been withdrawn. It has been replaced by the Library briefing on the Psychoactive Substance Bill 2015.
-
-
-
Research Briefing
Key Issues for the 2015 Parliament
This book examines the key issues facing the House of Commons over the course of the 2015 Parliament - from the public finances to the UK’s membership of the EU and from school places for children to climate change.
-
Research Briefing
Regulating the web: The open internet and net neutrality
Net neutrality is the concept that all information and services should have equal and open access online without regard to content, destination or source. Both net neutrality—and the associated concept of the ‘open internet’—are considered to be founding principles of the World Wide Web. Concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are looking to circumvent net neutrality principles—deciding how fast data will be transmitted and at what quality—have led to campaigns to explicitly legislate for net neutrality. Without net neutrality campaigners fear a two-tiered service with fast and slow lanes could develop. In the past few years, the EU and other countries have attempted to explicitly legislate to ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in a net neutral fashion.
-
Research Briefing
Religious Slaughter of Animals
Religious slaughter of animals for food without pre-stunning is currently permitted in the UK for Muslim (Halal) and Jewish (Shechita) methods in line with permitted exemptions to EU slaughter regulations which require pre-stunning. In practice, around 80% of halal meat in the UK is from animals that have been pre-stunned. The UK Government has said that it would prefer all animals to be pre-stunned before slaughter on welfare grounds but it observes the rights of religious communities. However, animal welfare groups, including the British Veterinary Association and RSPCA are calling for an end to non-stun slaughter. All parties in the debate would like to see labelling of meat which provides more consumer information on the slaughter methods used.
-
Research Briefing
Mitochondrial Donation
This note seeks to provide a summary of the role of mitochondria, mitochondrial disease and the proposed new techniques. It will also outline the investigations into these techniques that took place prior to the Government announcement; a HFEA scientific review of the safety and efficacy of methods, an ethical review of the techniques for mitochondrial replacement undertaken by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and an HFEA public consultation. The main safety and ethical considerations associated with the introduction of these techniques into clinical practice will be discussed.
-
Research Briefing
Infrastructure Bill: Energy and Climate Change measures
The Infrastrucutre Bill 2014-15 provides a number of new powers and regualtions that relate to energy and climate change. The note provides information on some of these for the Commons Report stage debate.
-
Research Briefing
Infrastructure Bill: Invasive species
The Infrasctructure Bill 2014-15 contains new measures to control invasive non-native species. This paper provides an overview of debate on these parts of the Bill for the Commons' Report Stage.
-
Research Briefing
Control of Horses Bill 2014-15
There are proposals to update fly-grazing legislation. This note covers the private Members' bill put forward by Julian Sturdy MP.
-
Research Briefing
UK Fishing Quota Agreements for 2015
This House of Commons Library Standrad Note summarises the negotiations and decisions taken over UK fishing quota agreements for 2015 made under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy.
-
Research Briefing
Septic tanks: new regulations
This note explains the legislation relating to septic tanks in England.
-
-
Research Briefing
Infrastructure Bill [HL]
This is a ‘portmanteau’ bill, covering a number of separate but related areas.
-
Research Briefing
The Forestry Commission and the sale of public forests in England
This note sets out information on the sale of public forests managed by the Forestry Commission
-
Research Briefing
Lima Climate Change Conference
The UNFCC conference on climate change will take place in Lima in December 2014. The aim is to agree a gloabl limit on emissions to be agreed in Paris in 2015 and implemented in 2020
Total results (page 66 of 86)