Research Briefing
Inter-racial adoption
This note provides information on the current law and policy on inter-racial adoption.
Research Briefing
This note provides information on the current law and policy on inter-racial adoption.
Research Briefing
This note provides a brief history of adoption legislation, including on forced adoption practices, and the subsequent reform of the law to allow adopted children, birth parents and others to establish contact.
Research Briefing
The Care Bill would consolidate existing legislation for adult social care in England into a single framework, and introduce reforms to the way care and support is accessed and funded. It also includes reforms to the regulation of health services and care standards.
Research Briefing
The Payment by Results (PbR) approach to delivery of public services is not new and is not without controversy. This note looks at current and planned projects in rehabilitation, welfare to work, the NHS, children’s social services and with rough sleepers and with vulnerable young people.
Research Briefing
A number of MPs have contacted the Library concerning an e-mail that constituents have forwarded alleging abuse of the fostering system in order to benefit from the allowances available. The e-mail in question is not based in fact, and is a hoax. This short note explains the many errors in the “Breadwinner” email, and notes that an almost identical US version is also in circulation, which seems to be the source of the version discussed in this note.
Research Briefing
This note provides information on the different types of fostering arrangements available, and the arrangements for taking a child into care.
Research Briefing
On 21 June 2011 the House agreed a motion re-committing certain clauses of the Health and Social Care Bill to the Public Bill Committee that had previously considered the Bill. The Committee met between 28 June and 14 July 2011 and agreed a number of Government amendments, introduced in response to the recommendations the ‘NHS Future Forum’. Key changes are intended to clarify the Secretary of State for Health’s overall responsibility for the NHS, to ensure good governance for the new groups that will be responsible for commissioning NHS-funded services, to strengthen duties to involve the public and health professionals in decision making, and to amend duties in relation to the role of competition and integration in the health service. The Bill is due to have its Report stage and Third Reading on 6 and 7 September 2011.
Research Briefing
The Health and Social Care Bill had its Second Reading in the Commons on 31 January 2011. The Bill was considered in Public Bill Committee in 28 sittings, between 8 February and 31 March 2011. A large number of Government amendments were made, mainly minor and technical changes, although significant alterations were made to clauses 103 and 104 in Part 3 of the Bill, to prevent competition on price. No Opposition amendments were agreed. This Paper summarises the Commons Second Reading debate and Committee stages and supplements the House of Commons Library Research Paper Health and Social Care Bill (RP 11/11), which was produced for the Bill’s Second Reading.
Research Briefing
This briefing on the Health and Social Care Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons on 31 January 2011. The Bill is intended to give effect to the reforms requiring primary legislation that were proposed in the NHS White Paper Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. This White Paper set out the Government’s aims to reduce central control of the NHS, to engage doctors in the commissioning of health services, and to give patients greater choice.
Research Briefing
This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill. The Bill contained a clause on the charitable status of academies, but the Government decided it could achieve its objectives by non-legislative means, and at the end of the Committee Stage the clause was removed. No other changes were made to the Bill in Committee. There were many amendments proposed by the opposition parties but none was successful.
Research Briefing
This Bill provides ‘guarantees’ for pupils and parents in the school system, underpinned by new Home School Agreements, and makes provision for parental satisfaction surveys. It also makes changes to the powers of governing bodies of maintained schools; extends the remit of School Improvement Partners; provides greater powers for local authorities and the Secretary of State in relation to failing schools; paves the way for the introduction of School Report Cards; and makes provision to introduce a licence to practise for teachers. The Bill also seeks to implement the recommendations of several major reports. These changes affect the school curriculum; provide a registration system for home educators; and provide an additional right of appeal for parents of children with special educational needs. The Bill would also make changes to the reporting of information relating to family proceedings. Other provisions relate to Local Safeguarding Children Boards, Youth Offending Teams, the charitable status of academies, and the fees system for the inspection of independent schools.
Research Briefing
Social care in England: statistics. By Rachael Harker. SN/SG/3077. This Note outlines some of the headline figures associated with social care in England.
Research Briefing
Projections of long term care expenditure. By Rachael Harker. SN/SG/3126. This Note summarises the latest projections of expenditure on long-term care services for older people in England to 2041 derived from the University of Kent's Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) model.
Research Briefing
This is a report of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill. It complements Research Papers 09/14 and 09/15 prepared for the Commons Second Reading debate.
Total results (page 6 of 8)