Research Briefing Archives

Research Briefing

EU assurances to the UK on Brexit

Wednesday, 16 January, 2019

The EU and UK negotiators agreed the texts of a Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on a framework for a future EU-UK relationship, and the time came for the UK Parliament to vote on it. But on 15 January Parliament rejected the two documents by 230 votes. The EU has said there will be no renegotiating the texts but has offered assurances on the intention that the backstop arrangement to prevent a hard Irish border would be temporary if it had to be introduced. This paper looks at what the EU has offered by way of 'clarifications' and 'assurances' on the backstop and whether the EU would offer an extension to Article. 50 might .
Research Briefing

Tax, marriage & transferable allowances

Monday, 14 January, 2019

Since the introduction of independent taxation in 1990, all individuals have been assessed for tax as separate persons, entitled to their own personal tax allowance, to set against their liability to income tax. This note looks at the debate there has been about allowing partners to transfer their allowance to their spouse, so that the tax system might 'recognise' marriage.
- Research Briefing
- Tax
Research Briefing

Mortality in the UK

Monday, 14 January, 2019

In the United Kingdom, there has been a long-term downward trend in both the number of deaths and the crude death rate. However, since 2011, both the number of deaths and the crude death rate have increased.
Research Briefing

BT and Openreach

Friday, 11 January, 2019

A short House of Commons Library briefing paper providing an explanation and background to the legal separation of BT and Openreach.
- Research Briefing
- Technology
Research Briefing

Climate change conference (COP24): Katowice, Poland

Wednesday, 09 January, 2019

This short House of Commons Library Briefing Paper provides a brief overview of the twenty-fourth UN conference on climate change, held in December 2018, including information on the Paris Agreement, the Talanoa Dialogue and the People's Seat.
- Research Briefing
- Climate change
Research Briefing

Electricity grids

Tuesday, 08 January, 2019

This briefing introduces the electricity grid in Great Britain, how it is operated and balanced, and how it may change to meet future energy needs.
- Research Briefing
Research Briefing

Q&A: Cavity Wall Insulation

Tuesday, 08 January, 2019

Cavity wall insulation is an effective way to improve energy efficiency with the potential to reduce bills and carbon emissions, and the majority of installations occur without issue. However, the Library is aware of reports of constituent interest in CWI and the issue is raised in Parliament regularly. This briefing has been published to support these reasons and outlines some of the ways issues can be resolved.
Research Briefing

Brexit debates 2018

Monday, 07 January, 2019

This paper provides links to a selection of debates that have referenced Brexit in the title or during a debate in 2018. This paper will be updated periodically.
Research Briefing

Kashmir: January 2019 update

Wednesday, 02 January, 2019

This briefing covers events in Indian-administered Kashmir since 8 July 2016, which have been characterised by a dramatic upsurge in protest and violence on the ground – what some are calling the “worst crisis in a generation”.
Research Briefing

Housing cost element of Universal Credit and 18 to 21-year-olds

Friday, 28 December, 2018

This briefing paper provides information on the decision to restrict entitlement to the housing cost element of Universal Credit for young people aged 18 to 21. On 29 March 2018 the Government announced that restrictions on accessing the housing element would be removed. Regulations have been laid - the relevant provisions will come into force on 31 December 2018.
Research Briefing

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Friday, 21 December, 2018

This note sets out the background to the creation of the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1994 and provides details of its recent work. The note looks at its constitutional position and relationship to Parliament.
- Research Briefing
- Parliament
Research Briefing

Economic Indicators, December 2018

Friday, 21 December, 2018

Analysis of the latest UK and international economic indicators
Research Briefing

The European Economic Area

Friday, 21 December, 2018

This briefing paper outlines the institutional structure of the EEA, its pros and cons and the debate over withdrawal from the EEA.
Research Briefing

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the self-employed

Friday, 21 December, 2018

This paper looks at the way in which the self-employed are treated for the purposes of National Insurance, in the context of proposals made in the 2015 Budget to scrap Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs), and proposals in the Spring 2017 Budget to increase the rate of Class 4 NICs. In the latter case, the Government cancelled its plans a few days after the Budget, and in the former case announced in September 2018 that it would not proceed with the abolition of Class 2 NICs during this Parliament.
Research Briefing

The Modernising Defence Programme

Friday, 21 December, 2018

This Commons Library briefing paper examines the Modernising Defence Programme (MDP) published by the Ministry of Defence in December 2018.

Total results (page 208 of 558)