Research Briefing Archives

Research Briefing

People claiming unemployment benefits by constituency, September 2018

Tuesday, 16 October, 2018

This paper provides figures for the number of people claiming unemployment benefits (the “claimant count”) by parliamentary constituency, as well as a summary of the latest labour market statistics for the UK as a whole. The unemployment rate of 4.0% in June-August 2018 was the joint lowest rate since 1975. Despite falling slightly from the last quarter, the employment rate remains at a very high level historically while the inactivity rate remains at a very low level. The growth in average weekly pay excluding bonuses (not adjusting for inflation) was the highest since January 2009. Despite this, after adjusting for inflation, earnings remain below levels seen before the 2008 downturn.
Research Briefing

Social Mobility Index by Constituency SMIC

Monday, 15 October, 2018

The House of Commons Library's Social Mobility Index by Constituency (SMIC) provides an indication of how likely a person from a disadvantaged background in each constituency is to progress to a higher social status later in life. The SMIC compares constituencies in England using 14 variables which represent four life stages: early years, school age, youth, and adulthood.
Research Briefing

Media ownership: the proposed 21st Century Fox/Sky merger

Friday, 12 October, 2018

This Library briefing paper looks at the proposed merger of 21st Century Fox and Sky plc.
Research Briefing

Neighbourhood planning

Friday, 12 October, 2018

The Localism Act 2011 allows parish councils and groups of people from the community, called neighbourhood forums, to formulate Neighbourhood Development Plans and Orders, to guide and shape development in a particular area. This briefing examines these powers and reviews of their effectiveness and describes recent changes to relevant provisions in the National Planning Policy Framework.
- Research Briefing
- Planning
Research Briefing

Idlib and the prospects for Syria

Friday, 12 October, 2018

Idlib, the last stronghold of rebel forces in Syria, has been saved from a full on attack for now, but the civil war phase of the conflict is almost over. What might happen afterwards?
- Research Briefing
Research Briefing

Master Trust regulation

Friday, 12 October, 2018

Looks at provisions to regulate Master Trusts (a kind of pension scheme used by many employers for auto-enrolment) to be introduced under the Pension Schemes Act 2017.
- Research Briefing
- Pensions
Research Briefing

Social Fund Funeral Payments

Tuesday, 09 October, 2018

Payments from the Social Fund can be made to claimants of means-tested benefits and tax credits to help meet the costs of a funeral. Payments are made from the regulated Social Fund and, as such, are not limited by budgetary constraints. 27,000 payments were made in Great Britain in 2016-17, at a total cost of £38.6 million. The average award in 2016-17 was £1,427.
Research Briefing

Future trade with the EU: Mutual recognition

Monday, 08 October, 2018

This paper examines the different ways in which the term 'mutual recognition' is used in the context of the UK's future relationship with the EU.
Research Briefing

Bank rescues of 2007-09: outcomes and cost

Monday, 08 October, 2018

This note sums up the amounts spent and recovered by the government in the bank rescues of the 2007-09 financial crisis.
- Research Briefing
- Finance
Research Briefing

UK Youth Parliament 2018

Friday, 05 October, 2018
Research Briefing

Universal Credit: why are sanction rates higher?

Monday, 01 October, 2018

Sanction rates are higher under Universal Credit, the Government's flagship welfare reform, than under the benefits it is replacing. In December 2017 around 0.3% of JSA claimants were currently under a sanction compared to 8.2% of Universal Credit claimants required to search for work though, in the case of UC, this rate has since fallen to 5.3% as of May. This higher rate of sanctioning, the DWP argues and our new analysis corroborates, is due to the way DWP deals with claimants who miss a work-search interview without good reason under Universal Credit compared to under JSA (one of UC's predecessors). Despite this analysis, however, there are still a number of questions relating to sanctions under Universal Credit that we cannot yet answer.
Research Briefing

Cabinet Ministers suffering electoral defeat while holding office

Thursday, 27 September, 2018

This list notes all serving Cabinet ministers since 1900 who have lost their seats. It does not include Ministers who were not of Cabinet rank who lost their seats, or individuals who had served in the Cabinet at one time but lost their seat after having left the Cabinet.
Research Briefing

Economic Indicators, September 2018

Thursday, 27 September, 2018

Analysis of the latest key UK and international economic indicators
Research Briefing

Brexit Unknowns (update)

Wednesday, 26 September, 2018

What do we still not know about the Brexit process or the withdrawal agreement with the EU that is currently being negotiated? This paper looks at some of the main unknowns.
Research Briefing

Income tax: the additional 50p rate

Wednesday, 26 September, 2018

In the 2009 Budget the Labour Government announced the introduction of a new 'additional' 50p rate on incomes above £150,000 from April 2010. This paper discusses the background to the 50p rate, the debate over its political significance and its economic impact, before looking at the Coalition Government’s decision to cut the additional rate to 45p, and recent speculation as to its future.

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