Research Briefing
This House of Commons Library paper describes the devolution of electoral arrangements to Wales. The draft Wales Bill published on 20 October 2015 is the latest development in this process. The paper looks at developments since 2012 and discusses debates about the number of constituencies in Wales.
Research Briefing
Background to the joint 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement, which will be presented to Parliament on 25 November 2015.
Research Briefing
The Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill is part of a process to stabilise the political institutions in Northern Ireland. It stems from a package agreed between the UK and Irish Governments and the largest Northern Ireland parties: the Fresh Start agreement. This paper gives a guide to the Bill, and to the agreement.
Research Briefing
This is a briefing on the ‘Motion to approve a European document relating to restrictive measures against Iran’, which is due to be debated in the main chamber of the House on Tuesday 24 November 2015.
Research Briefing
The Draft Investigatory Powers Bill, published in November 2015, seeks to update and consolidate the legal framework governing the interception of communications and the acquisition of communications data by intelligence and law enforcement agencies
Research Briefing
This page has been prepared by the House of Commons Library to provide information on the Local Government Finance (Tenure Information) Bill 2015-16 which is scheduled to receive its Second Reading on 22 January 2016 (initially 30 October 2015).
Research Briefing
A short introduction to the forthcoming 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review and the Armed Forces.
Research Briefing
In response to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris France invoked Article 42(7) of the Treaty in the European Union on 17 November 2015. That article obligates all EU Member States to provide France with aid and assistance, although it does not go so far as to confer a security commitment, akin to NATO's Article V. This paper looks briefly at Article 42(7) TEU and the implications for the UK.
Research Briefing
"Ever closer union" is an EU aim and is enshrined in the EU Treaties. David Cameron wanted to exempt the UK from it, and this has been achieved in the new settlement for the UK in the EU. This note looks at the background to “ever closer union”, its survival through several Treaty changes and its use by the EU Court of Justice.
Research Briefing
The House of Commons is debating a Backbench Business motion on 16 November 2015 that calls for the Cypriot city of Famagusta to be returned by Turkey to its ‘lawful inhabitants’.
Research Briefing
How democratic is the UK’s ‘democratic conscience’?
Research Briefing
This note provides a short history to the events that lead up to the establishment of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in June 2013, , and recent debates as to the Adjudicator’s impact and the review of its remit which is to be undertaken in 2016.
Research Briefing
Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. This can mean that the offender will spend the rest of his natural life in prison, although more commonly the offender will spend a "minimum term" in custody before being released on licence. This briefing from the Commons Library describes the legal framework within which minimum terms are set and the circumstances in which a "whole life" minimum term may be imposed.
Research Briefing
This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics.
Research Briefing
This Paper describes policy initiatives between 1997 and 2015 designed to meet the needs of small firms. It outlines their original purpose and what happened to them.
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