Research Briefing
Economic Indicators, June 2015
Analysis of the latest key UK and international economic indicators.
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Research Briefing
Pensions 2015
An overview of pension reform issues at the start of the 2015 Parliament
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Research Briefing
Freedom of speech and preventing extremism in UK higher education institutions
UK higher education institutions have a statutory duty to uphold freedom of speech in their institutions as far as is practical within the law. This duty has come under pressure recently from the Government’s Prevent Strategy and provisions in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. This note sets out legislation in this area and gives an overview of debate.
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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.
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Research Briefing
Parliamentary Questions: recent issues: House of Commons Background Paper
The system of Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons. Background material, developments and issues studied over the last ten years.
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Research Briefing
Queen’s Speech debate: selection of amendments – Standing Order No 33
The debate on the Queen's Speech is on motion for an Humble Address thanking Her Majesty for the Gracious Address. Under Standing Order No 33, the Speaker can select up to four amendments to the motion.
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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.
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Research Briefing
UK relations with Hong Kong: May 2015 update
This briefing surveys developments in Hong Kong since August 2014 and the UK's response. The Hong Kong Government is seeking approval for its proposals to elect the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017. Critics argue that they are a sham.
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Research Briefing
Transport 2015
This paper provides an overview of the transport commitments given by the main political parties in the run up to the 2015 General Election; a broad summary of transport trends over the course of the 2010 Parliament; and looks at some of the possible transport ‘hot spots’ post-2015, specifically devolution; local bus services; cycling provision; rail franchising; and airport expansion.
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Research Briefing
Community budgets and city deals
This note outlines community budget initiatives - local agreements to pool strategic planning and budgets between public bodies in a given area. It also discusses City Deals, negotiated between large city councils and the Government.
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Research Briefing
Local government devolution: policy proposals
This note summarises proposals for devolution of powers to local authorities made in a number of reports during 2014 and 2015.
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Research Briefing
Constituency casework: Social security
This is an archived Commons Library briefing on constituency casework: social security, from 2015.
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Research Briefing
PFI: costs and benefits
The use of PFI contracts is controversial. This note considers the arguments for the costs and benefits of PFI, as well as looking at changes to PFI under the coalition government.
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Research Briefing
Freedom of information and the Royal Family
This Note outlines exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act relating to the Royal Family.
Total results (page 284 of 557)