Research Briefing
In 2016/17 the State Pension accounted for around £93 billion of Government spending – around 43% of total spending on social security and tax credits in Great Britain. Total social security expenditure directed at pensioners, of which the State Pension made up the vast majority (78%), was around £119 billion. This made up over half
Research Briefing
Briefing on the debates on the legislation that became the Pension Schemes Act 2017, the main purpose of which is to improve regulation of Master Trusts - a type of occupational pension scheme used by many employers to meet their auto-enrolment duties
Research Briefing
The establishment of the Flood Re scheme by the Water Act and subsequent Regulations. This briefing is no longer being updated.
Economic updates,Research Briefing
There are signs of weakness in the UK’s economic performance. In our last economic update, we observed inflation rising quicker than earnings, a decrease in productivity and a slight downward revision in economic growth for the first quarter of 2017. To this picture, we can now add rising household debt. But there’s also material for
Research Briefing
Analysis of the latest UK and international economic indicators
Research Briefing
The UK agriculture and horticulture sectors have long relied on migrant labour. This reliance has increased in recent years due to the seasonal nature of demand and falling unemployment.
Research Briefing
This briefing note outlines the origins and structures of combined authorities, which implement many of the 'devolution deals' agreed between the Government and local areas in England.
Research Briefing
Table showing the number of public bills introduced by session in each parliament since 1997 and the number that gained Royal Assent, becoming Acts of Parliament.
Research Briefing
Energy bills generate newspaper headlines and are something every household in the UK has to grapple with. Manifesto commitments to fix energy prices were featured by different parties in the 2015 and 2017 election campaigns, and in the meantime the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) completed a major inquiry on how the market works. Prices
Research Briefing
This Paper brings together recent European Union legislative and regulatory developments in the sphere of financial or corporate regulation. It provides relevant UK context and activity. It also includes a checklist of EU regulations currently being implemented across the EU with links to further information or explanation.
Research Briefing
The 2017 General Election saw 42 former MPs stand to regain seats in the House of Commons, 32 of whom were defeated in 2015 (or 2016 in the case of Zac Goldsmith). 12 former MPs were returned to Parliament following the Election. Liberal Democrat fightback? The majority of the 32 defeated in 2015 who ran
Research Briefing
Saudi Arabia and allied states have imposed a blockade on Qatar in protest against its foreign policy. Could it lead to the closure of Al-Jazeera, or even the end of the Gulf Cooperation Council as we know it?
Research Briefing
Could expelling ISIS from territory in Iraq and Syria make it more dangerous elsewhere?
Research Briefing
The government gets Parliament's consent to spend money via the annual Estimates process. This note describes the decisions made by government departments when drafting their Estimates, the process that Parliament goes through to scrutinise and approve them, and some possible ways in which the process could be improved.
Total results (page 302 of 641)