Research Briefing
The 2016 Autumn Statement is this Wednesday. How are the economy and public finances performing? And what we might expect to hear from the Chancellor? The current economic situation The EU referendum has so far had little effect on overall economic growth. Consumer spending has continued to underpin growth, while business investment has been weak.
Research Briefing
For the 30 hours of free childcare policy, the draft regulations provide additional detail on key aspects of the policy, complementing the Childcare Act 2016.
Research Briefing
UK investment in public infrastructure in recent years – including roads, railways and energy projects – has been consistently low relative to other advanced economies (see chart below). In his speech at the Conservative Party Conference, the Chancellor Philip Hammond stressed that “We need to close that gap with careful, targeted public investment in high
Research Briefing
Looks at the Lifetime ISA to be introduced from April 2017 and its role in encouraging people to save for retirement
Research Briefing
This Commons Library Briefing Paper summarises the market reforms set out in the Water Act 2014 relating to increasing competition for the non-household retail market and the upstream market, including progress on implementation and background to the reform. It also summarises recent developments relating to increasing competition in the domestic retail market.
Research Briefing
The Parking Places (Variation of Charges) Bill (Bill 18 of 2016-17) is scheduled for its Second Reading debate on Friday 25 November 2016. This is a Private Member’s Bill, brought forward by the Conservative MP David Tredinnick. The Bill has the support of the Government.
Research Briefing
The Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Bill 2016-17 was introduced 29 June 2016 and had its Second Reading on Friday 18 November 2016. The Bill was a Private Member's Bill that sought to amend the Rules of Redistribution of Parliamentary constituencies.
Research Briefing
This House of Commons Library briefing provides background on the current funding settlement for the NHS in England, the financial and operational performance of the health service, and measures being taken to ensure its future sustainability, including Sustainability of Transformation Plans. The briefing also provides background on the Department of Health’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2015/16 and ongoing Select Committee scrutiny of NHS funding.
Research Briefing
What could Brexit mean for UK science? What impact will it have on UK fisheries? Could Brexit be bad news for emissions reductions? These were just some questions discussed at a Parliamentary conference last week, organised by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), the Commons Library and Parliament’s Universities Outreach team. MPs researchers,
Research Briefing
This briefing sets out the background to the 2016 Autumn Statement which will take place on Wednesday 23 November 2016. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish revised forecasts for the economy and public finances on the same day.
Research Briefing
It will come as no surprise to many readers that the Government is set to drop its target of running a budget surplus in 2019/20. The Chancellor is set to unveil at least one new target in the Autumn Statement: here we discuss the dropped target and what we may expect from new targets. Dropping
Research Briefing
Despite almost daily references in the media to the need for more affordable housing there’s little agreement about what this actually means. When asked how they define affordable housing, the Government refers to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which says that affordable housing is social rented, affordable rented (with rents of up to 80%
Research Briefing
The Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed on 30 June 2015 - this note sets out the background to the ILF, how the ILF worked, and the decision by the then Coalition Government to close it and the subsequent legal challenge (which was unsuccessful).
Research Briefing
Universal Credit (UC) is a new benefit which is to replace means-tested social security benefits and tax credits for working-age claimants by 2022. UC work allowances, the maximum a claimant can earn before their award is withdrawn, were reduced from April 2016 onwards. Limits to support for new claimants will also apply from April 2017. This paper provides an introduction to Universal Credit and analyses the impact of these changes.
Research Briefing
This paper contains claimant count figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest labour market statistics for the UK as a whole.
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