Research Briefing
Enterprise Bill [HL] 2015-16: Committee Stage Report
This briefing summarises House of Commons debate on the Enterprise Bill during Second Reading and Committee stage.
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Research Briefing
Women in Combat
Women will now be allowed to serve on the front line in the Infantry and Royal Marines. The Prime Minister announced on 8 July 2016 the lifting of the ban on women serving in ground close roles.
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Research Briefing
A fool’s errand? Trying to make sense of North Korea
North Korea has been in the news again since the beginning of the year as a result of its nuclear weapon test in January (its fourth since 2006) and ballistic missile test (disguised as a satellite launch) in February, along with continuing reports of purges of senior regime figures. And yesterday, the UN Security Council
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Research Briefing
Background Briefing: Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill 2015-16
This House of Commons Library page provides information relevant to the Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill 2015-16, introduced by Rt Hon Frank Field MP.
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Research Briefing
Commons Library analysis: Policing and Crime Bill 2015-16
The Policing and Crime Bill 2015-16 has its second reading on 7 March 2016. It includes provisions covering collaboration between police and fire services; reforms to the police complaints and discipline systems; new safeguards for pre-charge bail; powers for police staff and volunteers; and changes to firearms law. This briefing analyses the Bill and the policy background, and provides some relevant comment.
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Research Briefing
NHS Wales Statistics
How does the NHS perform in Wales? Key statistics and trends on hospital attendance and waiting lists, accident and emergency waiting times, ambulance quality, waiting times for diagnostic tests, cancer waiting times, staff numbers, delayed transfers of care, bed occupancy and expenditure.
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Research Briefing
Devolution of financial powers to the Scottish Parliament: recent developments
This paper discusses the proposals made by the Smith Commission - in its report published in November 2014 - for further devolution of power to the Scottish Government, in relation to taxation, funding and borrowing, and the Government’s plans for their implementation.
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Research Briefing
National Insurance Contributions (Rate Ceilings) Bill 2015-16
The National Insurance Contributions (Rate Ceilings) Bill 2015-16 would prevent any increase in the current rates of Class 1 National Insurance contributions paid by employees and employers for the duration of the 2015-20 Parliament. It would also provide that the Upper Earnings Limit could not exceed the higher rate threshold - the sum of the personal allowance and the basic rate limit - as proposed by the Government in its pre-Budget proposals.
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Research Briefing
Planning and flood risk
Government planning policy on flood risk and development, particularly for housing, has been called into question following recent flood events. Find out what the planning policy is, the Government's position and the comments on it in the Library briefing paper.
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Research Briefing
House of Commons Members’ Fund
Looks at current legislation to reform the House of Commons Members' Fund, set up in 1939 (before a pension scheme was established) to help former Members and their dependants in financial difficulty.
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Research Briefing
Police funding
The existing police funding arrangements have been criticised as being complex and lacking transparency. In 2015 the Government consulted on proposals for reform of police funding in England and Wales. These reforms have been delayed. This briefing looks at existing arrangements for police funding in all parts of the UK and explains the proposed new funding formula for England and Wales.
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Research Briefing
Egypt under Sisi
The political aftermath of the military coup that removed Muslim Brotherhood has been rough on the Muslim Brotherhood and other opponents of the new government; the airline crash in the Sinai underlined growing security worries. Nevertheless, President al-Sisi remains popular with large segments of the population, however.
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Research Briefing
Individual Electoral Registration
This Commons Briefing Paper provides information about the introduction of the new system of electoral registration (IER) in Great Britain and funding both for the transition period and to support a range of initiatives to increase the level of voter registration among under-registered groups, including students. Registration in Northern Ireland has been on an individual basis since 2002.
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Research Briefing
Political reforms and human rights in Bahrain
Repression continues in Bahrain in an increasingly tense regional environment
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Research Briefing
Women around the world: International Women’s Day 2016
This briefing gives an introduction to International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th of March. It examines a variety of indicators for women’s equality both in the UK and internationally.
Total results (page 340 of 642)