• Research Briefing

    Policing riots

    This note looks at the possible roles of the police and armed forces in controlling riots. A separate Library standard note 6048 deals with compensation and insurance for those affected by riots.

  • Research Briefing

    The reform of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy

    This note provides background on the old Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy system and considers some of the issues associated with it up to its abolition in April 2012. This note will not be updated – information on the self-financing regime can be found in Library note SN/SP/6776 Local housing authorities - the self-financing regime: progress and issues. A further paper, CB8963, A new era of social rented housing in England? (2020) considers prospects for social rented housing following the lifting of the HRA borrowing caps in 2018.

  • Research Briefing

    Power struggle in Iran

    This note looks at the internal politics of Iran and, in particular, the recent split in the conservative camp between supporters of Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei and the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

  • Research Briefing

    Furnished Holiday Lettings

    Under the Furnished Holiday Letting (FHL) rules, income from furnished holiday accommodation may be treated in the same way as trading income for tax purposes. In 2009 the Labour Government proposed to repeal these rules from 2011, rather than extend their scope to property held across the EU, to ensure compliance with EU law. In the 2011 Budget the Coalition Government confirmed a number of changes to ensure the relief was complaint with EU law while mitigating its cost to the Exchequer.

  • Research Briefing

    Iran’s nuclear programme: an update

    Shortly after taking office, US President Obama gave negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme one year to produce results, promising to push for a new set of United Nations sanctions if there was no progress. The E3+3 countries, France, Germany and the United Kingdom plus China, Russia and the United States reached agreement on a fourth round of sanctions in June 2010 This note looks at Iran’s nuclear programme, the effects of UN, US and EU sanctions and possible alternative approaches to the problem.

  • Research Briefing

    Tax relief for private medical insurance

    In 1990 a new tax relief for private medical insurance, paid for those aged 60 and over, was introduced. In 1997 the then Labour Government abolished this relief on the grounds of cost, and the view that it had failed to encourage take-up. This note discusses the short life of this tax relief, and recent debate as to whether it should be reintroduced.

  • Research Briefing

    Defence Reform

    The Independent Report into the Structure and Management of the MOD was published by the Defence Reform Unit on 27 June 2011. That report makes 53 recommendations on the reorganisation of the MOD.

  • Research Briefing

    Turkey’s 2011 elections and beyond

    At Turkey’s general elections on 12 June 2011, the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won nearly 50% of the overall vote. This was the first time that a ruling party in Turkey has increased its vote in a third term. In the medium term its biggest challenges will be drafting a new constitution, stabilising the economy, and negotiating changing regional relationships, but in the short term it needs to diffuse a crisis over MPs boycotting parliament.

  • Research Briefing

    Private sewers

    Approximately 200,000 kilometres of privately owned sewers and lateral drains in England will be transferred to water and sewerage companies from 1 October 2011. This transfer will help to address many of the problems associated with these sewers.

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