Research Briefing
What the rules of engagement are in Libya, and how far coalition forces are allowed to go in protecting the civilian population are highly controversial. This note looks briefly at some of the current questions.
Research Briefing
This paper sets out the main changes to direct tax rates and allowances announced in the Budget on 23 March 2011.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper series summarises the main economic indicators currently available for the UK, along with comparisons with other major OECD countries. The decline in Q4 2010 GDP was revised from 0.6% to 0.5%. ONS estimated that if the effects of December’s winter weather were excluded, GDP would have been unchanged. Although data from early 2011 is mixed, the economy is likely to have returned to growth in Q1. The manufacturing sector continues to expand strongly and business confidence indicators are generally positive. However, with earnings growth failing to keep pace with rising inflation, consumer expenditure – which makes up around two-thirds of GDP – is likely to remain subdued in the near future.
Research Briefing
This note summarises a very short private members Bill which removes a technical legal impediment to the production of a 1 kilogram commemorative coin for the 2012 Olympics.
Research Briefing
UN Security Council Resolution 1973 adopted on 17 March 2011, established, among other things, a no-fly zone over Libya. This note provides a list of suggested reading material on the arguments for and against the establishment of a no fly zone over Libya and its likelihood of success.
Research Briefing
This Library paper covers the data protection implications of using constituency casework to inform campaigning activities in local or other elections.
Research Briefing
This note describes the Government programme of new settlements based on ecological principles, along with comment and criticism.
Research Briefing
This note looks at the instability in the Middle East and North Africa since the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings.
Research Briefing
This note summarises the main points of the 2011 Budget and the reaction to it.
Research Briefing
This note contains key statistics on council tax levels in 2011/12 and a limited amount of analysis is provided. The main purpose of this note is to act as a reference document although more detailed analysis is available on request.
Research Briefing
On the 15th of March 2011, the Government published the Draft Defamation Bill and a consultation paper (which included questions on a number of issues which were not included in the Bill itself). The consultation will remain open until 10 June 2011 and a Government response is promised by autumn 2011. The draft Bill was the Government's response to a number of complaints that had been raised around the defamation laws in England and Wales. The consultation paper noted that "there has been mounting concern over the past few years that our defamation laws are not striking the right balance, but rather having a chilling effect on freedom of speech". It also acknowledged worries that the threat of libel proceedings might be used to frustrate robust scientific and academic debate or to impede responsible investigative journalism.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the background to the 2011 Budget which will take place on Wednesday, 23 March.
Research Briefing
During the Committee stage, several Government amendments were made to the provisions on police reform. Some (for example, on police complaints, police and crime plans and disqualifying people convicted of imprisonable offences from becoming or being police and crime commissioners) were on matters of substance. By contrast, there were only minor amendments to the provisions of the misuse of drugs and no substantive amendments to the parts of the Bill covering licensing, protests in Parliament Square or universal jurisdiction.
Total results (page 380 of 560)