• Research Briefing

    Quangos

    This note provides a short history of public bodies in the United Kingdom before looking at the size and cost of the quango state. It considers why the number and cost of quangos has been hard to control. It then looks at the accountability of public bodies and appointments mechanisms. It also sets out the main provisions of the Public Bodies Bill [HL] as introduced. The Library Standard Note SN/PC/5845, Progress of the Public Bodies Bill [HL] 2010-11 provides more detailed information on the Bill

  • Research Briefing

    Parliamentary reform – a brief overview

    This note briefly reviews committees that have (or have had) a role in developing reform proposals, then it briefly reviews recent reform proposals that have been implemented or are underway but not fully implemented. Finally it notes legislation before Parliament this Session that is likely to affect how the House of Commons operates.

  • Research Briefing

    Health and Social Care Bill

    This briefing on the Health and Social Care Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons on 31 January 2011. The Bill is intended to give effect to the reforms requiring primary legislation that were proposed in the NHS White Paper Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. This White Paper set out the Government’s aims to reduce central control of the NHS, to engage doctors in the commissioning of health services, and to give patients greater choice.

  • Research Briefing

    Disability Living Allowance mobility component for people in care homes

    The October 2010 Spending Review announced that the DLA mobility component would be withdrawn from people in care homes whose place was funded by a public body. The proposal was dropped by the Government during the passage of Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12. This note gives background to the original proposal and summarises initial reactions to it.

  • Research Briefing

    The Act of Settlement and the Protestant Succession

    This note sets out the legal background to the rules surrounding the succession and then considers the historical background and context for the limitations on religious beliefs of the monarch and their spouse before looking at how the legislative restrictions could be removed. Lastly, it sets out recent attempts to change the laws of succession.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by Constituency, January 2011

    This paper presents labour market data for Parliamentary Constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data. The latest data show: JSA claimant count unemployment fell by 4,100 in December 2010 to 1.46 million. The wider ILO-based measure of unemployment was 2.50 million in the period September-November 2010, a rise of 49,000 from the last quarter. The unemployment rate was 7.9. This edition of Unemployment by Constituency contains a special section on how unemployment and employment vary by age

  • Research Briefing

    Scotland Bill [Bill No 115 of 2010-11]

    The Scotland Bill was published on 30 November 2010, and is scheduled for second reading on 27 January 2011. The Bill contains provisions to give the Scottish Parliament greater responsibility for raising its own revenue, in addition the borrowing powers of the Scottish Government are extended. The Bill also changes the boundary of devolved powers by amending some of the reserved matters in the Scotland Act 1998. Some new matters are devolved, some are reserved. The Bill also proposes small changes to provisions concerning the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

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