Research Briefing
On the 18th December 2013, NHS England announced the new budget allocations for Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for the years 2014/15 and 2015/16. This followed the recent review of the allocation funding formula used to distribute the NHS budget among the population. But what are CCGs, what is their function and how much funding does
Research Briefing
The Immigration Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 10 October 2013 and had its Second Reading on 22 October. It is due to have Report stage and Third Reading on 30 January 2014. This Note discusses the main issues debated in Public Bill Committee.
Research Briefing
This paper has been published for the Report Stage debate on the Counter-Terrorism Bill . The bill is wide-ranging but the most contentious provisions relate to pre-charge detention, post charge questioning and inquests and inquiries.
Research Briefing
What is modern slavery and human trafficking? We are familiar with the long campaign led by William Wilberforce to outlaw the slave trade in the early 19th century. The term modern slavery is used to describe human trafficking and coercion of people in a way akin to slavery. This problem is believed to be on
Research Briefing
The fourth and final tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme was announced on 23 January 2014. Over 11,000 personnel have made redundant since 2011 with a further 1,500 expected in 2014.
Research Briefing
This note describes the background to the Defamation Act 2013 and summarises the main provisions. It also describes the procedural and cost reforms which accompanied the Act.
Research Briefing
Shale deposits are extensive and development of shale gas could transform the UK’s energy supply. But at this stage there aren’t yet any wells in the UK recovering shale gas commercially – drilling is still only exploratory. Exploratory drilling still requires various permissions and is a cause of concern for some communities.
Research Briefing
This note examines the changes to the control order regime brought about by the introduction of Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011. It considers the operation of the Act during its first two years, including its effectiveness, criticisms and proposals for change.
Research Briefing
Mrs Sheryll Murray MP came fourth in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills and has introduced the Deep Sea Mining Bill 2013/14 which will receive its have its Report Stage on the 24 January 2014..
Research Briefing
What is PISA? The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment, which was first carried out in 2000 and has assessed the knowledge and skills of 15 year olds in reading, maths and science at three year intervals since then. How does it work? A sample of schools is chosen for each country, where pupils sit tests.
Research Briefing
The European Commission's Work Programme for 2014 sets out four priority areas in which it intends to act: economic and monetary union, sustainable growth, justice and security and external action. The UK Government broadly supports the programme but has some specific concerns and reservations.
Research Briefing
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) has announced that it has removed the National Statistics designation from the police recorded crime series. The police recorded crime series is published by ONS based on Home Office figures collected from individual police forces in England and Wales. UKSA, the independent statistical watchdog responsible for ensuring the integrity
Research Briefing
The UK minimum wage is currently £6.31 per hour for people aged 21 and over, equivalent to about £12,000 a year for someone working a 37-hour week. But how does the UK compare to other countries that have some kind of minimum wage?
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