• Research Briefing

    Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]: Economic, regional and construction aspects (Bill 93 of 2008-09).

    This paper covers parts 4 to 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]. The Bill implements a number of changes in relation to regional and sub-regional economic development and planning, including: an economic assessment duty for local authorities; a new regional strategy process for English regions outside London; new Local Authority Leaders’ Boards to agree the strategy with Regional Development Agencies; provisions for further sub-regional partnerships through Economic Prosperity Boards and Multi-Area Agreements. The Bill also amends the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 in relation to construction contracts with the aim of improving cashflow and the adjudication process in the industry. See also Library Research Paper 09/45, for coverage of parts 1 to 3 of the Bill which relate to community empowerment, housing and Boundary Commission issues.

  • Research Briefing

    Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL] (Bill 86 of 2008-09).

    This paper is on the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL] (Bill 86 of 2008-09). This Bill would deal firstly with the transfer of border customs functions to the new UK Border Agency. It would also introduce new naturalisation requirements and deal with various other citizenship issues. The Bill as it was introduced in the Lords would have provided for immigration control to be introduced on air and sea routes within the Common Travel Area but these provisions were defeated in the Lords. Originally the Bill would also have restricted the involvement of the higher courts in immigration and nationality cases, but a Lords amendment limited the scope of this restriction. The Bill would introduce a new duty on the UK Border Agency to safeguard the welfare of children and make provisions in relation to trafficking babies and children for exploitation.

  • Research Briefing

    The importance of being active

    Article examining the relationship between taking part in sport and active recreation and life expectancy in Local Authorities in England. Data from the Active People Survey 1 is used in conjunction with Office for National Statistics data on life expectancy and healthy lifestyle behaviour to examine the interplay between such variables.

  • Research Briefing

    Local Democracy, Economic Development & Construction Bill [HL]: Democracy and involvement aspects (Bill 93 of 2008-09).

    This paper covers parts 1 to 3 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]. The Bill implements a number of community empowerment measures outlined in the white paper - Communities in Control: real people, real power (Cm 7427). Other provisions concern a) tenants' representation, b) audit of entities connected with local authorities, and c) replacement of the Boundary Committee for England with an independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England. See also Library Research Paper 09/46, for coverage of parts 4 to 8 of the Bill which relate to economic and regional matters and construction contracts.

  • Research Briefing

    Poverty: Regional statistics

    This note explains why constituency-level poverty data are not available (apart from in Northern Ireland). It gives region/country level data (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the English regions) for poverty among the whole population, children, working-age adults and pensioners (with times series back to 1994/95 in a supplementary spreadsheet).

  • Research Briefing

    Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Bill (Bill 15 of 2008-09)

    The Bill seeks to define and promote “green energy”. It aims to facilitate the development of green energy by: requiring a review and revision of the Government’s Microgeneration Strategy including feed-in tariffs; changing permitted development rights in planning law; and ensuring that green energy installations do not result in higher council tax or rates bills.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, April 2009

    This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in April 2009, together with comparisons with the levels in April 2008 and April 1997. This paper also presents residence-based unemployment rates for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom.