Research Briefing
This note provides an overview of the forthcoming presidential elections in Iran. It outlines the main candidates and their platforms, analyses the campaign, assesses the fairness of the elections, and discusses their political and constitutional significance within the context of Iran's broader political system.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper series summarises the main economic indicators currently available for the UK, along with comparisons with other major OECD countries for selected indicators. [Indicator-only edition]
Research Briefing
This Private Member's Bill is due for a second reading on Friday 12 June 2009. This Note gives background to its provisions which are designed to liberalise the nationality requirements for civil servants.
Research Briefing
This note provides background information on the detention of seven leaders of the Baha'i faith who have been imprisoned in Iran since March and May 2008. It also considers the international responses to their imprisonment.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper has been written for the Second Reading of the Health Bill [HL] following its passage through the House of Lords, where it was introduced on 15 January 2009. The bill as introduced covered ten policy areas, including the sale of tobacco, which is the subject of Library Research Paper 09/49.
Research Briefing
Part 3 of the Health Bill (HL) 2008-09 contains tobacco control provisions designed to protect children and young people from the harm caused by smoking. This paper provides information on current legislation and policy in respect of the display and sale of tobacco products from retail premises and vending machines as well as outlining the changes proposed in the Bill.
Research Briefing
This Standard Note describes e-Government, outlines Government efforts in this field, and related issues.
Research Briefing
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
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
This note provides a very brief history of the evolution of Members' salaries and the main allowances available to support them in their parliamentary duties.
Research Briefing
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
The objective of this note is to explain the concept of hospiral standardised motality ratios, and summarise the statistics relating to HSMRs at mid-Staffordshire that were available before the March-October 2008 Healthcare Commission investigation, and those that came to light afterwards.
Research Briefing
This note provides a bibliography of key publications, speeches, articles and books on Russian foreign and defence policy. It is intended to accompany Library Research Papers RP 09/36 Russian and the West and RP 09/35 Russia's Military Posture.
Research Briefing
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
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).
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