Research Briefing
This short Bill establishes a government subsidised savings scheme for people of working age on low incomes. The Saving Gateway has been trialled in several regions; the Bill establishes a scheme for the whole of the country.
Research Briefing
This note examines the legal basis for the ongoing presence of Coalition forces in Iraq, current troop commitments and plans for the future.
Research Briefing
This note provides background information on the proposed draft Communications Data Bill which has yet to be published. It mentions reports that consideration is being given to a centralised database and some of the concerns these have given rise to. A government consultation on implementing, via secondary legislation, an EC Directive on data retention closed on 31 October 2008.
Research Briefing
This Note sets out the historical background to the current laws on official secrecy. It also provides a brief summary of notable cases which have involved official information legislation.
Research Briefing
The European Union offers developing countries unilateral preferential trading arrangements under its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), which is split into three parts: standard GSP, GSP+ and 'Everything But Arms'. A new GSP Regulation is to enter into force on 1 January 2009, running to the end of 2011. This note outlines the changes that have been made, providing a background and history to the GSP.
Research Briefing
The Bill gives legislative effect to the scheme outlined in Business rate supplements: a white paper (Cm 7230). This allows upper-tier local authorities, and the Greater London Authority, to levy a supplement on the business rate in order to fund local economic development projects. Businesses must be consulted and, in certain circumstances, balloted before a rate supplement can be introduced.
Research Briefing
This Note looks at the European Commission's latest progress report on EU candidate and potential candidate states.
Research Briefing
This Note looks at the discussions in Ireland, the European Union Institutions and other Member States about the prospects for Irish ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. It considers the declarations on concessions agreed by the European Council on 11-12 December 2008 which are intended to facilitate Irish ratification in 2009.
Research Briefing
Unemployment by constituency, November 2008. House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/92. This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in November 2008, together with comparisons with the levels in November 2007 and November 1997. This paper also presents residence-based unemployment rates for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom.
Research Briefing
This is a report on the Committee Stage of the Political Parties and Elections Bill 2007-08 produced in response to a recommendation of the Modernisation Committee in its report on The Legislative Process (HC 1097, 2005-06). The Bill has been reintroduced as Bill 4 of 2008-09 and is awaiting a date for report stage in the Commons.
Research Briefing
The Corporation Tax Bill is the fifth to be produced by the Tax Law Rewrite Project - established in December 1996 with the aim of rewriting the UK's existing primary direct tax legislation to make it clearer and easier to use. This note gives an update of the project, and a short introduction to the Bill.
Research Briefing
Sets out the basis for the uprating of benefits and tax credits in 2009
Research Briefing
This note sets out how competition law was used to allow the merger of the Lloyds TSB and HBOS banks to be cleared by the competition authorities and the Secretary of State. It also sets out competition concerns raised by this merger.
Research Briefing
Covers development of "pension tax simplification" rules introduced by Finance Act 2004. Updated to include Pre-Budget 2008 announcement.
Research Briefing
The UK tax burden for 2008/09 is estimated at 35.3% of GDP and is projected to increase to 36.0% by 2013/14. In 2008/09, income tax accounted for 29% of tax receipts, with national insurance contributions accounting for 19%.
Total results (page 428 of 558)