• Research Briefing

    Income shifting

    This note looks at the Government's recent legislative proposals to prevent 'income shifting' - arrangements used by the main earner in a family businesses to divert part of his income through the business to another person in a lower tax bracket, often their spouse, to mitigate their overall tax bill. These proposals proved controversial, and in the Pre Budget Report in November 2008 the Government confirmed that it was deferring any legislation, but would keep the issue under review.

  • Research Briefing

    Marginal seats

    This note lists UK Parliament seats by marginality using results for the 2005 General Election. Majorities are measured by both numbers of votes and shares of the vote inpercentage points.

  • Research Briefing

    2009 European Parliament Elections

    Voting in the 2009 European Parliament elections will take place across the EU from 4 to 7 June. In the United Kingdom voting will be on Thursday 4 June 2009. The number of UK MEPs is to be reduced at these elections from 78 currently to 72. On the basis of the 2004 results, the UK's six fewer MEPs would have meant reductions of three MEPs for the Conservatives, two for the Liberal Democrats and one for Labour. For Great Britain, seats in the European Parliament are allocated to Parties according to a "d'Hondt" quota system which operates for each region. For Northern Ireland a different system of Single Transferable Vote is used. This note sets out the changes to the number of seats by region and what this would have meant if the 2004 elections had been fought on this basis.

  • Research Briefing

    Welfare Reform Bill: social security provisions

    This paper is one of two which examine the main proposals of the Welfare Reform Bill 2008-09. It deals with Part 1 of the Bill, which includes provisions to establish a 'work for your benefit' scheme for the long-term unemployed, to allow piloting of the 'personalised conditionality' regime, and to enable the future abolition of income support. See also Research Paper 09/09.

  • Research Briefing

    Welfare Reform Bill: disabled people, child maintenance and birth registration

    This paper is one of two which examine the main proposals of the Welfare Reform Bill 2008-09. It deals with Parts 2-4 of the Bill, which include provisions for a new right for disabled people to control how public resources are used to meet their needs, new powers to enforce child maintenance, and for the joint registration of births. See also Research Paper 09/08.

  • Research Briefing

    Gaza: The conflict between Israel and Hamas

    This note examines the conflict between Israel and Hamas of December 2008 to January 2009. It analyses the original six month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the reasons for its breakdown. It examines the international responses to the conflict and assesses its humanitarian impact.

  • Research Briefing

    Statistical Literacy Guide

    This guide is a compilation of notes on individual subjects produced by the Social & General Statistics Section of the Library. Its aim is to help MPs and their staff better understand statistics that are used in press stories, research, debates, news releases, reports, books etc.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, December 2008

    This paper shows the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance recorded as resident in each constituency in the United Kingdom in December 2008, together with comparisons with the levels in December 2007 and December 1997. This paper also presents residence-based unemployment rates for all 646 constituencies in the United Kingdom.

Total results (page 428 of 560)