Research Briefing
Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary representation
This standard note provides a summary of the main recommendations of the Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary representation which published its final report in January 2010.
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Research Briefing
Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12
This Research Paper has been prepared for the second reading of the Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12. The Local Government Finance Bill has been carried over into the 2012-13 session as Bill 4 of 2012/13. The Bill had completed its Committee Stage before the end of the 2010-12 Session and will have its remaining stages on 21 May 2012. Research Paper 12/14 considers the proceedings on the Bill before it was carried over.
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Research Briefing
Durban Climate Conference
This note covers run up and outcome of the UN climate change conference that took place in Durban between 28 November and 11 December 2011.
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Research Briefing
Food labelling nutrition – voluntary schemes
This note covers the Food Standards Agency's voluntary system of nutritional labelling and the alternative system favoured by manufacturers
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Research Briefing
Origin Marking of Food
The note explains the EU scheme allowing some regional food names to be protected from use by producers outside the region.
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Research Briefing
Councillors and planning applications
This note covers rules for local authority councillors who determine planning applications
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Research Briefing
Russian revolt?
The election for the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) saw a dramatic slump in the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin’s regime. The Kremlin was widely perceived to have falsified the results but still lost many seats. This note looks at the difficulties faced by the Russian elite and some possible consequences for relations with western neighbours.
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Research Briefing
North Korea’s dynastic succession
This note briefly surveys the final month's of Kim Jong-Il's rule in North Korea and, following his death on 17 December 2011, the rise of his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un, to power.
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Research Briefing
2012 Benefit Uprating
Sets out the basis for the uprating of benefits and tax credits in the 2012-13 financial year.
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Research Briefing
Financial markets: supervisory and structural reform: the Draft Financial Services Bill
Ever since the Northern Rock Bank failed in September 2007, the UK financial regulatory authorities have looked at how they operate and whether changes were needed to the existing system. The deepening crisis in 2008 and 2009 expanded the breadth of this review both in the UK and across the world. It is to be expected that firm proposals for new legislation will be forthcoming this year, following a consultation exercise and the publication of an independent Commission's Report headed by Sir John Vickers. This note sets out some of the background and sets out the broad outlines of current government proposals.
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Research Briefing
Convention against enforced disappearance
In 2006 the UN in 2006 adopted the International Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It creates new obligations on states and establishes a new Committee to monitor implementation. So far only 30 states have ratified the Convention; the UK is not one of them
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Research Briefing
Public service pension schemes – cost capping and sharing
This note looks at the mechanisms introduced as part of reforms to the four large public service pension schemes in 2007-08 to cap the contributions made by employers, thereby limiting the liability of the taxpayer. The current Government has decided to replace this policy with employee contribution increases.
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Research Briefing
Drone attacks and the killing of Anwar al-Awlaqi: legal issues
Anwar al-Awlaqi, a dual US-Yemeni citizen described as the “leader of external operations for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula”, was killed by a US drone attack in Yemen on 30 September 2011. Whether this was legal under international or US law is a matter of considerable debate.
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Research Briefing
Food Supplements Directive
This note provides background information on European Directive 2002/46/EC relating to regulation of food supplements containing vitamins and minerals, including permitted contents and maximum levels. Additional information on the UK implementation of the Directive can be found in EU Bibliographies: Food Supplements Directive (SN/IA/05101).
Total results (page 443 of 639)