Research Briefing
Electricity substations, like overhead power lines and electrical appliances in the home, are sources of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields. These have given rise to health concerns and calls for protective legislation.
Research Briefing
Most but not all benefits are uprated in April each year, by reference to the increase in prices over the year to the previous September. The current Government has adopted the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) as the measure of inflation for uprating purposes. CPI tends to rise more slowly than the measures used. previously. The CPI for September 2011 was higher than expected, and media reports have suggested that the Government was considering changing the basis for uprating benefits. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that while benefits would increase by the full CPI from April 2011, the couple and lone parent elements of Working Tax Credit would be frozen and the child element of Child Tax Credit would increase by less than was planned.
Research Briefing
This note describes briefly the security situation in Afghanistan, the progress or otherwise of attempts to reconcile and reintegrate insurgents with the government and looks at the conference to be held in Bonn, marking the 10th anniversary of the conference which set up the present government.
Research Briefing
Since 1979 annual pay increases for police officers have been determined under a formula linked to an annual survey of settlement levels for non-manual employees in the private sector. In 2006 this led to a recommendation of a 3% pay increase that Home Office officials and management representatives did not agree to. This led to a dispute over police pay that lasted until October 2008, when a multi-year pay settlement was reached by the Police Negotiating Board for police officers in England & Wales. The three-year deal was backdated to 1 September 2008 and will run through to 31 August 2011.
Research Briefing
In October 2010, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, announced the “most comprehensive review of police pay and conditions in more than 30 years”. The independent review covering England and Wales was led to Tom Winsor, the former Rail Regulator. In March 2011, Mr Winsor published his first report, which “covered short-term improvements to remuneration and terms and conditions”.
Research Briefing
The purpose of this Standard Note is to list, by series, and in chronological order within each series, all pre-1995 House of Commons Library Research briefings. Many of them are not available electronically. About 2,000 documents fall into this category.
Research Briefing
To access most social security benefits and tax credits, a EEA national has to have a 'right to reside' in the UK. Broadly speaking, this means they must be economically active. The European Commission has stared infingement proceedings agains the UK on the basis that the test discriminates against non-UK nationals from other Member States, but the UK Government has pedged to fight any challenge.
Research Briefing
This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposed "Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive" (also known as the AIFM Directive or the "Hedge Funds" Directive), and its scrutiny in the UK and EU. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on policy developments contact Tim Edmonds on extn 4318. See also SN/BT/5099 European responses to the financial crisis specifically p39
Research Briefing
Concerns that health and safety laws unduly burden the police have led to the production of new guidance.
Research Briefing
The practicalities of blocking and filtering harmful material on the internet have generated interest in a range of contexts: the misuse of social media during the August 2011 riots, child sexual abuse images and copyright infringement.
Research Briefing
Following the Coalition agreement to review employment law, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced the “Employment Law Review” in January 2011, the first strand of which was a consultation on workplace disputes. This Note considers that consultation and the background to it, and the Government’s intentions as set out in its response to the consultation published in November 2011
Research Briefing
This note introduces the debate surrounding the surface water drainage charge, or “rain tax”. Following a change in legislation, water companies are now permitted to introduce surface water drainage charge concessionary rates for community groups.
Research Briefing
This note summarises the main points of the 2011 Autumn Statement.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the background to the 2011 Autumn Statement which will take place on 29 November.
Research Briefing
Article discussion the implications of the June 2010 Budget Coalition Government announcement that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) would be used to uprate benefits, and state pensions, including public service pensions.
Total results (page 445 of 639)