Research Briefing
The three major political parties have all recently proposed that the UK should adopt a 'British Bill of Rights' of some kind. This paper outlines these proposals and sets them in context.
Research Briefing
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
The European Parliament (EP) elections will be held in the UK on 4 June 2009, alongside local elections. This Note looks at the EC Treaty base for the elections, public views and voter turnout, and European political groups and parties.
Research Briefing
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
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
This is an archived Commons Library briefing on fraud in the EU budget from 2009.
Research Briefing
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
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
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
This paper is one of two which examine the main proposals of the Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09. It deals with the provisions relating to criminal justice and data protection set out in Parts 2-8 of the Bill. See also HC Research Paper 09/07.
Research Briefing
This paper is one of two which examine the main proposals of the Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09. It deals with the provisions relating to coroners and other matters set out in Part 1 of the Bill. See also Research Paper 09/06.
Research Briefing
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
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 507 of 639)