Research Briefing
The Political Parties and Elections Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 17 July 2008 and was carried over from the 2007-08 session. The Bill received Royal Assent on 21 July 2009. This Note summarises the debates and changes made to the Bill in the House of Commons and the House of Lords after Committee stage in the Commons
Research Briefing
This Note summarises the major amendments made to this Bill during its passage through both Houses. Research Paper 09/61 Parliamentary Standards Bill describes the policy background to the Bill and its content at first reading on 23 June.
Research Briefing
The Bill introduces a statutory Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) and Commissioner for Parliamentary Investigations. The IPSA will be responsible for devising a scheme for Members' allowances and for determining claims. The Commissioner will investigate allegations of misuse of allowances and breaches of the financial interest rules. See also Research Paper 09/60, which covers the background to the Government's decision to implement major changes, pending the report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life expected in autumn 2009.
Research Briefing
This Standard Note sets out details of the major FoI requests made to the House of Commons since the introduction of the right to make individual requests in January 2005. It also describes the actions taken by the House of Commons in response to the requests and subsequent decisions by the Information Commissioner, the Information Tribunal and the High Court.
Research Briefing
This Standard Note reproduces the text of a letter and accompanying set of suggestions prepared by Robert Rogers, Clerk of Legislation, for circulation to the Leader of the House, Shadow Leaders, Whips, and Chairs of relevant Committees, and those Members intending to stand in the election for Speaker, due to take place on Monday 22 June. It is reproduced in this form for the convenience of other Members.
Research Briefing
On 25 June 1979 the House of Commons agreed to establish a new system of departmental select committees to scrutinise the expenditure, administration and policy of government departments. This paper briefly sets out the historical background to the departmental select committees system before charting their development over the last 30 years, considering evaluations made of the system and recent proposals for reform.
Research Briefing
This Private Member's Bill is due for a second reading on Friday 12 June 2009. This Note gives background to its provisions which are designed to liberalise the nationality requirements for civil servants.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper sets out the model timetables for Parliamentary general elections and by-elections.
Research Briefing
This note traces a brief history of the office of Comptroller and Auditor General and examines current proposals to reform the corporate governance of the National Audit Office.
Research Briefing
A complete list of all Members who have served in the House of Commons since the 1979 General Election, together with basic biographical and parliamentary data, correct to 31 March 2009.
Research Briefing
This Note offers a brief introduction to the draft Bribery Bill published on 24 March 2009. For several years there has been pressure to update the UK anti corruption legislation, last amended in 1916, not least from the OECD and other international organisations who are promoting global anti corruption initiatives. The draft bill and white paper published on 25 March would implement proposals from the Law Commission in November 2008.
Research Briefing
This Bill is designed to assist with the devolution of policing and justice to Northern Ireland by making amendments to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. These amendments add to the options for appointing the Policing and Justice Minister already set out in the 1998 Act. It also provides for changes to the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 and the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 in respect of judicial appointments and removals.
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
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
This note sets out the legal and historical background to the restrictions on royal marriages, and considers their application in the case of the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles.
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