Research Briefing
This note contains a short and highly selective chronology of constitutional change over the past century. Prominent themes include parliamentary reform, devolution and changes to the franchise.
Research Briefing
On 19 December 2012 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made a statement announcing provisional figures for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 local government finance settlements. Total central government funding for all local authorities in England will fall by 3.9% in 2013/14 and 8.6% in 2014/15.
Research Briefing
The Succession to the Crown Bill would make changes so that gender would no longer play a part in determining the order of succession to the Crown, and so that a person marrying a Roman Catholic would no longer be barred from becoming or remaining monarch. It would also remove a requirement for descendants of George II to seek permission from the monarch to marry, replacing it with a requirement for the first six people in the line of succession to seek consent if they wish to remain in line to the throne. This Paper discusses the existing rules, the changes proposed by the Bill, and the process among the 16 states of which the Queen is Head of State to make the changes together.
Research Briefing
This House of Commons Background Paper sets out how legislation is passed through the House of Commons and the House of Lords and explains the terms involved.
Research Briefing
This note reviews major political developments since the 2007/08 crisis, whose legacies Kenya is still struggling to overcome. Elections are scheduled for March 2013 but two of the candidates seeking high office - Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto - are due to stand trial at the International Criminal Court in the following month. Meanwhile, Kenyan troops have now been in southern Somalia for over a year and helped re-take the strategic port of Kismayo in September 2012. But there remains uncertainty about Kenya's objectives in Somalia.
Research Briefing
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/61 prepared for Commons Second Reading
Research Briefing
A report by the Electoral Commission on continuous electoral registration in Northern Ireland, published in November 2012, found that there had been ‘a significant and worrying decline in both the accuracy and completeness of Northern Ireland’s electoral register’ since 2008. The Note looks at the introduction of individual electoral registration in Northern Ireland and the abolition of the annual canvass.
Research Briefing
2013 will be another important year for Pakistan. Federal and provincial elections will be held during the first half of the year. If, as seems increasingly likely, the Pakistan People’s Party-led Government sees out its full term in office and hands over to a civilian successor, it will be the first time in Pakistan’s history that this has happened. But the political and economic situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable.
Research Briefing
Local elections take place on 2 May 2013 in 27 county councils and 8 unitary authorities in England and one council in Wales.
Research Briefing
On Thursday 15 November 2012 the first ever elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) took place in England and Wales, outside of London. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 replaced police authorities with directly elected PCCs. The 41 police areas each elected one PCC. The supplementary vote system was used for the elections. This Research Paper analyses the results
Research Briefing
This Note provides information on rules covering disciplinary and penal powers of the House of Commons.
Research Briefing
This Note sets out the background to the information made available by the Commons for Members' allowances paid in the 2005-2010 Parliament. It then outlines IPSA's policy on release of allowances data and the position in the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament.
Research Briefing
This briefing has been prepared for the Report Stage of the Mental Health (Discrimination) (No 2) Bill on 30 November 2012. The Bill is sponsored by Gavin Barwell MP, who was fourth in the 2012-13 ballot for Private Members’ Bills.
Research Briefing
This Note details political developments in Northern Ireland in 2012.
Total results (page 127 of 162)