Research Briefing
Public Service Reform
This Standard Note provides background information on the Coalition Government’s public service reform agenda and current ideas about commissioning public services.
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Research Briefing
Fixed Term Parliament Bill – Lords stages
This standard note summarises the Lords stages of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill
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Research Briefing
Local government: publicity code
This note looks at the history of the local government publicity code as well as the question of enforceability of the provisions of the code
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Research Briefing
AV and electoral reform
The Coalition Programme of May 2010 included a commitment to introduce a Referendum Bill on electoral reform. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill was introduced on 22 July 2010 and made provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons if there is a positive result in the referendum to be held on 5 May 2011. The Bill received Royal Assent on 16 February 2011. This note provides a summary of the main provisions of the Act; full details on the introduction of the Bill are given in Library Research Paper 10/55.
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Research Briefing
Sovereign Grant Bill
The Sovereign Grant Bill concerns the way in which the monarchy is funded. It seeks to replace the Civil List and other grants that support the Queen’s official duties with a new Sovereign Grant, based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate. The new grant is designed to deliver at first a broadly similar level of finance in cash terms to what is available at present. There are mechanisms for adjusting the level in future, and for using any significant surplus as a means to reduce the grant. The Sovereign Grant is intended to be a typical government grant that will lead to the royal finances being audited by the National Audit Office, and subjected to full parliamentary scrutiny.
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Research Briefing
The European Union Bill 2010-11: Lords Committee and Report Stages
This Note looks at Lords amendments to the European Union Bill 2010-11 covering Committee and Report stages, and Third Reading.
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Research Briefing
Political Developments in Northern Ireland October 2008 to March 2009
This note aims to give an update on the political events in Northern Ireland from October 2008 to March 2009.
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Research Briefing
House of Commons: providing information and access for the public
This note outlines some of the current initiatives in this area.
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Research Briefing
Thresholds in Referendums
Referendums have become an established mechanism for validating constitutional initiatives in the UK. The possibility of using an appropriate minimum turnout, or a special majority to ensure that the outcome of such a poll is seen as legitimate is sometimes raised. This note looks at the debate in the UK so far and briefly looks at the use of referendum thresholds in states outside the UK.
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Research Briefing
Protection of Freedoms Bill: Committee Stage Report Bill 189 of 2010-11
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Protection of Freedoms Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/20 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
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Research Briefing
Public Bodies Bill [HL]
The Public Bodies [HL] Bill is largely enabling legislation. It would allow ministers, by order, to abolish, merge or transfer the functions of the public bodies listed in the appropriate schedules to the Act. It is the main legislative vehicle for taking forward the Government’s review of public bodies, the results of which were published in October 2010.
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Research Briefing
Scotland Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the Commons committee stage of the Scotland Bill 2010-12. Introduced to the House of Commons on 30 November 2010, its second reading was on 27 January 2011, and its committee stage took place on the floor of the House on 7, 14 and 15 March 2011. Report and third reading are scheduled for 21 June 2011. On 13 June 2011 the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, announced a package of changes to the Bill in response to issues that had been raised in the UK and Scottish Parliaments, and by the Scottish Government.
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Research Briefing
Reform of the House of Lords: the Coalition Agreement and further developments
This note outlines the proposals for House of Lords reform contained in the Coalition Agreement, including those for the preparation of a draft Bill to create a fully or mainly elected House. Initial announcements stated that the draft Bill would be published in December 2010 but more recent statements have indicated that it will not be published until the New Year.
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Research Briefing
In brief: Burma’s ‘discipline-flourishing democracy’
This note reviews developments in Burma since the November 2010 elections.
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Research Briefing
Parliamentary privilege and qualified privilege
This Note examines the concept of privilege as it applies to Members, staff, and publications of the House, press reports of Parliament, and members of public authorities. It compares qualified privilege with the absolute nature of parliamentary privilege, by examining a number of areas where privilege may be applicable. Apart from quoting the statutory authorities, it does not seek to deal with the wider question of media publications on matters of public interest, which may involve a different kind of qualified privilege
Total results (page 133 of 162)