Research Briefing
This note briefly reviews committees that have (or have had) a role in developing reform proposals, then it briefly reviews recent reform proposals that have been implemented or are underway but not fully implemented. Finally it notes legislation before Parliament this Session that is likely to affect how the House of Commons operates.
Research Briefing
This note reviews the background to the House sitting in September 2003, September 2004 and September 2010; and the introduction of the tabling of questions for answer during the summer recess.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the legal background to the rules surrounding the succession and then considers the historical background and context for the limitations on religious beliefs of the monarch and their spouse before looking at how the legislative restrictions could be removed. Lastly, it sets out recent attempts to change the laws of succession.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper summarises all the Commons stages of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill. It complements Research Paper 10/54 which was prepared for the Commons Second Reading. No major amendments were made to the Bill during its Committee stage and no amendments were made during Report.
Research Briefing
This note reviews the origins and evolution of the rectification procedure. It notes how many times it has been used. It sets out John Lyon's proposals to change it. It reports the BBC's coverage of Sir George Young's letter to the Committee on Standards and Privileges. Finally, it outlines the Committee on Standards and Privileges' recommendations, and the House's decisions.
Research Briefing
The Fixed-term Parliaments Bill [Bill No 64 of 2010-11] was introduced to the House of Commons on 22 July 2010 and had its Second Reading on 13 September 2010. This Note details the progress of the Bill, including developments between First and Second Reading and the Second Reading debate itself.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the rate of allowances under the House of Commons schemes and the budgets for expenses under the IPSA scheme.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the current rules on membership of the House of Lords and the disqualification criteria. It then outlines recent developments which have caused interest in the ability of the House of Lords to suspend and expel its own Members, and the ability of members of the House of Lords to stand down. It considers the provisions included in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill as introduced, and the reactions to them, including some of the main arguments made during the second reading debate. It also sets out proposals which have been made for time-limited appointments to the House of Lords - so called 'term peerages".
Research Briefing
This Paper summarises all Commons stages of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11. It supplements Research Paper 10/55 which was produced for the Bill’s Second Reading and replaces Standard Note 5697 'Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill: Progress of the Bill'. No major changes were made during the passage of the Bill in the Commons, but the text of the referendum question was altered and legislative provision was made for the combination of polls on 5 May 2011.
Research Briefing
Some Members representing Welsh constituencies called for a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee in order to discuss the impact on Wales of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010. The Secretary of State, Cheryl Gillan, declined. This Note gives a very brief account of the business of the Committee and a list of its previous meetings.
Research Briefing
The forthcoming election in Jordan will not have a big impact on the country's political scene. Political parties are weak and the monarchy retains most of the power in the country.
Research Briefing
This note charts progress of the Northern Ireland Assembly Members Bill [Lords] in the House of Commons. The Bill completed its passage through the Lords and was introduced in the Commons on 24 February 2010.
Research Briefing
This note compares the number of parliamentarians in the lower or single chamber of different countries.
Research Briefing
This Paper has been prepared for the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons. The Bill seeks to enable the next general election to be fought under the Alternative Vote system, provided this change is endorsed in a referendum on 5 May 2011 and boundary changes have been made to reduce the size of the House of Commons to 600. New rules for the redistribution of seats are designed to give primacy to numerical equality in constituencies and regular redistributions would take place every five years.
Total results (page 63 of 76)