Research briefings

This page provides access to research briefings produced by the House of Commons Library, the House of Lords Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). You can filter the research briefings by date, type, or one of 350 topics. Pick your options from the dropdown menus.

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    Glossary

    • Commons Briefing papers: Papers providing in-depth and impartial analysis on every major piece of primary legislation and on other topics of public and parliamentary concern. Regular statistics papers are also published.
    • Lords Library Notes: Authored publications by the research section of the House of Lords Library that provide analysis of Bills, subjects for debate in the House and other issues of interest to Members.
    • POSTbriefs: Responsive policy briefings from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology based on mini-literature reviews and peer review, typically commissioned by select committees and library research services.
    • POSTnotes: Proactive four-page policy briefings from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology based on reviews of the research literature, interviews with stakeholders and peer review, commissioned by the POST Board.
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    Topics

    Topics: Research material can be filtered by subject using the topic terms. The topics are arranged in a taxonomy (a hierarchical classification) and can be further filtered using sub-topics.

Displaying 1-20 out of 90

Bovine TB and badger culling: devolved administrations
Published Wednesday, December 20, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8188
A summary of the approach to the control of bovine TB (bTB), including badger culling, in the devolved administrations.

Topics: Agriculture and environment, Animal diseases, Animal welfare, Countryside, Farmers

Control for low carbon levies
Published Wednesday, December 20, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8187
This Commons Library briefing provides an overview of the new Control for Low Carbon Levies, and the Levy Control Framework, which it replaced.

Topics: Climate change, Electricity, Energy, Renewable energy

Impact of the Trade in Ivory on Endangered Species
Published Friday, December 15, 2017 | Lords Library notes LLN-2017-0101
This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate on 21 December 2017 on the following motion moved by Lord Carrington (Conservative) “that this House takes note of the impact of the trade in ivory on endangered species, and of the efforts being made to eliminate that trade while protecting the cultural heritage of antique ivory”.

Topics: Environmental protection, Nature conservation

Global Effects of Climate Change on Health
Published Thursday, December 14, 2017 | Lords Library notes LLN-2017-0099
This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate on 21 December 2017 on the following motion tabled by Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat): "to move that this House takes note of the global effects of climate change on health".

Topics: Climate change, Health services

Air Pollution: Meeting Nitrogen Dioxide Targets
Published Wednesday, December 13, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8179
Despite falling UK emissions of air pollutants, concerns remain about pollutants in urban areas in particular; their impacts on lifelong health; and the UK Government’s failure to meet legally binding EU air quality targets

Topics: Pollution, Roads

Nuisance complaints
Published Thursday, November 30, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-8040
This House of Commons Library briefing paper provides an overview of options for dealing with nuisance together with Government guidance and relevant legislation on various types of nuisance.

Topics: Environmental protection, Pollution

Natural Environment and Animal Welfare
Published Thursday, November 30, 2017 | Lords Library notes LLN-2017-0088
This House of Lords Library Briefing has been written ahead of the debate in the House of Lords on 7 December 2017, that: “this House takes note of Her Majesty’s Government’s plans to improve the natural environment and animal welfare”.

Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture and environment, Animal welfare, Animals, Countryside, Environmental protection, Nature conservation

Cornwall's dark sky status
Published Tuesday, November 28, 2017 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2017-0241
This pack has been produced ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 29 November 2017 from 4.30-5.30 on Cornwall's dark sky status. The debate will be opened by Sheryll Murray MP.

Topics: Countryside, Environmental protection, Pollution

Social Indicators 2017
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-7381
This Commons Library research briefing summarises a wide range of social statistics. Subjects covered include agriculture, crime, defence, education, elections, environment and energy, health, housing, local government, population and migration, social security and transport.

Topics: Church and state, Administration of justice, Agriculture, Alcoholism, Armed forces, Asylum, Benefits policy, Central government, Civil Service, Climate change, Crime, Criminal law, Crown, Defence equipment and procurement, Defence policy, Devolution, Elections, Empty property, Energy, Ethnic groups, Further education, Health finance, Health services, Health staff and professions, Higher education, Housing, Housing adaptations, Immigration, Local government, Obesity, Ofsted, Organic farming, Overcrowding, Parliament, Pensions, Political parties, Population, Prisons, Railways, Regeneration, Religion and faith communities, Religious discrimination, Research and innovation, Roads, Schools, Speaker, Sustainable development, Teachers, Vaccination, Voluntary organisations

Road fuel prices: Social Indicators page
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN02638
UK petrol and diesel price trends and cross EU price comparisons

Topics: Oil, petrol and natural gas, Roads

Energy Use: Social Indicators page
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN02637
Trends in sources of UK energy and generation

Topics: Energy, Oil, petrol and natural gas, Renewable energy

Greenhouse gas emissions (UK): Social Indicators page
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN03950
Trends in UK greenhouse gas emissions.

Topics: Climate change, Energy

Domestic gas and electricity prices: Social Indicators page
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN03995
Depiction of trends in the retail prices of gas and electricity since privatisation.

Topics: Electricity, Energy, Oil, petrol and natural gas

The weather in the home countries: Social Indicators page
Published Monday, November 27, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN04319
2014 was the warmest year on record for the UK -what exactly was the weather like over the past 12 months?

Topic: Climate change

Flood risk management and funding
Published Wednesday, November 22, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers CBP-7514
This is a House of Commons Library Briefing Paper providing an overview of national flood defence spending; how flood defence funding works; and who manages flood risk in England. The possible impact of Brexit is also discussed.

Topics: Countryside, Flooding, Water

Petrol and diesel prices
Published Friday, November 17, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN04712
This note looks at trends in the price of petrol and diesel at the pump and before tax, possible reasons for the gap in prices between the two fuels and compares prices and taxes in different countries.

Topics: Energy, Oil, petrol and natural gas, Roads

Green Belt
Published Friday, November 17, 2017 | Commons Briefing papers SN00934
This briefing from the House of Commons library examines some of the controversy about the Green Belt in England and how policy towards the Green Belt might change.

Topics: Environmental protection, Planning

Decarbonising the Gas Network
Published Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | POSTnotes POST-PN-0565
The burning of natural gas for heating contributes 14% of the UK’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Decarbonising, or reducing the carbon content of the UK gas supply is one option for reducing the emissions from heating. This POSTnote looks at the contribution that two alternative gases, hydrogen and biomethane, could make in achieving this goal.

Topics: Climate change, Energy, Oil, petrol and natural gas, Renewable energy

Environmental Earth Observation
Published Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | POSTnotes POST-PN-0566
Earth observation (EO) is the process of gathering information about the Earth from a range of sensors to provide monitoring data at a range of scales. This POSTnote outlines some of the environmental uses and benefits of EO data, the potential opportunities from advances in relevant technologies and challenges facing the effective use of EO data.

Topics: Biodiversity, Climate change, Flooding, Information technology, Marine environment, Research and innovation

UK's role in degradation of the marine environment
Published Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | Commons Debate packs CDP-2017-0225
MPs will debate the UK's role in degradation of the marine environment from 2.30 to 4pm on Tuesday 14 November 2017. The debate will take place in Westminster Hall and be led by Barry Sheerman MP.

Topics: Environmental protection, Marine environment

Displaying 1-20 out of 90

About libraries

House of Commons Library

The House of Commons Library provides research, analysis and information services for MPs and their staff.

House of Lords Library

The House of Lords Library delivers research and information services to Members and staff of the House in support of parliamentary business.

POST

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology produces independent, balanced and accessible briefings on public policy issues related to science and technology.

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